322 masala recipes

Layered chocolate torte with a dried sour cherry and Marsala filling, coffee-soaked cake layers, and a cream cheese whipped cream. A multi-component holiday showpiece that tastes like Black Forest cake's sophisticated Italian cousin.

Restaurant-style penne in a rich coconut-curry cream sauce with crab and broiled scallops, finished with spiced tomato chutney and fresh basil. A showstopper fusion dish.

Paneer tikka, cubes of Indian paneer marinated in spiced yogurt with tandoori spices, chaat masala, ginger, and garlic, then pan-fried golden and served with peppers and onions. A vegetarian Indian classic.

I used very little green bell pepper (only had a half pepper on hand), but added frozen peas and sliced fresh mushrooms instead. I also ad libbed a little more by spicing it up with a good pinch of my homemade garam masala. Delicious.

An exotic and scrumptious dish made with potatoes, mixed vegetables and blanched almonds.

This is the most commonly sold chaat in the streets of Mumbai. Almost every street has its own friendly bhelwala with his inimitable blends of chutneys and masalas. Bhel is a delectable combination of papadis, puffed rice, sev, onions, potatoes, raw mango and chutneys. The proportions of the various chutneys can be changed to adjust to your personal preferences. Toast the puffed rice to make bhel crisp before using it to make bhel. If you store the puffed rice, sev and papadi and refrigerate or freeze the chutneys, you can rustle up a heavy snack in a jiffy for your hungry kids returning from school.

Frozen Christmas pudding made by folding brandy-soaked dried fruit with cocoa and orange zest into softened vanilla ice cream. A no-bake, make-ahead holiday dessert.

This recipe takes it's inspiration from the Parsee tradition of using fruit in cooking, and is deeply rooted in the Persian ancestry of many Indians and their food.

Honey curried chicken baked in a sticky glaze of butter, Dijon mustard, honey, curry powder, soy, and ginger. Marinate for an hour, bake uncovered, and baste as it caramelizes.

Canned chickpeas transformed into a fragrant curry with fried onions, garlic, whole spices, and curry powder. A quick channa masala that smells incredible and comes together in under 30 minutes.

Calcutta pasta sauce blends Indian spices with the Italian tomato sauce concept: cumin, garam masala, ginger, jalapeno, and yogurt for an exotic East-meets-West pasta topper. Curry-style sauce.

Authentic Goan pork vindaloo marinated 24 hours in vinegar, ginger, garlic, and a dry-spice masala of cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cloves. Tangy, fiery, and deep-flavored Indian curry.

North Indian chana masala with whole spices, finished with amchoor (mango powder), dried pomegranate seeds, and a sizzling ghee tadka poured over the top.

Indian hot spice mix dry-roasted with cumin, dried chiles, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and fenugreek. A homemade garam masala with serious heat.

Layered chicken biryani with yogurt-marinated chicken, garam masala, fried onions, and basmati rice tempered with whole cloves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds. Fragrant, spiced, and deeply satisfying.