A Treat for All the Foodies: Top 10 Indian Dish Recipes which Are a Must Try in 2019

Ingredients:

Main
• Chicken (Bone – in, cut into desired sized pieces) - 1 kg
• Oil - 1 tablespoon

Marinade:
• Hung Curd (Greek Yogurt) - 1/2 cup
• Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tablespoon
• Coriander Powder - 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Ginger – Garlic Paste - 1 1/2 tablespoons
• Garam masala Powder - 1 teaspoon
• Salt – As per taste

Gravy:
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Butter - 3 tablespoons
• Cinnamon stick - 1 piece
• Cardamom - 2 Pods
• Cloves - 3 nos.
• Whole Kashmiri Red Chillies – 5 nos.
• Garlic - 6 Cloves
• Onions (roughly chopped) – 2 nos.
• Tomatoes (roughly chopped) - 7 – 8 nos.
• Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
• Chilli Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Ketchup - 2 tablespoons
• Kasuri Methi (Dry) - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - As per taste
• Fresh Cream - 2 tablespoons

Preparation:

Marinade:
• Mix up all the ingredients given under the head marinade and add the chicken pieces to it.
• Mix well, for all the ingredients need to incorporate into the chicken.
• Cover the chicken and set aside for 15-20 minutes while you make the gravy.

Gravy:
• For making the gravy, heat up 1 tablespoon oil and 3 tablespoons of butter in a large kadhai or sauce pan.
• Add the said, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, whole red chilies and garlic into the heated oil.
• Sauté for a minute or so till it gets fragrant.
• Add onions and sauté on high heat for 2-3 minutes till soft and translucent, followed by tomatoes and cashew nuts.
• Mix well, reduce the flame to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes till the tomatoes start getting soft and mushy.
• Switch off the flame and take out the cinnamon pieces.
• Using an immersion blender or mixer grinder, puree the mixture till smooth.
• Take another pan, heat a tablespoon of oil.
• Add in the marinated chicken pieces and sear them on each side for 2-3 minutes on high heat.
• Pour back the puree and switch on the flame.
• Add the seared chicken pieces, chilli powder, ketchup, salt and 1/2 cup water.
• Bring this to a boil and reduce the flame to low. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.
• Once the chicken is cooked, add the dry kasuri methi and fresh cream.
• Serve hot with butter naan or rice.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal (split pigeon peas) - 1/3 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Chopped Mixed Vegetables - 1 cup
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 5-6 nos.
• Dry Red Chillies - 1-2 nos.
• Asafoetida - A pinch
• Onion, finely chopped - 1 medium (approx. 1/3 cup)
• Sambar Powder - 1 tablespoon
• Seedless Tamarind - 1/2 tablespoon
• Tomato, finely chopped - 1 medium (approx. 1/3 cup)
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Water - 1 cup + 1½ cups
• Coriander Leaves - 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
• Salt – As per taste

Preparation:

Tamarind Juice:
• Soak 1/2 tablespoon of tamarind in around 3 tablespoons of hot water for 10-15 minutes. Mash it with your fingers and strain the solids.

Vegetables and dal:
• Add the toor dal, turmeric powder and 1 cup water in a 3-4 litres capacity pressure cooker. Add in the mixed vegetables inside the pressure cooker and close the cooker lid. Pressure cook over medium flame for 3-4 whistles.
• Turn off the flame and allow it to stand until pressure comes down. Open the lid, and mash the dal and vegetables using a spatula.

Sambar:
• Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a kadai over medium flame and add mustard seeds. When the mustard starts to splutter, add curry leaves, dry red chilies, asafoetida, and sauté for 10-15 seconds.
• Add the chopped onion to the kadai and sauté until onion turns transparent. To this add tamarind juice and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Once done, add chopped tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes turn soft
• To this add the Sambar Powder, stir and cook for a minute.
• Add the cooked and mashed dal, boiled vegetables and 1½ cups water with required amount of salt.
• Mix well and boil until the mixture turns frothy and turn off flame
• Transfer hot and spicy Sambar into a serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Ingredients:

Onion paste:
• Onion - 1 medium or 1 cup (sliced)
• Cashew nuts - ¼ cup
• Green chilies – 5 nos. (Add more for spiciness)
• Water - 1 cup

