Fancy a curry, but don’t feel like leaving the comfort of your sofa (or your bed – we won’t judge)?
We’ve all had those moments where we’ve craved a takeaway, be that a Chinese, Indian, pizza or even a gourmet delivery from one of your favourite restaurants. But eventually those cheeky takeaways start to add up, and before you know it you’ve spent a fortune on what could have been a special date night, or even a week’s worth of shopping. So why not save yourself the pennies (and a few extra calories!) by making it all at home instead? Pick yourself up off the sofa and learn how to make Indian food at home with our selection of authentic Indian dishes – from starters right through to desserts, snacks and sides.
How to make tasty Indian food at home
Wondering how to cook restaurant-quality Indian food? We’ve got a great selection of Indian dishes for you to pull together a show-stopping menu for your guests that’s sure to impress.
Indian recipes to start
An Indian recipe feast is not complete without a delicious selection of starters. So kick off your evening with some delicious Indian recipes to get you going:
Poppadoms and dips
Serve up some crunchy poppadoms with a selection of dips for a tasty starter:
- Mint yoghurt. Mix some natural yoghurt with mint sauce and finely chopped fresh coriander.
- A fresh combination of cucumber, salt, lime juice, natural yoghurt and mint sauce.
- Onion salad. Finely chop up an onion and tomato, and mix them with chilli powder, mint sauce, fresh coriander, salt and pepper.
- Mango chutney. A all-time favourite – pick up a jar for convenience or make your own with mangos, sugar, white vinegar, onion, garlic, chilli flakes, ginger and mustard seeds.
Vegetable samosas
- To make your filling, heat oil in a pan and add onion, potatoes, carrots, peas and garlic. Mix in some Indian spices and seasoning and fry until soft. Slowly add tablespoons of water until the mixture loosens slightly and reaches your desired consistency.
Top tip: Don’t let your mixture get too wet, or your pastry will go soggy!
- Take some pastry dough and divide into 12 pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and then into 15cm circles. Divide the circles into two halves to create 24 samosa pastries.
- Take your first samosa pastry and brush the edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers. Then seal the dampened edge. Fill the cone with a tablespoonful of your filling mixture and press the two edges together to seal the top. Repeat this step for the next 23 samosas.
- In a deep saucepan or fryer, heat your oil to 180° Deep fry your samosas in batches until they’re crisp and golden (around 10 minutes). Drain off the oil on kitchen roll and then serve!
Indian dishes for mains
With so many delicious Indian recipes, it’s hard to pinpoint one for your main dish. Here’s an overview of a few of our favourite curries:
Curries
- Butter chicken: a creamy, tomato curry with aromatic chicken pieces, smoked paprika, garlic, ginger and so much more.
- Vindaloo: turn up the heat, this one’s not for the faint hearted. Combining potato, your choice of meat, coconut milk, chillies, jalapeños and plenty of extra Indian spices.
- Dhansak: complete with a sweet and sour taste, dhansak is complete with lentils, vegetables, ginger, garlic and more.
- Korma: suited to those with a muted palette, korma sticks to cardamom and cinnamon flavours, rather than cumin and black pepper. Mixed with butter and cream, they provide a zesty flavour.
- Vegan curry: a tomato-based vegan Indian recipe filled with veg, spices and goodness.
- Vegetarian curry: a one-pot recipe filled with delicious chickpeas and cauliflower.
Whether you’re a fan of curry but can’t handle the heat, or you’re looking to up the spice, our ultimate Indian curries list has a range of curries across the spectrum to suit every taste bud! Serve up with some rice and naan bread for a full Indian dish.
Indian snacks and desserts
Roti
For roti dough, you’ll need wholemeal flour, vegetable oil, salt and some water.
- Form your dough, then cover and leave to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- Flour your work surface and then divide your dough into six. Take a rolling pin and roll each piece into a thin circle about 2mm thick.
Top tip: Keep the roti dusted in flour to avoid sticking and tearing the dough.
- Heat a heavy-based frying pan and grease it lightly with a splash of oil. Add one roti to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until the roti starts to puff up and the bottom begins to brown. Flip it over and cook it on the other side for an extra minute. Keep your rotis warm under a clean tea towel until the rest are ready to serve.
Onion pakoda
A delicious deep-fried snack made from gram flour (ground chickpeas), salt, spices and of course, onion! Simply add all the necessary dry ingredients to your onion, some chopped chillies and mint leaves. Then sprinkle some water to form a moist dough. Deep fry until your pakoda is golden and crispy, and serve!
Falafel
Another deep-friend Indian snack made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans, fresh herbs and spices. Form your falafel into small patties or balls and serve it with a pitta, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, cucumber and shredded red cabbage to create a delicious Indian dish. Otherwise, serve it up alone with some dipping sauces as a tasty Indian snack.
Gulab jamun
Gulab jamun is a classic Indian sweet made from milk powder, flour, a leavening agent (e.g. baking soda) and cardamom powder for an extra kick. They’re small berry-sized balls that are soaked in rose flavoured sugar syrup and perfectly finish up your Indian dishes feast.
Treat yourself at home to some tasty Indian dishes
And that’s how to make tasty Indian food at home! Celebrate #YourNightIn with us by cooking up a selection of Indian recipes to enjoy from the comfort of your own home. And to make things even easier, you can nip over to your local SPAR to pick up the majority of the ingredients you need for these tasty Indian dishes. To stay up to date with everything we’ve got in store for you over the next few months, sign up to our E-newsletter – where you’ll receive all the details for our upcoming competitions and our latest recipes.
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