Hi friends! This is an evolution of a recipe I already have shared on the site, Curry in a Hurry. Click here to read about the origin of that recipe and if you love chicken. Today’s version, however, is vegetarian.

I’ve gotta tell you, this vegetarian version of Curry in a Hurry is just as good as the original. Indian food just lends itself so beautifully to vegetarian cooking.

The first time I made this, I tried making paneer (a fresh cheese common in India) from scratch. It was delicious but took FOREVER. When I posted my paneer on Instagram and lamented the amount of time it took, several of my friends said, “Well, it shouldn’t have taken that long.” I followed this recipe from Aarti Party on the Food Network and I think the bottom line is that I could have increased the heat to speed things up. My paneer tasted great but when I discovered I could buy it at Sprouts, I may have broken into a little Hallelujah chorus right there in the cheese section. Maybe one day I’ll try making it again. We’ll see…

That’s about all I have to say about this recipe besides that fact that it’s simple and delicious!

If you want to try making baked homemade samosas, click here. The ones pictured in this post, however, are from the freezer section at Sprouts…and they are delicious! I’m getting really good at cheating at my Indian food, eh?

Vegetarian Curry in a Hurry

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoons oil
• ½ of a small onion, chopped
• 5 teaspoons curry powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 dried red chilies (I just used 1 so it wouldn't be too spicy for my kids)
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3-5 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cooked cauliflower florets
• Half package frozen peas
• 1 cup cooked potatoes, cubed
• 1 can chickpeas
• 8-12 ounces paneer, cubed

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.
2. Add curry powder, garam masala, garlic and red chilies. Stir for one minute.
3. Add coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato paste and simmer until thickens, stirring regularly.
4. Add spinach, stir and cook until spinach as wilted. Add cauliflower, peas, potatoes and chickpeas and cook until heated through. Add paneer just before serving.
5. Serve over rice.

Notes

You can do any combination of the vegetables and cheese above - you could leave out the paneer and just do the veggies, or do paneer with just one or two of the veggies. Basically it's totally flexible and the measurements do not have to be exact either!

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This recipe for Indian Tacos is pretty much a simplified version of my beloved Indian Burritos recipe. I seriously love those burritos, but the tacos involve a few less ingredients, which is welcome on a busy weeknight.

I can’t tell you how much I love these tacos. The tender tandoori chicken (don’t worry, I have a shortcut way to make it that does not involve a tandoor oven) topped with delicious Indian raita sauce and just a few simple vegetables is so tasty. It’s been a while since I’ve made these and really there is no good reason for that!

Click here to get the recipe for Masala Salsa, which, in addition to raita, is a great topping for these tacos!

Indian Tacos with Tandoori Chicken

 

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Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• ¾ cup plain yogurt (for a great non-dairy option, use cashew yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 12 flour tortillas (smallest size you can find)
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• Raita sauce (recipe below)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Instructions

1. The night before: mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, ginger, coriander, salt, cayenne pepper, cardamom, cloves, and black pepper. Stab the 2 chicken breasts with a fork on all sides, then place in yogurt mixture. Let marinate overnight.
2. The next day: Preheat oven to 450º F. Cook chicken in oven for ~20 minutes, or until juices run clear and internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 F.
3. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
4. Sautee onion and pepper in a large frying pan over medium heat in canola oil, until veggies are softened.
5. Top tortillas with tandoori chicken, grilled onions and peppers, red cabbage, raita sauce, and cilantro.

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Raita

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Indian cucumber-yogurt sauce.

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 1 cup

Ingredients

• ½ cup cucumber, shredded
• 1 cup yogurt (for a great non-dairy option, use cashew yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon green onion
• ¼ teaspoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ⅛ teaspoon cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Pinch cardamom

Instructions

1. Peel and seed cucumber, then shred.
2. Mix all ingredients together. Store in fridge and serve cold.

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My dear friend Michelle had the opportunity to live in Hyderabad, India for a year and is, therefore, well versed in Indian cuisine. One day when we were hanging out, she was ranting and raving about curry powder. Her complaint is that Americans think that curry powder makes curry, when in fact curry powder totally isn’t Indian. Sure enough, if you look up curry powder on Wikipedia you’ll see this: “Curry powder and the contemporary English use of the word “curry” are Western inventions and do not reflect any specific South Asian food.” Michelle explained that “curry” basically means a saucy dish with tons of spices, and there are lots of different kinds of curries in India, and that none of them have curry powder.