Spinach paste:
• Spinach (Palak) - 1 medium Bunch or 6 cups
• Water - 5 cups

For Palak paneer recipe:
• Paneer cut into 1/2-inch cubes - 7 oz or 200 grams
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Ginger - 1 teaspoon (paste or freshly grated or crushed)
• Garlic - 1 teaspoon (paste or freshly grated)
• Tomato - ¼ cup (finely chopped)
• Black salt (Kala namak) - ¼ teaspoon
• Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 teaspoon
• Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
• Salt – As per taste
• Heavy whipping cream or fresh cream or malai - 2 tablespoons

Preparation:

Onion paste:
• Take in all the ingredients mentioned under the head; onion paste in a pan and bring it to a simmer.
• Cook for 15 minutes until onions gets soft. Let it cool down for a bit.
• Grind mixture into a smooth gravy and remove it to a bowl.

Spinach paste:
• Blanch the spinach. Add spinach leaves into boiling water. and cook for exactly 4 minutes.
• Remove and put the leaves into ice cold water or rinse under running cold water.
• Puree the spinach without adding any water. Keep aside.

Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe:
• Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, sauté the ginger and garlic paste for 30 seconds.
• Cook the tomatoes for 2 minutes and using the back of spatula, mash the tomatoes.
• Add onion paste and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in spinach puree and let it come to a simmer.
• Add black salt, dried fenugreek leaves, garam masala, salt and mix well.
• Add paneer cubes and mix gently and simmer it for 2 more minutes.
• Lastly, add cream, stir well and serve hot.

Ingredients:

• Seedless tamarind - 1 lemon sized
• Warm or hot water - ½ cup, for soaking tamarind
• Tomato - 1 medium, chopped
• Water - 2 cups
• Curry leaves - 10 to 12 nos.
• Asafoetida (hing) - 2 pinch
• Turmeric powder (haldi) - ½ teaspoon
• Mustard seeds (rai) - 1 teaspoon
• Red chilies, broken and deseeded - 2 to 3 nos.
• Chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta) - 2 teaspoon
• Oil - 2 tablespoon
• Salt - as per taste
• Cumin seeds (jeera) - 3 teaspoon
• Whole black pepper (sabut kali mirch) - 2 teaspoon
• Garlic, roughly chopped (lahsun) - 6 to 7 nos.

Preparation:

• In warm water squeeze the pulp of soaked tamarind. Strain the tamarind and keep aside.
• In a dry grinder powder the cumin seeds, whole black pepper and garlic.
• Heat oil in a pan add the mustard seeds and let it splutter first.
• Add the curry leaves, red chilies & asafoetida to the oil and fry on low flame for some seconds till the red chilies deepen in color.
• Add the tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes soften and becomes mushy.
• Then add the semi coarsely powdered cumin, black pepper and garlic along with turmeric powder.
• Stir and add the tamarind pulp, water and stir well. Add required amount of salt.
• Let the Rasam come to a gentle boil uncovered.
• Switch off the fire and add chopped coriander leaves.
• Serve Rasam hot, plain or with steamed rice.

Ingredients:

For rice:
• Basmati rice - 2 cups
• Water - 2 to 2 ½ litres
• Shahi jeera - 1 teaspoon
• Bay leaf - 1 small
• Cinnamon - 2 inch
• Cardamoms - 3 green
• Cloves – 4

For gravy:
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Onions - 2 medium, sliced thinly
• Star anise (chakri phool) - 1 no.
• Green cardamoms (choti elaichi) - 3 nos.
• Black cardamom (badi elaichi) – 1 no.
• Cloves (lavang) - 4 nos.
• Cinnamon stick (dalchini) - 1 inch
• Shahi jeera (caraway seeds) - ½ teaspoon
• Bay leaf (tej patta) - 1
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
• Chicken - ½ kg
• Salt – As per taste
• Turmeric (haldi) - 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon
• Biryani masala (or chicken masala) - 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons
• Red chili powder (lal mirch powder) - ¾ to 1 teaspoon
• Green chilies - 2 slit (adjust as needed)
• Curd / dahi / yogurt - 1 cup fresh
• Mint finely chopped (pudina) - 1 Handful
• Coriander leaves - 1 Handful (finely chopped)

