Recipes with ghee (clarified butter)

Punjabi-style stuffed brinjals (eggplant) filled with a spice paste of coriander, turmeric, poppy seeds, green chilies, and fenugreek. Pan-cooked in ghee until meltingly tender and fragrant.

Pan-fried soft-shell crabs in a Parmesan-cornmeal crust, served with a silky red chili beurre blanc made from shallots, lime juice, white wine, and cold butter. Restaurant plating, home kitchen.

Avocado Kashmir fills halved avocados with a warmly spiced curry of eggplant, apple, and aromatic Indian spices, served over steamed rice with a spread of chutneys and condiments.

Fresh spinach slow-cooked with ghee, soaked almonds, shredded coconut, caramelized brown sugar, mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek, ginger, green chilies, and nutmeg. A rich Bengali-style spinach side dish.

Gobi paratha, the classic Punjabi stuffed flatbread filled with grated cauliflower, green chilies, fresh ginger, cilantro and tangy amchur. Cooked golden on a hot tava with ghee, served with yogurt.

Dry-fried bhindi sabji with okra cooked in ghee until golden brown, then seasoned with coriander, cumin, garam masala, and turmeric. A simple Indian okra side dish.

Palak tofu-paneer combines crispy soy-marinated tofu with simmered spinach and fresh tomatoes, finished with a fragrant chaunce of toasted Indian spices and ghee.

Palak tofu-paneer combines crispy soy-marinated tofu with simmered spinach and fresh tomatoes, finished with a fragrant chaunce of toasted Indian spices and ghee.

Persian herb frittata loaded with spinach, parsley, dill, cilantro, and scallions baked until fluffy and golden for a protein-rich meal.

Keema mattar is an Indian ground lamb curry with green peas, cooked in ghee with cumin, coriander, turmeric, ginger, and whole cloves. Serve with naan or rice.

Indian gravy: a make-ahead curry base of onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, and garam masala bloomed in ghee, then simmered with tomatoes and yogurt. The foundation for endless curries.

Bharwan bhindi, Indian stuffed okra pods packed with toasted coriander, cumin, fennel, garam masala, and ground almonds. Pan-fried in ghee for a spicy, crisp-tender side.

Mutton dry curry with lamb rubbed in a ground paste of onions, garlic, ginger, cardamom, and curry powder, then slowly fried until the oil rises. A concentrated, saucy-not-soupy Indian curry.

Blue cornmeal crepes made with eggs, milk, and clarified butter for a thin, tender wrapper with earthy corn flavor. Fill with salsa, crabmeat, or your favorite stuffing.

Pumpkin ravioli stuff fresh egg pasta with a Parmesan, amaretti, and nutmeg pumpkin filling, then toss in browned butter. Northern Italian Mantua-style autumn pasta with sweet-savory crumbs.

Chile peppers in spicy cream sauce with roasted green chiles simmered in coconut milk, heavy cream, and seven Indian spices including cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Rich, fiery, and ready in 30 minutes.