Ingredients

• 910g cauliflower, broken into florets
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• sea salt
• 60 ml vegetable oil
• 150g red onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder (optional)
• 30g chickpea flour
• 480 ml fresh kefir or buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. red chili flakes
• 2 tbsp. cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 200C fan/gas mark 7.

Place the cauliflower in a roasting pan or baking dish. Sprinkle with the garam masala, season with salt and toss to coat. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and toss to coat evenly. Roast the cauliflower for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and slightly charred. Stir the florets halfway through roasting.

While the cauliflower is roasting, place a deep, medium saucepan or casserole pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan. Add the onions and sauté until they just start to turn translucent – 4-5 minutes. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and cook for 30 seconds. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the chickpea flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and fold in the kefir, stirring constantly. Watch the liquid carefully as it cooks until it thickens slightly – 2-3 minutes. Fold the roasted cauliflower into the liquid and remove from the heat. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin and black mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop and the cumin starts to brown – 30-45 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the chilli flakes, swirling the oil in the pan until the oil turns red. Quickly pour the hot oil with the seeds over the cauliflower in the saucepan. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve warm with rice or parathas.

Nik Sharma / BBC

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg fish fillets (cod, halibut, etc.), skinless
• 3 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 6 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lg. white onion, finely grated
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2.5cm piece ginger, crushed
• 1 tbsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 3 tbsp. tomato puree
• 200g tomatoes, cut into 1" cubes
• 600ml warm water
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• green chiles
• a few sprigs cilantro

Preparation

Cut the fish fillets into 12 equal portions. Mix 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, then rub on all sides of the fish and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a shallow saucepan, heat 5 tablespoons of the oil over a medium-high heat. If you are using mustard oil, heat the oil until it is smoking hot – this removes its bitter pungency – then bring it down to a medium-high heat. Add the fish to the pan and fry to seal each piece, but do not let the fillets cook through. Remove from the pan to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes over a medium-high heat. If the paste is burning or sticking to the base of the pan, add a splash of water. Add the remaining salt and turmeric, followed by the coriander, cumin, chilli powder, tomato puree and diced tomatoes. Pour in the warm water and cook for 5 minutes. Let the liquid reduce for 15 minutes or until the oil comes to the surface and seeps to the sides of the pan.

Gently return the fish fillets to the pan and cover with the gravy, ensuring all sides of each fillet are cooking evenly. If possible, cook the fish fillets in a single layer in the pan as this will prevent them from breaking up into flakes. Lower the heat, add the sugar and cook, covered, until the fillets are cook through – this should take no longer than 5 minutes.

To serve, garnish the fish with whole green chillies and sprigs of fresh coriander leaves.

Asma Khan / BBC

Ingredients

• 750 g pork shoulder, cut into 1" pieces
• 4 tbsp. vegetable or coconut oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 500g red onions, finely sliced
• 5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small green chiles, stalks removed
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. tamarind pulp
• 6 small sweet pickled onions, each cut into 2
• 20g fresh cilantro, finely chopped

for the paste:

• 5cm cinnamon stick
• 6 crushed cardamom pods
• 1 tsp. black peppercorns
• 10 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 10 cloves garlic
• 5 cm piece peeled ginger
• 60ml malt vinegar

Preparation

Grind together the paste ingredients, starting with the largest spices first, then adding the cumin and coriander seeds, and blend to a fine consistency. Add the chilli and turmeric powders and mix well. Add the garlic and ginger and grind, adding the vinegar to make a paste.

Rub the paste into the diced pork and leave to sit for at least an hour or overnight in a refrigerator.

Heat the oil in a wide, pan (one that has a lid) over a medium-low flame, add the mustard seeds and let crackle for 30 seconds. Add the onions and fry until soft and golden. Add the tomatoes, chillies and curry leaves, and cook until the tomatoes start to break down.

Add the pork and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook for 10-12 minutes stirring continually until the pork browns. Add 250ml of water, stir well, add the jaggery, salt and tamarind and mix through. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, turn the heat right down and cook gently for 45-60 minutes.

