5 Delicious Types of Best Indian Recipes You Should Try

Indian Cuisine! What comes to mind are the flavorful spicy dishes eaten with basmati rice and naans. While a majority of Indian dishes are easy to prepare, the mouthwatering ones you generally order at restaurants look especially daunting to prepare. Well, we have made the task easier. We have curated a list of 5 delicious best Indian recipes that are a part of the main course meal. These include vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and also include poultry, seafood, and red meat options. Let us look into this one by one. 

1. Murgh Makhani AKA Butter Chicken Recipe

Butter chicken had a lot of Punjabi influence as it was first prepared by Punjabi migrants who arrived in Delhi during partition in the turbulent 1940s. It appealed to the taste buds of people in India and soon became popular worldwide. This is due to the smooth buttery flavor of the chicken and creamy and mildly spicy texture and taste of the curry accompanying it. 

How to Prepare Butter Chicken

a. Ingredients

• 1 Kg chicken cut between small and mid-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (mustard oil preferred ) but you can use palm, soybean, groundnut, or olive oil as per the preference
• 3 teaspoons garam masala and coriander powder mixed equally
• 1 thinly sliced medium-sized red onion
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Red chili powder/ White Pepper (as per the heat tolerability)
• Salt as per taste
• 2 cups tomato (finely diced)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

b. Steps

Gather all the ingredients.

1. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl, add lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of mustard oil, and 2 teaspoons of garam masala and coriander powder and add the mixture to chicken pieces thoroughly to marinate.
2. Pour the remaining mustard oil with 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and put to medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion and fry it for a minute.
3. Now add the remaining garam masala and coriander powder along with the butter and stir well. Now add red chili powder, salt, and diced tomatoes. Mix them well and let the mixture simmer for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir them regularly so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the mixture. Add warm water depending on the amount of curry you want to prepare. If you are having naans or rotis with the chicken, use a little less than a teacup of water, for eating rice with butter chicken, you need more water, so pour 1 and a half teacups. Bring the water to a boil and then let the curry simmer for 15 to 20 minutes at a low heat.
5. Pour in the heavy cream and mix. Let it cook for 1 more minute.
6. Turn off the heat and wait for 5-6 minutes. The butter chicken is ready now. Serve it with rotis, naans, or boiled rice. 

2. Tandoori chicken recipe

Tandoori chicken is a popular Indian dish. ‘Tandoor’ means a traditional clay oven and the marinated chicken cooked on skewers over it gets it this name. It can also be cooked quite easily on a grill but the chicken should be marinated and kept in a fridge overnight to let the flavor seep into the chicken. Serve it with a dash of lemon and green chutney. 

How to Prepare Grilled Tandoori Chicken

a. Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken pieces with skin removed
• 1 cup yogurt
• 6 tablespoons tandoori masala
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt as per taste
• 1 cup refined cooking oil 
• For garnish – Sliced onion rings and 1 tablespoon chaat masala

b. Steps

Gather all the ingredients.

1. Cut light diagonal slashes in the chicken pieces.
2. Mix the tandoori masala with the yogurt, two tablespoons cooking oil with salt and garlic, and mix well until a paste of uniform consistency is formed.
3. Coat the chicken pieces with the paste, ensure the paste seeps well into the chicken pieces through the cuts made earlier.
4. Put all the pieces in a bowl and refrigerate and marinate them overnight or between 12 to 18 hours.
5. Heat grill to medium. Put the chicken pieces on the grill and sear them on both sides till the pieces are brown. Brush the cooking oil in between, so the chicken does not dry.
6. After the pieces are browned, reduce the heat and cover the grill. Cook until the chicken is tender.
7. Once cooked, take the chicken pieces out and garnish them with lime juice. Sprinkle chaat masala as per taste and serve with onion rings. 

3.Rogan Josh AKA Red Lamb Recipe

Rogan Josh is a delicious mutton curry dish of Indo-Kashmiri cuisine. Its literal meaning in Kashmiri is ‘Red Lamb’ as per the red color of the curry due to Kashmiri red chili powder used in it. Kashmiri red chilies have a glorious red color but they are not high on the heat scale. The cream is also added to the Rogan Josh so the resultant curry is a flavorful dish without being overly spicy.  

 How to Prepare Rogan Josh

a. Ingredients

• 1 and a half Kg cubed lamb
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil 
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 3 bay leaves
• 9 cloves (whole)
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
• 2 finely chopped medium onions 
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri dry red chili powder
• 2 cups lamb stock
• 1 cup water
• Salt as per taste 
• 5 teaspoons light cream 
• For garnish-Fresh cilantro or ‘Dhaniya’ leaves

b. Steps 

Gather all the ingredients.

