Indian

Hetal Vasavada’s approach to the unleavened Gujarati spiced flatbread ensures a soft, supple dough every time.

Crispy, fried bhajia are a popular snack across India, and chef Preeti Mistry’s version makes the most of spring produce.

This mango and cumin lassi from chef Preeti Mistry strikes the right balance of sweet and savory. Try adding white rum, “if that’s your thing.”

This scallion chutney from chef Preeti Mistry comes together in minutes and will make anything taste better.

This vibrant dessert from chef Preeti Mistry requires only cooking down grated beets in milk, folding in pistachios, and letting it all set. Easy!

Chef Preeti Mistry’s Bombay Sandwich is like a “grown-up grilled cheese,” made with jammy onions, potatoes, melty Monterey Jack, tangy cheddar, and Scallion Chutney.

Chef Preeti Mistry’s dahi puri, filled with black chickpeas and potato hunks and drizzled with spiced yogurt and chutneys, are perfect party snacks.

Chaat masala adds salty-tangy flavor to this pan-fried fish, and balances the sweet and herby tamarind sauce and cilantro chutney.

This sweet-sour Indian pantry staple makes everything better.

I grew up thinking my feminism was a reaction to my kitchen-bound mom. Only later did I realize she cooked so I could be free.

This satisfying vegetarian stew is recipe developer Rachel Gurjar’s riff on North Indian-style lobia masala. Black-eyed peas soak up the flavors of an onion- and tomato-based gravy along with kale or any greens you’d like.

If the words tender, buttery, milky, and rich appeal to you, then you'll love mawa.

You probably already have the essential ingredients for this South Asian confection.

The ideal weeknight meal from Maneet Chauhan’s new cookbook Chaat. 

Flaky, nutty, buttery paratha you can prep ahead.

This five-ingredient sweet is Priya Krishna’s all-time favorite, and it’s as good for a Wednesday-afternoon snack (keep some in your freezer!) as it is for a Diwali celebration.

My mom was right—pulao just takes practice.

Chitra Agrawal took flavor inspiration for this simple dish from her mother’s home state of Karnataka in South India, where thuppa means “ghee” and anna means “rice” in Kannada, the local language.

When no one is looking I just…

Poha is the flattened rice that cooks up fast.

In my family, this smoky, crispy, North Indian–style okra is an iconic, clamored-after dish. The key is to cook the okra for a long time, with a lot of whole spices. It’s a foolproof and quick way to get the most flavor out of the summer vegetable, while avoiding any slimy texture. 

You can't have it all, but your chitranna can.

To make chitranna, which translates to “mixed rice" in Kannada, bright yellow rice, colored with turmeric, is sautéed in oil that's been seasoned with black mustard seeds, curry leaves, chile, the umami-rich spice asafetida, and urad dal and chana dal, two lentils that add a nutty taste and crunchy texture. The dish is finally garnished with fried peanuts, grated coconut, cilantro, and a generous amount of lemon juice, resulting in a symphony of savory, sour, sweet, spicy, and herbaceous notes.