Check the amount of liquid in the pan and, if needed, cook for another 15 minutes, or until the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened.

Scatter the pickled onions and chopped coriander over the dish and serve hot.

Vivek Singh / BBC

Ingredients

• 1 cup (7 ounces) whole urad beans with skin
• 4 cups water, plus more for soaking
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 medium (10 ounces) white onion, cut into chunks
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• One (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
• 4 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter, divided (may substitute extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream or creme fraiche (may substitute nondairy yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Pick through the beans and discard any dirt or stones, then transfer to a medium bowl and rinse under running water. Add enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch and soak overnight (8 to 12 hours). Drain.

In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat, combine the beans with the 4 cups water and baking soda. Bring to a rolling boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook the beans until they are tender and almost falling apart, 30 to 45 minutes. Transfer the beans with their liquid to a large bowl. Rinse the saucepan and wipe it dry.

Combine the onion and garlic in a blender. Chop half the ginger, add it to the blender and pulse until the vegetables form a smooth paste. (If needed, add a bit of the liquid from the dal to the blender to help things move around.)

Return the saucepan or Dutch oven to medium-high heat, and melt 2 tablespoons of the ghee. Add the garam masala and turmeric and cook, stirring, until the spices release their aroma, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook until darkened, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has cooked away and the ghee has started pooling in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cooked beans and their liquid and stir in the salt and cayenne. Taste, and add more salt if needed.

Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook at a boil for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and remove from the heat.

Cut the remaining ginger into matchsticks. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee. Add the remaining ginger and fry until the ginger starts to turn golden brown, about 1 minute. Pour the fried ginger and ghee over the dal. Garnish with the cilantro, if using, and serve hot, with plain rice or flatbread, and yogurt or raita on the side.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 3 cups (426 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) whole or low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
• About 3/4 cup warm water
• Canola oil, for greasing the baking sheet
• 1 to 2 tablespoons melted ghee or unsalted butter, for brushing

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the buttermilk over the flour mixture and quickly stir it in. The flour will still be fairly dry, with some wet clumps.

Pour a few tablespoons of the warm water over the flour, stirring it in with a spatula or wooden spoon. Repeat until the flour comes together to form a soft ball. You will use about 3/4 cup of the warm water in total, but it may need a little more or less depending on your exact measurements or the weather. You want the dough to be very soft, close to being slightly sticky, so if you add an extra tablespoon or so, it won’t hurt. Using your hands, gather the ball, picking up any dry flour in the bottom of the bowl, and knead it to form a smooth, soft ball of dough, 1 to 2 minutes. If it’s a little too sticky to handle, dust your hands with flour, but do not add any more flour to the dough, if possible.

Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with the canola oil. Cut the dough into 6 equal portions (the dough will be roughly 700 grams, so aim for about 116 grams each). Shape each portion into a round, cupping and tucking the edges underneath as best you can to make it smooth. (Don’t sweat this too much, as the dough is pretty forgiving and you’re going to roll it out anyway.) Place on the baking sheet. Brush the rounds with the melted ghee or butter and cover with plastic wrap or a slightly dampened clean dish towel. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. The dough needs to rest, but will not rise or change much in appearance.

With about 10 minutes left in the dough resting time, preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Place one of the dough rounds on the surface and then turn it over so that both sides are floured. (Keep the remaining dough rounds covered.) Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 8- to 9-inch circle, rotating the dough 90 degrees after each motion to create an even round. Dust the work surface and rolling pin with just enough flour to keep things from sticking; you don’t want to overdo it.

When the skillet is sizzling-hot (check by sprinkling a few small drops of water; if they bounce and quickly evaporate, it’s ready), add the first portion of rolled dough. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until lots of bubbles appear on the top and the bottom dries out and is freckled with brown spots.