1. To tenderize the mutton mix it with yogurt in a bowl and keep them aside.
2. Pour the oil into a deep pan and heat to medium. Now add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves, and peppercorns in the oil. Check till they turn Fry till they turn a little bit darker.
3. Add the chopped onions to the mix until they turn light brown.
4. Now pour ginger garlic paste and let it fry for a minute.
5. Add the rest of the condiments like chilies, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, and cumin and stir till the oil separates from the masala mixture.
6. Add the tenderized lamb and mix it well. Let it cook in the mixture. Stir frequently.
7. Now add lamb stock, water, and salt as per taste.
8. Let the curry simmer till it gets thick. Stir frequently in between.
9. Whisk the cream and pour it into the curry. Cook for 2 more minutes.
10. Turn off the heat and let the curry rest for 5 to 6 minutes.
11. Garnish with fresh ‘Dhaniya’ leaves and serve.

4. Malai Kofta

Malai kofta is a delicious Indian dish of fried vegetable balls in a thick gravy. Malai means creamy and Kofta means vegetable balls and so the dish is aptly named as it is a vegetable ball curry of creamy texture. The koftas are made of a mixture of different boiled and mashed vegetables mixed with spices and cottage cheese. These should be accompanied by naans and rotis. 

How to Prepare Malai Kofta

a. Ingredients

For the Koftas

• 2 cups diced, peeled, and boiled potatoes
• 1 cup boiled mixed vegetables (beans, carrots, sweet corn, and peas)
• 1 cup grated cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• Salt as per taste
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts 
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped raisins
• 3 cups cooking oil 

For the Curry

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 large sliced onions (quartered)
• 2 diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon roasted and grounded poppy seeds
• 3 tablespoons nuts grounded to a paste
• 1 cup warm water
• Salt as per taste

b. Steps

For Preparing Koftas

Gather all the ingredients.

1. Mash and mix the boiled potatoes, mixed vegetables, cream, and grated paneer in a bowl.
2. Add the red chili powder, salt as per taste, cumin, and coriander to this mixture and make it into this mash and mix well. The resulting dough should be firm.
3. Mix chopped nuts and raisins in a small container.
4. Make small balls from this dough and put a bit of nut and raisin mix in the center of each ball.
5. Close and roll it again in a ball shape.
6. In a large frying pan, pour the oil and warm it to medium heat.
7. Fry the vegetable balls till they reach a light brown color.
8. Drain the oil and keep them aside. 

For Preparing the Curry

Gather all the ingredients.

1. Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a frying pan, add the onions and fry till they are light brown. Now take out the onions.
2. Grind fried onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and all the spices in a food processor till a smooth masala paste is formed.
3. Pour this paste back into the pan with leftover oil and fry and stir till the oil separates from the masala.
4. Now add the grounded poppy seeds and nut paste. Fry between 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add 1 cup of warm water for gravy and sprinkle salt as per taste.
6. Boil the gravy and then let it simmer.
7. Add the fried vegetables to the gravy and cook uncovered for 2 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and sprinkle a little bit of garam masala over the gravy.
9. Cover the pan. Leave it for 5 minutes.
10. Malai Koftas are ready to serve now.

5. Malai Prawn AKA Creamy Prawn Curry

Malai prawn curry is a delicious Bengali dish eaten with boiled or jeera rice. This is a staple in Bengal and is getting popular all over. 

How to Prepare Malai Prawn

a. Ingredients

• 1 Kg tiger ​prawns
• 2 large diced onions
• 3 diced tomatoes
• 2-3 green chilies
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 cups coconut milk
• Salt as per taste
• 3 tablespoons cream
• For Garnish- Fresh coriander or ‘Dhaniya’ leaves

b. Steps 

1. Wash, shell, and devein the prawns.
2. Grind the onions, green chilies, and tomatoes in a food processor to form a paste.
3. Pour the oil into a frying pan and bring it to medium heat. Add the onion, chilly, and tomato paste and fry for a minute.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste to the mixture and fry it for one more minute.
5. Add the coriander powder, garam masala, and cumin and cook until the oil separates from the masala. Add salt as per taste.
6. Now pour the coconut milk into the mixture and bring to a boil.
7. Add the prawns to the curry and cook for another 2 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat, pour the cream, and stir.
9. Let it rest for 2 minutes.
10. Garnish it with coriander leaves and it’s ready for serving.

Conclusion

So, these are five of the delicious best Indian recipes that though look formidable to cook but are surprisingly easy to prepare.