Ah, curry! we love it. There’s nothing like digging into curry with a big serving of basmati rice on the side. Curry is a flavorful dish originating from India that’s made from a complex blend of herbs, spices, and chili peppers, called a masala. A robust masala is the key to delicious curry. For example, this Mushroom Pepper Masalais made with a blend of macadamia nuts, peanuts, cinnamon stick, fire-roasted chilis, and all the spices that you would typically find in a garam masala spice blend. You can buy garam masala in stores, but when you make your own masala paste, not only can you can adjust the spice levels to your liking, you’ll also find that the flavors are much more complex.
There are a lot of curries out there in the world, all from different cuisines, but they’ve all been influenced by Indian curries. If you’re a curry connoisseur, then we highly recommend that you give this Thai Red Curry With Soba and Sautéed Shimeji Mushrooms, this Cape Malay Curry With Turmeric Cinnamon Rice, or this Caribbean Pigeon Pea Coconut Curry a try.
Even though curry comes from India, you’ll find that each state has its own variety. There may be similar ingredients, but no two curries are exactly alike! So, let’s celebrate Indian curry and all its diversity with these 15 recipes from our Food Monster App!
1. Palak Chole: Spinach and Chickpea Curry
Source:Palak Chole
Feel like having Indian food for dinner? Try Aurora Steen‘s recipe for Palak Chole! It’s a spicy, comforting spinach and chickpea curry that’s full of vibrant flavor. f you’re a curry beginner, then there’s no better recipe to start with. So yum!
2. South-Indian Style Kurma
Source: South-Indian Style Kurma
Any restaurant you walk in, in India (especially South) will have an option like Charanya Ramakrishnan‘s South-Indian Style Kurma. Kurma is a curry with heaps of vegetables and flavored with coconut and fennel seeds. You can use any vegetables you have on hand to make this curry, making it aversatile option for dinner.
3. Goan ‘Beef’ Curry
Source:Goan ‘Beef’ Curry
Vaishali Honwar‘s Goan ‘Beef’ Curry is agood dish to serve when you need to please different palates. This is also a good dish to make the day before — the flavors meld and merge beautifully when the curry has time to stand. Keep in mind you need to marinate the meat substitutes for at least two hours to give them time to absorb the marinade, which will result in the most flavor possible. Once that’s done, this dish comes together in minutes.
4. Rajasthani Corn Curry
Source:Rajasthani Corn Curry
Corn is one of the staple foods of Rajasthan and it is used in various forms, from flour to grits and even curries! Pavani Nandula‘s Rajasthani Corn Curry is easy to make — with frozen corn, it comes together in just 15 minutes. It’s cooked in a thick vegan yogurt mixture with cumin, green chilis, turmeric, and other spices. Serve with rice or flatbread, like roti!
5. Portobello Chana Masala
Source:Portobello Chana Masala
Chana masala is one of the healthiest Indian dishes you can make. Because of the heavy use of chickpeas in this Portobello Chana Masalaby Gin Butters, it is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with fiber, protein, and potassium. This recipe takes traditional masala and puts a twist on it by adding mushrooms and peanut butter.
6. AmbyaSasam: Konkani Mango Curry
Source:Ambya Sasam
Mangoes are not just eaten as a fruit in India. Raw mangoes are pickled or curried and ripe mangoes are often cooked up into sweet — and more rarely savory – dishes, like Vaishali Honawar‘s Ambya Sasam. This coconut milk-based curry gets the bulk of its flavor from ripe mangoes and mustard seeds. Chili peppers bring the heat and the addition of other Indian spices add complex layers of flavor. Serve with a side of sabzi and rice.
7. North IndianVegetable Jalfrezi
Source:Vegetable Jalfrezi
If you have guests coming over and you wanna impress them, or if you’re bored of your usual dinner fare, then Anu Kadkol‘s Vegetable Jalfrezi can be your answer. Jalfrezi is a tomato gravy-based curry that originates from Northern India. Cooked with vegetables and tofu, it’s heavy on spice, but not heat, creating a world of flavor. Serve this curry over brown rice with a side of roti.
8. Tofu Saag Paneer
Source:Tofu Saag Paneer
Cassidy Payne‘s Tofu Saag Paneer is a dairy-free take on a classic Indian dish of cooked spinach studded with cubes of fried paneer cheese. We’ve replaced the cheese for seasoned tofu while still keeping the spirit of this dish intact! This filling dinner dish is fragrant, spicy, and creamy. Pair it with your favorite naan for a delicious meal.
9. Mushroom Butter Masala
Source:Mushroom Butter Masala
Traditional butter masala is a rich and delicious gravy curry with a sauce made creamy through the addition of milk or cream and butter that’s usually served with chicken. Kushi‘s vegan Mushroom Butter Masala is a spicy, creamy and a delicious dish that is the perfect accompaniment for steamed rice, flatbread, or even dosas.
10.Kakarakaya Tomato Kura: Bitter Melon Tomato Curry
Source:Kakarakaya Tomato Kura
Like its name says, bitter melon has a naturally bitter taste. But slicing it, salting it, and letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight draws out all the bitter taste and you are left with a warm, spicy, and savory curry, like Pavani Nandula‘s Kakarakaya Tomato Kura. This dish is easy to make on any day of the week and should be served with a side of rice.
11. Tofu Masala
Source:Tofu Masala
Preeti Tamilarasan‘s Tofu Masala is a flavorful dish that goes great with rice. The South Indian recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and includes tofu marinated in spices like turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, mace, maratha moggu, and coriander. Coconut milk is added to achieve a curry consistency.
12.Gulla Kolupkari: Konkani Spicy Eggplant Curry
Source:Gulla Kolupkari
Gulla Kolupkari, a West Indian spicy eggplant curry, is an easy-to-make dish that’s ready in just 30 minutes. If you like spicy foods, then you’ll absolutely love this recipe by Kushi. It’s tangy from the tamarind, spicy from red chili powder, and best served with steamed rice.
13. Chickpea Vindaloo
Source:Chickpea Vindaloo
Vindaloo is known as the spiciest of curries and Shannon Yenter‘s Chickpea Vindaloo is no exception. In this recipe, chickpeas are smothered in a spicy and tangy tomato-based curry. This traditional Indian dish is flavorful, affordable, and easy to make. Enjoy wafting in the delicious curry aroma of this fragrant dish!
14. Dry Potato and Cauliflower Curry
Source:Dry Potato and Cauliflower Curry
For most curries, the tempering of spices happens prior to cooking everything. In Pavani Nandula‘s Dry Potato and Cauliflower Curry, tempered cumin and cloves add a final warming touch. The addition of other spices gives this curry an awesome, tangy flavor that balances out the other spices. Serve with roti or rice of your choice.
15. Kathal Kurma: Baby Jackfruit Curry
Source:Kathal Kurma
Preeti Tamilarasan‘s Kathal Kurma is a delicious and flavorful dinner entrée idea for when you’re craving Indian food. Coriander powder is the main spice utilized in this dish and is actually a mixture of coriander seeds, dry chilies, curry leaves, and garlic. Once the jackfruit has been cleaned, making this dish is a snap and can even be done entirely in a pressure cooker if you prefer.
If you’re making curry, don’t forget the rice and naan — you don’t want to miss a drop! For more, download our Food Monster App where we have over 15,000 vegan and allergy-friendly recipes!
Lead image source: Mushroom Butter Masala
