15 Healthy Indian-Inspired Recipes for Weeknights

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Updated on July 14, 2023

On busy weeknights, you can enjoy a bold and delicious Indian-inspired meal with ease. The key is to use plenty of spices in your meal because they can add a punch of flavor in a short amount of time. Recipes like Chitrannam (Lemon Rice), Bhindi Masala (Okra Fry) and Easy Saag Paneer are healthy and satisfying on any night.

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Chitrannam (Lemon Rice)

Use up leftover rice and make it into something delicious with this healthy Indian recipe. Because cooked rice refrigerated overnight dries out a little, it's better suited to absorb all the flavors in this dish without getting sticky or mushy. In a pinch, use frozen or shelf-stable precooked basmati rice, available in many stores. Urad dal and roasted chana dal add texture and authenticity to the rice—look for both types of dal in Indian markets or online.

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Chhole (Chickpea Curry)

This healthy Indian recipe is a flavorful chickpea curry that you can make in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, this dish is a comforting and delicious dinner.

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Easy Saag Paneer

The paneer cheese in this fast and easy recipe doesn't melt when it cooks. It browns instead, giving a toothsome texture to this Indian classic packed with spinach and spices.

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Baingan Bharta (Punjabi Spicy Roasted Eggplant)

This spicy eggplant dish, popular in India and Pakistan, can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Serve with brown basmati rice and naan. If you have any leftovers, save them; the dish tastes better on day two when all the flavors have had a chance to meld.

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Slow-Cooker Dal Makhani

Using a slow cooker for this dal curry recipe is brilliant—the lentils cook until they're perfectly tender. For the creamiest results, use whole urad dal (versus split), which you can get online or at Indian markets. This particular bean breaks down beautifully, giving the dish its rich, creamy texture. Serve it over rice with Indian-style green chutney and a side of plain yogurt.

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Bhindi Masala (Okra Fry)

To avoid the sliminess that turns many people off okra, Indians cook it over high heat in a lot of oil. In this healthy okra recipe, we get similar results with less oil using a nonstick pan. For an authentic taste, use a hot, smoky Indian chili powder, such as reshampatti. Serve with brown basmati rice and yogurt.

07 of 15

Scrambled Egg Curry

This mildly spiced Indian scrambled egg recipe makes a great light lunch or light dinner. Tuck the curried eggs into a warm whole-wheat tortilla or an Indian flatbread, like paratha, which can be found in the freezer case at Indian markets. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

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Kothmiri Chatni (Cilantro Chutney)

Indian chutneys (or chatnis) are savory, vibrant and exploding with flavor, with a thin, saucy consistency. In this green chutney recipe, cilantro creates the basic sauce that serves as a condiment for many Indian snacks, street foods and sandwiches. The serrano chile gives it quite a blast of heat, so use less if you like a tamer sauce. Try this chutney in place of your favorite hot sauce.

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Daal Tarka (Spiced Lentils)

Nepali Mountain Kitchen’s Daal Tarka (Spiced Lentils) — Jenny Huang

Variations of daal (or dal) and tarka (or tadka)—a mixture of aromatics, vegetables and spices spooned over the top of the daal for extra flavor—are served throughout the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. This version is served at Nepali Mountain Kitchen, part of the Mango House community in Aurora, Colorado. Give the dish a generous stir before digging in to ensure the tarka gets thoroughly incorporated.

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Chickpea & Potato Curry

This fast Indian-style curry comes together with ingredients you most likely have on hand, like frozen peas and canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Plus, using these spices shows how simple it is to make a curry sauce for an easy vegetarian recipe. Serve with whole-wheat naan to sop it all up.

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Tandoori Tofu

A tandoori-inspired spice rub and smokiness from the grill flavor these tofu "steaks." While you're there, grill some vegetables, too, to serve alongside. Serve with Grilled eggplant and cherry tomato skewers and brown basmati rice.

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Cauliflower Ven Pongal with Tomato Chutney

a recipe photo of the Cauliflower Ven Pongal with Tomato Chutney — Alexandra Shytsman

Ven pongal is an Indian dish of rice and dal, seasoned with tadka, a tempering mixture of spices cooked in ghee. In this version, riced cauliflower is used in place of white rice to make it lower in carbs. Served in South India on its namesake holiday in January, it is also delicious anytime. If you want to serve it as shown in the photo, lightly pack the ven pongal in a measuring cup and unmold it on the plate.

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Kadhai Murghi (Wok-Seared Chicken & Vegetables )

This stir-fry is typical of Northern Indian cuisine, with its emphasis on fresh vegetables. Because the cooking happens quickly, it's a good idea to measure out and prepare all the ingredients in this recipe before you fire up the wok.

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Saffron Chicken Korma

Saffron Chicken Korma — Jacob Fox

Layers of spices including cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, saffron and more flavor this yogurt-braised chicken, a spin on the Mughlai Indian dish. Serve with basmati rice or naan.

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Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

This full-flavored, deeply spiced chicken tikka masala comes together in just 30 minutes. You'll want to add it to your weeknight dinner rotation ASAP.

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