indianish

Chhaunk, the addictively crunchy fried herb-and-spice mixture on these tangy yogurt sandwiches, also makes a fantastic topping for grilled steak or nachos.

Dahi Toast

¼ cup plus 6 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

black mustard seeds

curry leaves

½ medium red onion, finely chopped

Indian green chiles

plain low-fat Greek yogurt

cilantro

½ tsp. black pepper

red chili powder

Kosher salt

sourdough bread

Chutney

What makes these tangy yogurt sandwiches so addictive is chhaunk, a crunchy fried herb-and-spice mixture that also makes a fantastic topping for grilled steak or nachos. Watch Priya Krishna, who developed this recipe, make dahi toast here.

Bon Appétit

Heat ¼ cup oil in a small saucepan over low heat until just warm. Add mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop and sputter, which should be a matter of seconds. Quickly remove pan from heat, add curry leaves, and toss to coat—they should crisp immediately from the residual heat. Set spiced oil aside.

Mix together onion, green chiles, yogurt, cilantro, black pepper, and chili powder in a small bowl; season with salt. Spread yogurt mixture over 6 slices of bread and top with remaining slices to make 6 sandwiches.

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 sandwiches until undersides are crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn, add another 1 tsp. olive oil to skillet, and cook until the second side is crisp and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to a platter or plates; repeat with remaining sandwiches and 4 tsp. oil.

Drizzle reserved spiced oil evenly over sandwiches. Cut in half and serve with chutney and/or ketchup alongside if desired.

Do Ahead: Yogurt filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Umami-charged asafetida is well worth seeking out at an Indian grocer or online—just a pinch of this pungent powder makes all the other spices come alive. Feta and spinach is an iconic combination, but mozzarella or even tofu cubes are also great here.

Saag Paneer

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. ghee or extra-virgin olive oil

coriander seeds

cardamom

onion,

garlic clove, finely chopped

1½" piece ginger, peeled, chopped

baby spinach (about 12 cups)

Indian green chile

lime juice

feta,

cumin seeds

asafetida (optional)

Roti or rice (for serving)

This riff on the classic dish swaps paneer out for salty chunks of feta. And while feta and spinach is an iconic combination, mozzarella or even tofu cubes are also great here. Do seek out the umami-charged asafetida at an Indian grocer or online—just a pinch of this pungent powder makes all the other spices come alive.

Heat ¼ cup ghee in a large skillet over medium. Cook coriander seeds and cardamom, stirring constantly, until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add spinach by the handful, letting it wilt slightly after each addition before adding more. Cook until all of the spinach is just wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add chile and lime juice; season with salt. Let cool 5 minutes.

Transfer spinach mixture to a blender (reserve skillet) and blend until a coarse paste forms, about 1 minute. Return spinach mixture to pan and set over low heat. Stir in ½ cup water, then gently fold in feta, being careful not to break up. Cook until feta is slightly softened and has absorbed some of the sauce, 5–7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high, 1 minute. Add cumin seeds. As soon as cumin seeds start to pop, sputter, and brown, remove from heat, 1 minute tops. Immediately add asafetida, if using, and chili powder. Pour ghee mixture over spinach mixture. Serve with roti or rice.

Do Ahead: Spinach mixture (without spiced ghee mixture) can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

The classic Indian marriage of snappy, sweet red peppers and crisped potatoes gets a jolt of flavor from crushed peanuts, toasted cumin and fennel seeds, and a spritz (or more!) of lime juice. The resulting colorful, crunchy, woken-up sabzi is an easy side that you can make in 20 minutes or less. You can also double it for an excellent vegetarian main course. Even better: Warm up some tortillas and scramble some eggs, and you’ve got yourself an Indo-Texan breakfast taco party.

Red Pepper, Potato, and Peanut Sabzi

Tbsp. olive oil

fennel seeds

yellow onion,

russet potato, cut into ½" pieces

red bell peppers,

(or more) kosher salt

unsalted peanuts, crushed

Tbsp. (or more) fresh lime juice (from about half a lime)

The classic Indian marriage of snappy, sweet red peppers and crisped potatoes gets a jolt of flavor from crushed peanuts, toasted cumin and fennel seeds, and a spritz (or more!) of lime juice. The resulting colorful, crunchy, woken-up sabzi is an easy side that you can make in 20 minutes or less. You can also double it for an excellent vegetarian main course. Even better: Warm up some tortillas and scramble some eggs, and you’ve got yourself an Indo-Texan breakfast taco party.
Excerpted from Indian-ish © 2019 by Priya Krishna with Ritu Krishna. Photography © 2019 by Mackenzie Kelley. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they turn a medium shade of brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and stir in fennel seeds. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4–6 minutes.

Stir in potato, then spread mixture into an even layer in pan. Cover and cook until potato is tender and not mushy (a little charring on the bottom is A-OK), 7–10 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and salt. Cover and cook until peppers are slightly softened, 5–7 minutes. Using a large spoon or spatula, scrape up the delicious charred bits from bottom of pan and stir into potato mixture.

Stir in peanuts and lime juice. Taste and adjust lime juice and salt, if needed, before serving.

Both the marinade and the cooking method (low and sort of slow) have a huge payoff: Charred, spicy, juicy chicken that is equally wonderful by itself or rolled up in a roti, taco-style, and served with various salads and chutneys.

Garlic-Ginger Chicken

garlic cloves, finely chopped

lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)

Tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger

extra-virgin olive oil

mint

Tbsp. ground coriander (freshly ground is best)

amchur (dry mango powder)

turmeric

kosher salt

chicken breasts (½–¾ lb. each)

Both the marinade and the cooking method (low and sort of slow) have a huge payoff: Charred, spicy, juicy chicken that is equally wonderful by itself or rolled up in a roti, taco-style, and served with various salads and chutneys.
Excerpted from Indian-ish© 2019 by Priya Krishna with Ritu Krishna. Photography © 2019 by Mackenzie Kelley. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Mix garlic, lemon juice, ginger, 3 Tbsp. oil, 1 Tbsp. cilantro, and 1 Tbsp. mint in a medium bowl to form a paste.

Mix coriander, amchur, turmeric, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl. Add spice mixture to garlic-ginger paste and stir well to combine. Transfer marinade to a large resealable bag.

Place chicken breasts in marinade and seal bag tightly. Using your hands, gently massage marinade onto chicken, making sure to evenly coat each breast. Chill 2 hours.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Once pan is quite hot, add remaining 1 tsp. oil, swirling pan to coat the entire surface. Reduce heat to medium. Remove chicken from marinade and cook, undisturbed, until lightly golden on one side, 1–2 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until golden brown on the other side, 1–2 more minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook (without peeking!) 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let chicken sit, covered, 10–15 minutes, depending on thickness of the breasts. Don’t uncover, or you’ll release the hot steam that cooks the chicken.

Check to make sure the breasts are cooked through—there shouldn't be any pink in the middle, and if you have an instant-read thermometer, the chicken should register 165°. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and slice into strips. Transfer to a platter. Garnish with cilantro and mint.

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Dahi Toast

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Dahi Toast

Saag Paneer

Red Pepper, Potato, and Peanut Sabz...

Garlic-Ginger Chicken

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