Optional Ingredients:
• Saffron - 1 pinch
• Milk - 2 tbsp milk hot
• Kewra water - 1 tsp
• Ghee / clarified butter - 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Cooking biryani rice:
• Wash rice until water runs clear, soak for thirty minutes and drain the water.
• Bring 8 to 10 cups of water to a boil in a large container. Add bay leaf, Shahi jeera, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves; all tied in a muslin cloth into the water
• When the water comes to a boil, drained rice and required amount of salt.
• Cook until it is done al dente. Rice should be grainy and firm.
Gravy:
• Sauté onions in hot oil till fried. When turned golden and evenly done; set aside 1/4 of it.
• Lower the flame and sauté bay leaf, star anise, Shahi jeera, cloves and cardamom.
• Add ginger garlic paste, stir till cooked and add chicken and fry on a medium heat until it turns pale or white.
• Add salt, biryani masala, red chili powder, slit green chilies and turmeric to the chicken. Mix well and fry for 3 mins.
• Cover and cook on flame for 3 to 4 mins to let the moisture from the meat to seep out.
• Pour in yogurt and mix well. Cover and cook over a medium heat until the meat is completely cooked and the gravy thickens.
• Taste and adjust salt as needed. Lower the flame, sprinkle mint and coriander leaves. Stir well.
• Layer the rice evenly. Add fried onions, mint, coriander leaves, saffron soaked milk, kewra water & ghee. Optional ingredients can be skipped.
• Cover the pot with a foil or a moist kitchen cloth. Place a tight lid to trap the steam or dum. Place heavy pot to tighten lid if needed be.

For Multilayer Chicken Biryani:
• Use a small pot and just before layering the rice, set aside half of the chicken curry. Layer half the rice followed by rest of the curry. Repeat layering rice and then add ghee, kewra, mint coriander and fried onions.

For dum on stove:
• Heat an old tawa or a pan, place the biryani pot and dum cook for 12 to 15 minutes on a medium heat. If using an induction stovetop, you can directly place the pot for 15 to 20 mins.
• Serve chicken dum biryani with salad and authentic date pickle.

Ingredients:

• Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 tablespoon
• Cumin / jeera - 1 teaspoon
• Star anise - 1 no.
• Cinnamon (dalchini) - 1 inch
• Cloves (lavang) - 4 nos.
• Cardamom - 3 pods
• Bay leaf (tej patta) - 1 no.
• Cashew (kaju) - 10 nos.
• Onion - 1 sliced
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Chilli - 2 slit
• Tomato - 1 finely chopped
• Potato (aloo) - 1 cubed
• Peas (matar) - 3 tablespoon
• Carrot – 1 chopped
• Cauliflower (Gobi) - 10 florets
• Beans – 5 chopped
• Paneer (cottage cheese) - 12 cubes
• Coriander - 2 tablespoon (finely chopped)
• Mint (pudina) - 2 tablespoon (finely chopped)
• Garam masala - ½ teaspoon
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Basmati rice - 1 cup, (soaked 20 minutes)
• Water - 2 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

• In a large kadai, heat 2 tbsp ghee and sauté cumin, anise, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and cashews.
• Also, sauté onion followed by ginger garlic paste and chilli.
• Add tomato and sauté until tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
• Next, add potato, peas, carrot, cauliflower and beans. Sauté these for 2 minutes.
• Add next, paneer, coriander, mint, garam masala and salt. Sauté this for a minute.
• Add basmati rice, sauté gently and add 2 cups of water, the lemon juice and stir well.
• Cover and pressure cook until 2 whistles or till the rice gets cooked completely.
• Serve veg pulao along with onion or tomato raita.

Ingredients:

• Mutton - 500 gm
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch
• Cinnamon - 2 inch
• Black cardamom - 3 nos.
• Fennel seeds - 3 teaspoon powdered
• Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
• Saffron - 1 pinch
• Khoya - 1/4 cup grated
• Kewra - 2 ml
• Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard oil - 1/4 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Peppercorns - 6 nos.
• Red chilli - 3 nos.
• Ginger powder - 1 teaspoon
• Hung curd - 3/4 cup
• Garam masala powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Almonds - 15 gm blanched, peeled and crushed to paste
• Salt - 4 pinches
• Water - 1 cup

For Garnishing:
• Coriander leaves - 2 sprigs
• Red chilli - 2 nos.