Using tongs — or your fingers if you’re careful — flip the dough and cover the skillet with a lid or large, rimmed baking sheet if you don’t have a top that fits the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and there are plenty of very dark, almost charred spots on what was the top and now the bottom of the naan. You may find you need to reduce the heat or cook time slightly as the skillet gets very hot throughout the batch. While the first naan cooks, roll out the second.

Remove the finished naan from the skillet, transfer to a baking sheet or serving platter, and brush with more of the melted ghee or butter. Cover with foil or a clean dish towel to keep warm. Transfer the second naan to the skillet, and continue to roll and cook the remaining dough. Serve warm.

WaPo

Ingredients

• 14 oz. can tomatoes
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 1-2 tsp. minced ginger
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 lb. chicken (pref. boneless thighs)
• 4 oz. butter, cubed
• 4 oz. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1/4–1/2 c. cilantro

Preparation

Place the first ten ingredients into the instant pot. Cook for 10 minutes on high. Allow the pressure to drop for 10 minutes naturally, then quick release.

Take the chicken out and set aside. Blend the sauce with an immersion blender, and add the butter, cream, cilantro, and further 1 tsp. garam masala.

Set aside half of the sauce for future use (mix with paneer, or peas, or shrimp, or leftover cooked chicken).

Chop the chicken, return it to the sauce, and heat gently. Serve with rice or naan.

Two Sleevers

Ingredients

For marinating the chicken:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup greek yogurt (7 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

For the sauce:

• 15 ounces canned tomato sauce or puree
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

For serving:

• basmati rice
• naan
• freshly chopped cilantro

Preparation

Combine all marinade ingredients (minus the chicken) in a bowl and mix well. Add chicken chunks and coat with the marinade. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Select the saute mode on the pressure cooker for medium heat. When it has reached temperature, add chicken chunks (along with any marinade sticking to them) to the pressure cooker. Saute until the chicken is cooked on all sides, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the saute mode.

Add all of the sauce ingredients except the cream to the pressure cooker, over the chicken, and stir. Secure and seal the lid. Select the manual mode to cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Use the quick steam release handle to release pressure.

Select the saute mode on the pressure cooker for low heat. When it has reached temperature, add cream to the pot, stirring with the other ingredients. Simmer until the sauce is thickened to your liking, a few minutes.

Serve with basmati rice or naan. Garnish with cilantro.

Savory Tooth

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• 1 ½ tablespoons minced thyme leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
• ¾ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 (6-ounce) blackfish, flounder or hake fillets
• Fresh lemon juice, for serving
• Dill fronds or fresh parsley, for serving

Preparation

Heat the broiler. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in garlic, thyme, curry powder, ginger and 1/4 teaspoon salt; heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon zest.

Season fish with salt and pepper and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour sauce over fish and broil until fish is flaky and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Top with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh dill, and serve.

New York Times

Ingredients

• 6 large ripe tomatoes, diced about 1/2"
• 4 spring onions (or yellow onions, shallots), finely chopped
• 1 large handful fresh mint leaves, finely minced
• juice of 1 - 2 lemons
• salt and pepper
• cayenne pepper

Preparation

Place tomatoes and onions into a bowl. Juice the lemons. Grind salt and pepper to taste into the lemon juice. Add any other spices, such as cayenne. Add the minced mint to the lemon dressing, mix well, then pour over the tomatoes.

Delishably

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 c. chopped onion
• 3/4 lb. potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1 - 1 ½ serrano chiles, minced
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• ½ head cauliflower, florets (4 c.)
• 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, blended until nearly smooth
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz. frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
• ¼ cup heavy cream or coconut milk

Preparation

Toast curry powder and garam masala in small skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until spices darken slightly and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove spices from skillet and set aside.

Heat 3 tbsp. oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized and potatoes start to brown. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, chile, and tomato paste; cook 30 seconds. Add toasted spices and cook 1 minute longer. Add cauliflower cook until well coated, about 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes, water, chickpeas, and 1 tsp. salt; increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to boil. Cover and simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in peas and cream or coconut milk; continue to cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.