Basically, curry powder isn’t Indian. The end.

Michelle was feeling bad, however, once she realized that there is a recipe she has from an Indian cookbook that actually does use curry powder. It’s called Curry in a Hurry and it’s her favorite non-Indian Indian food recipe. I’ve had this recipe sitting in my “to-try” pile for years and we finally made it last week! It was very good, even if it is fake curry. 😉 Nate commented that it actually tastes more like a North African dish, which is kind of true. Whatever it is, it’s delicious. All of my kids liked it, too, especially my 8-year-old Anna. (Here’s a link to the cookbook the recipe came from originally – Michelle likes this book a lot!)

As for which curry powder to use for this recipe, just use whatever you find at the store. I used McCormick’s curry powder. Michelle said that since she first shared the recipe with me, she has discovered Penzey’s curry powders and she likes them better than the standard grocery store versions. The Sweet Curry Powder is milder and Michelle says her kids really like that one, but her favorite is the Maharajah Curry Powder, which has really good flavor.

Thank you, Michelle, for giving us a way to use curry powder that doesn’t make you want to yell at us. 😉

Curry in a Hurry

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Originally from "Indian Home Cooking" by Suvir Saran (I modified the measurements slightly on a few things and wrote the directions in my own words.)

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoons oil
• ½ of a small onion, chopped
• 5 teaspoons curry powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 dried red chilies (I just used 1 so it wouldn't be too spicy for my kids)
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (original recipe was 2 chicken breasts, but I added more)
• 3-5 cups fresh spinach

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent.
2. Add curry powder, garam masala, garlic and red chilies. Stir for one minute.
3. Add coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato paste and simmer until thickens, stirring regularly.
4. Add chicken; simmer until chicken is fully cooked. (Alternatively, you can add already cooked chicken if you have it, just cook until heated through.)
5. Add spinach, stir and cook until spinach as wilted.
6. Serve over rice.

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Today’s recipe has been a long time coming. It’s been in my head forEVER and today I finally took it out of my head and made it reality. And boy-oh-boy am I glad I did. I never say “boy-oh-boy,” so that should tell you how good this recipe is.

For quite some time I’ve been thinking that Indian food would be good filler for a burrito. After all, flour tortillas are a really excellent blank canvas for all kinds of flavors. Including Indian flavors.

I used my homemade tandoori chicken as the base for the burrito, then just piled on all kinds of other wonderful ingredients. The result was delectable. In fact, I had an Indian burrito for lunch today and then couldn’t wait to have it again for dinner.

If I wanted to start a food truck (which I don’t), this burrito is what I would serve. Since I’m never going to start a food truck, I’ll just spill all my secrets.

In case you are wondering, our kids ate their burritos, although they each had a different variation, from Owen with just tandoori chicken and rice to Anna who used about half of the ingredients to Cate who went for the whole enchilada, or burrito, actually!

I think it’s time to get right down to the recipe. Enjoy!

Note: There is a delicious recipe for Masala Sauce below, but I have since created a much simpler version called Masala Salsa. Click here for the Masala Salsa recipe if you are interested!

Indian Burritos

 

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If Mexican food is good in a burrito, why wouldn't Indian food be good, too? The answer: it is!

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• Large flour tortillas
• Tandoori chicken (click here for recipe)
• Grilled onions
• Grilled bell peppers
• Jasmine or basmati rice, cooked in salted water
• Canned chickpeas
• Masala sauce (see recipe below)
• Raita sauce (see recipe below)
• Lentils (you can look for a recipe for "dal" online, or just buy the boxed, cooked lentils at Trader Joe's!)
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Make sure your tandoori chicken, onions, peppers, rice, chickpeas and masala sauce are all warm/hot.
2. Warm the tortilla on both side on the stove in a large, dry frying pan.
3. Pile on all of the ingredients above and wrap the tortilla up burrito style!

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Masala Sauce

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

This chunky tomato-based masala sauce is a perfect topper for Indian burritos!

