Indian
Vindaloo (Goan Pork in Vinegar and Garlic)
Goa's pork braise, marinated overnight in a paste of vinegar and garlic. Grinding the spices in vinegar rather than water is the dish itself: it descends from the way Portuguese ships carried meat without it spoiling, so the vinegar is structure rather than seasoning.
Rogan Josh (Kashmiri Braised Lamb)
Kashmir's braised lamb. The name is not about red gravy: rogan is fat and josh is intense heat, so it describes cooking in fat over fierce heat. The colour comes from Kashmiri chilli, not tomato — and the traditional version contains no onion, no garlic and no tomato at all.
Masala Dosa (Fermented Rice Crepe with Potato)
South India's breakfast: rice and urad dal ground together, fermented overnight, spread thin on a hot pan and folded around a potato masala. The crispness comes from the fermentation, not from the cooking — an under-fermented batter will not crackle on any pan you own.
Samosa (Punjabi Potato and Pea Pastry)
India's defining snack: potato and pea folded into a triangle and fried. The pastry decides it, not the filling — a stiff dough with plenty of fat rubbed in, fried nearly twenty minutes in barely-warm oil, is what produces a shell that shatters instead of bending.
Aloo Gobi
A beloved Indian vegetarian curry of potato (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi) cooked down with turmeric, cumin, and spices. A "dry" curry with no gravy, cooked till tender and fluffy — great with rice or naan and chapati. One pan, and fully vegan.
Naan
India's beloved leavened flatbread, made soft and chewy with yogurt in the dough. No tandoor needed — a screaming-hot skillet bakes it beautifully at home. Perfect for scooping up butter chicken and curries.
Tandoori Chicken
Chicken marinated in spiced yogurt, then roasted hot so the edges char while the inside stays juicy — India's iconic grill. No tandoor oven needed; an ordinary oven or air fryer delivers that red, fragrant result at home.
Palak Paneer
An Indian vegetarian curry of paneer cheese simmered in a smooth spinach gravy. Blanch the spinach briefly to keep it vivid green — serve with rice or naan (tofu works if you can't find paneer).
Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
A classic Indian vegetarian curry of chickpeas simmered with onion, tomato, and spices. With canned chickpeas it's a 30-minute one-pot dish — hearty with rice or naan.
Dal (Lentil Curry)
India's everyday comfort food — lentils simmered soft with turmeric, then finished with a 'tadka', spices bloomed in hot ghee or oil and poured over. One pot from a bag of lentils, vegetarian yet protein-rich. Serve with rice or naan; with a few spices, anyone can make it.
Biryani (Chicken)
India's celebrated layered rice dish — yogurt-and-spice marinated chicken and 70%-cooked basmati layered with saffron, fried onions, and herbs, then sealed and steamed low (dum). A fragrant, festive one-pot.
Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)
India's beloved curry — yogurt-and-spice marinated chicken, seared then simmered in a silky tomato-butter-cream gravy. Deep red, smooth, and gently sweet; made for naan or rice.