Preparation:

• In a large, thick -bottomed pan, heat oil on medium flame. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cardamoms and whole red chillies.
• Sauté all the spices in the pan on low flame. Add mutton pieces and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes. Add some water and cook covered.
• When the pieces are soft and cooked half way, add all ground spices that are left along with saffron and mix well till incorporated. Cook covered for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add salt as per taste, along with whisked hung yogurt and cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add the garam masala powder, grated khoya, almond paste and kewra water.
• Cook the mutton on low flame till it is tender and thoroughly cooked.
• Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and red chillies.
• Serve hot with naan or rice.

Ingredients:

• Coconut oil - 2 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds - ½ teaspoon
• Fenugreek seeds - ¼ teaspoon
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Ginger - ½ inch piece
• Garlic - 6 cloves
• Indian small onions (shallots) - 10 nos.
• Green chillies - 2 slit
• Salt - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
• Red chilli powder - 2 teaspoon (use more for a spicy curry)
• Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon
• Kodampuli (malabar tamarind) - 3 pieces
• Coconut milk (lite milk) - 1 cup
• Sardine (Mathi Meen) - 8-9 pieces

Preparation:

• Heat coconut oil in a pan (earthen pot) and add in the mustard seeds, curry leaves and fenugreek seeds.
• Let the mustard seeds splutter.
• Crush, ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle, add it to the pan along with chopped Indian shallots and slit green chillies. Add in the salt as per taste.
• Sauté till the onions are soft and have started to brown.
• Make a thick paste of turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder; adding a few tablespoons of water.
• Add the paste to the pan and sauté well for 3-4 minutes until the masala paste is completely cooked.
• Once the masala is cooked, add in half a cup of water.
• Soak the Kodampuli in a cup of water for 5 minutes and add into the pan. Close the pan with a lid and let it simmer for five minutes. Add in a cup of second pressed coconut milk and cleaned fish.
• Close the pan with a lid and let the curry simmer for 6 minutes. Sardines cook extremely fast.
• Remove the curry from heat and allow the curry to rest for a couple of hours for the flavours to seep in. It always tastes better the next day.
• Serve with rice and kappa.

Ingredients:

• Small potatoes - 200 gm
• Mustard oil - 2 tsp
• Bengali five spice mixture (panchphoron) (whole jeera, saunf seeds, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds and kalaunji) - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 2 nos.
• Mustard paste - 1/2 tsp
• Hung curd - 1 tsp
• Coconut paste - 3/4 tsp (desiccated)
• Green chilli paste – A Pinch
• Turmeric powder – A Pinch
• Salt – As per taste
• Lime juice – A Dash
• Banana leaves – 2 nos.

Preparation:

• Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water, drain and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add the five-spice mixture and break the red chillies in half and add them next.
• Stir the spices around till they crackle.
• Pour this mix over the potatoes and keep aside.
• In a mixing bowl prepare a marinade with the mustard paste, curd, coconut paste, green chilli pastes and turmeric powder and mix well. Add and gently coat the potatoes with this marinade.
• Add salt and lime juice. Mix again.
• Put the potatoes on a steel plate, covered with banana leaves and steam them for 6-8 minutes. Serve hot.

Ingredients:

• Carrots - 1/2 kg
• Full Fat Milk - 1/2 litre
• Ghee - 60 g
• Freshly ground cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 120 g
• Khoya - 125 g

For garnishing:
• Almond and pistachio slivers

Preparation:

• Wash the carrots, peel and grate them in medium thickness.
• Add the carrots and milk in a heavy bottom pan and cook on low heat until all the milk is absorbed.
• Add ghee and cardamom powder to the carrots and fry for 4-5 minutes on low heat.
• Keep stirring continuously and add sugar and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• Add grated khoya and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes until ghee starts to leave on the sides. Give occasional stirs.
• Garnish with almond and pistachio slivers.
• Serve warm.