Indian Pakistani Recipes: 7 Classic Dishes You Can Make at Home Tonight
If your spice cabinet has been collecting dust, these Indian recipes are your excuse to change that. Indian home cooking is built on a short list of techniques — blooming spices in hot fat, building a onion-tomato masala, simmering low and slow — and once you learn them, restaurant favorites like tikka masala, biryani, and chana masala become completely doable on a weeknight. The flavors are bigger than the effort. This collection of 7 beginner-friendly Indian recipes covers the greatest hits: creamy curries, crispy samosas, festive biryani, and South Indian dosa. Each uses ingredients available at regular supermarkets (plus one trip to an Indian grocer or the international aisle). If you love bold, spiced food, you’ll also want our swicy recipes collection and guide to Asian pantry staples.
The Indian Pantry: 8 Spices to Buy First
You don’t need 30 spices. These eight cover almost every recipe below — and they stay potent for a year in airtight jars:- Garam masala — the warming finishing blend
- Ground cumin and coriander — the earthy base of most curries
- Turmeric — color and gentle bitterness
- Kashmiri chili powder — vibrant red, mild heat
- Mustard seeds and cumin seeds — for tempering in hot oil
- Cardamom — for biryani and desserts
1. Chicken Tikka Masala
Marinate chicken thighs in yogurt, ginger, garlic, and garam masala for at least 30 minutes. Broil or grill until charred at the edges, then simmer in a sauce of onion, tomato puree, cream, and more garam masala. The charred-yogurt crust on the chicken is what separates great tikka masala from orange tomato soup. Serve over basmati rice with naan for scooping.2. Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)
The best 30-minute vegetarian dinner in the canon. Sizzle cumin seeds in oil, add onion until deep golden, then ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and the spice squad. Add two cans of chickpeas and simmer 15 minutes until the gravy clings. Finish with lemon juice and cilantro. It’s protein-packed, pantry-based, and tastes even better the next day.
3. Vegetable Samosas
Yes, you can make them at home — and the shortcut version uses store-bought spring roll wrappers. The filling is classic: boiled potato and peas mashed with cumin, coriander, ginger, and amchur (or lemon juice). Fold into triangles, seal with flour paste, and shallow-fry until deeply golden. Serve with tamarind chutney and mint chutney. They freeze brilliantly before frying.4. Chicken Biryani
Biryani is a project — but a weekend project that feeds a crowd and makes you feel like royalty. Marinate chicken in yogurt and biryani spices; par-cook basmati rice to 70%; then layer rice over the chicken with fried onions, saffron milk, and mint. Seal the pot (dough or foil plus a tight lid) and steam on low for 25 minutes. Opening that lid at the table is pure theater.
5. Masala Dosa
South India’s crispy, golden crepe wrapped around spiced potato filling. The fermented rice-and-lentil batter takes planning (soak 6 hours, blend, ferment overnight), but shortcut batters and even store-bought dosa batter work well. The potato masala — yellow with turmeric, studded with mustard seeds and curry leaves — comes together in 20 minutes. Serve with coconut chutney and sambar.