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 clove fresh garlic, pressed through a garlic press
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, most of the fluid drained off
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent.
2. Add garlic, stir and cook about 1 minute.
3. Add tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium low, maintaining a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Blend about ⅔ of the mixture in a blender, then add back into the pan and stir. Serve warm.

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Raita Sauce (Indian Yogurt Sauce)

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

 

Basic recipe for raita, an Indian yogurt-based sauce with cucumber.

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt (for a great non-dairy option, use cashew yogurt)
• ½ cup shredded cucumber (peel and core the cucumber before shredding)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ¼ teaspoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ⅛ teaspoon cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 shakes cardamom

Instructions

1. Mix everything together! Serve cold.

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I am over the moon for today’s recipe murgh makhani, more commonly known as butter chicken. Our favorite Indian restaurant in Palo Alto, Darbar Indian Cuisine, has the BEST butter chicken. I can’t get enough of it. I’ve been trying to find a recipe so that I can make it at home, but all recipes have come up far too short. So, I did a lot of research, compared about 6 different recipes and have created my own. And I am here to tell you (in all humility, of course!), I nailed it. My version isn’t identical to Darbar’s, but it is darn close and they are equally as good. Success! (To add to the elation, both girls inhaled their dinner! This is a not-too-hot Indian dish, nice for kids. Increase the heat with more chilis and cayenne if you so desire!)

The key to this dish is using tandoori chicken. Almost all of the recipes I found were skillet recipes that simply add plain chicken breasts to the sauce. Using tandoori chicken makes ALL the difference. A delectable, mouthwatering difference. Not only is there more depth to the flavor, but the meat is oh so tender. Using tandoori chicken requires planning ahead, but it’s worth it.

Without further ado, I give you murgh makhani!

Note: This recipe does not have fenugreek because I did not have it on hand. Fenugreek is often used in butter chicken, along with all the other spices listed below. Feel free to add that in as well!

Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Mouthwatering with tons of flavor! Adapted from six different recipes!

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Main Dish, Poultry

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

• 4 cooked tandoori chicken breasts cut into chunks (see recipe below for how to cook the tandoori chicken - don't forget it needs to marinate overnight before cooking!)
• ⅓ sweet onion, chopped
• ~1 inch of ginger root, peeled and julienned
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 green chili (membranes and seeds removed), chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter (divided – 2 T and 4 T)
• 6 medium tomatoes, cut into large pieces
• 2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• 2 shakes cinnamon
• 3 oz tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken or veggie broth
• ½ cup cream

Instructions

1. When prepping the ingredients for the sauce, you only need to roughly chop the ingredients - they will all get blended together eventually.
2. Sautee onion, ginger, garlic and green chili in 2 tablespoons of butter until onions are translucent.
3. Add tomatoes and let simmer for ~5 minutes. Add garam masala, chili powder, salt, cumin, cardamom, coriander, and cinnamon. Simmer another 5-10 minutes or so.
4. Add tomato paste and broth, stir.
5. Blend everything in a blender until smooth then return to pan. Add tandoori chicken, cream and last 4 tablespoons of butter.
6. Serve with basmati rice and naan bread. Yum!

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Homemade Baked Tandoori Chicken

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Jane Maynard

Ingredients

• ¾ C plain yogurt (for a great non-dairy option, use cashew yogurt)
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 cloves minced garlic (I use my garlic press)
• ~1 inch ginger root, peeled and crushed (it was hard to crush, I squeezed the juice out with my garlic press and threw in some of the mangled pieces of the root)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (this is the amount you’ll need for the butter chicken recipe above – you can make this recipe with bone-in, skinless, dark & white meat chicken cut into pieces – my personal preference are boneless, skinless chicken breasts and they worked great)
• 1-2 T canola oil

Instructions

1. The night before, mix all the ingredients above except the chicken and canola oil in a bowl.
2. Stab the chicken breasts all over with a fork then make some gashes with a shapr knife. Marinate the mutilated chicken in the yogurt mixture overnight, covered, until you are ready to cook it the next day.
3. To cook the chicken, pat off some of the marinade, brush with oil and place in an oven-safe dish or pan (I used my 9X13 metal pan).
4. Roast in a 450º F oven for about 20 minutes, or until juices run clear and internal temperature of chicken reaches 160º F.
5. If using for butter chicken, let cool a bit then cut into chunks.

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