15 Easy Indian Recipes for Beginners

Indian food has a reputation for long ingredient lists, but plenty of everyday dishes are simple. These 15 recipes are a gentle place to start: a one-pot curry, easy paneer starters, fresh chutneys, a classic breakfast, two favourite drinks and a couple of sweets. Each recipe lists swaps for ingredients that can be hard to find outside India, so you can cook them from a regular supermarket.

1. One-Pot Coconut Chickpea Curry

A rich, coconutty chickpea curry made in one pot, and even better the next day.

⏱ 35 min · Dinner, Gluten-Free, Vegan

2. Paneer Tikka Skewers

Paneer marinated in yogurt and spices, then charred at the edges. A crowd-pleasing starter.

⏱ 35 min · Appetizer, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

3. Crispy Paneer Pakoras

Paneer dipped in a spiced gram flour batter and fried until golden. Serve hot with green chutney and chai.

⏱ 35 min · Appetizer, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free

4. Chilli Paneer Bites

Crispy paneer tossed in a sticky garlic-chilli sauce with peppers and onion, the Indo-Chinese starter that disappears first.

⏱ 30 min · Appetizer, Vegetarian

5. Masala Egg Bhurji Toast

Spiced Indian scrambled eggs with onion, tomato and chilli, piled onto buttered toast.

⏱ 20 min · Breakfast, Vegetarian

6. Mango Lassi

Ripe mango blended with yogurt into a cool, thick, sweet-tart drink in five minutes.

⏱ 5 min · Drink, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free

7. Masala Chai Latte

Black tea simmered with whole spices and ginger, finished creamy with milk.

⏱ 15 min · Drink, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free

8. Coconut Chutney

Creamy South Indian coconut chutney with green chilli and ginger, finished with a mustard seed and curry leaf tempering.

⏱ 13 min · Side, Vegan, Gluten-Free

9. Green Chutney (Mint and Coriander)

Fresh, zingy mint and coriander chutney with green chilli and lemon, blitzed in minutes with no cooking.

⏱ 10 min · Side, Vegan, Gluten-Free

10. Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chutney)

Sweet and tangy tamarind and jaggery chutney with roasted cumin and ginger, the classic sauce for chaat and samosas.

⏱ 37 min · Side, Vegan, Gluten-Free

11. Peanut Chutney

Thick, nutty peanut chutney with dried red chilli, garlic and tamarind. No coconut needed.

⏱ 12 min · Side, Vegan, Gluten-Free

12. Masala Papad

Crisp roasted papads topped with onion, tomato, green chilli, coriander and chaat masala.

⏱ 12 min · Snack, Vegan, Quick & Easy

13. 10-Minute Masala Makhana

Fox nuts roasted in ghee and tossed with chilli, turmeric and chaat masala, a light, crunchy snack in 10 minutes.

⏱ 10 min · Snack, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free

14. 15-Minute Milk Powder Barfi

Tastes like classic khoya barfi but skips the hours of reducing milk. Ready in about 15 minutes.

⏱ 15 min · Dessert, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free

15. Besan Ladoo

The Diwali classic: gram flour slow-roasted in ghee, then rolled with sugar, cardamom and nuts. Keeps for two weeks.

⏱ 50 min · Dessert, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free

Before you start

Start with the chickpea curry and green chutney: between them they use most of the spices you will need for the rest of the list.

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By Claire BennettA curious cook and lifelong traveller.Read Claire’s Story →

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