Over the quarantine period my family has really gotten into making Indian food. It was a weekly lunch tradition for us to go out to get it at a local buffet. But as the positivity rate in our area rose we increasingly didn’t feel comfortable with any take out food.
I’d tried to make indian recipes off and on for many years but it wasn’t until a coworker started recommending recipes that I really unlocked the “keys to the kingdom”. Package mixes are ok but using all the real spices creates an infinitely better product. Also when you use an instant pot most things come together REALLY fast.
At my spouse’s request, this week’s Indian recipe was mutter paneer. This is a curry with peas and paneer cheese. It has a lot in common flavor wise with mushroom masala. The base combo includes cumin, fenugreek, tumeric, chili powder, tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, and fresh chile pepper. Most of the ingredients get sauteed in the instant pot, then water is added an the whole thing is pressure cooked for a few minutes. This helps bring all the flavors together. Then some fresh cilantro gets sprinkled on top.
I really prefer to eat my vegetarian curries with just naan, no rice. But I usually make rice because my spouse prefers to have it. You might also get Indian appetizers like samosas or vada in the frozen food section. I’m really lucky because we have local indian grocery where I can easily get this and spices. The appetizers go great with a vegetarian meal.
If you’re up for a challenge you can try making your own bread. I find roti easier than naan because it doesn’t involve yeast which means I can decide at the last minute to make it without worrying if I’ll get a good rise. Otherwise look for read to bake stuff or already made at the grocery store. I was surprise to find premade naan in the bakery section on my mom’s grocery store in Maine. Worst case scenario just use any thin flatbread