India, an enigma with a 2000-year-old civilization, a land where the platter is as diverse as its people. India brings to the table a lot more than just food. In India, food is a celebration and recipes a legacy. Every meal is served with warmth and is as colorful as its landscape. Every morsel melts in your mouth releasing ambrosial flavors that tingle your taste buds, nourishes your body and comforts your soul. From the hot breads and brown rice to vegetables cooked in coconut milk and meat tendered with spices to perfection and vegetables stewed in the most imaginative of ways, Indian recipes spoil you with choices that are simply irresistible.

Magical Masala Dosa

A quintessential Indian food odyssey starts with the classic masala dosa; a  crispy, rice-batter crepe that encases a spicy mix of mashed potato, which is then dipped in coconut and mint sauce and other condiments that simply transport you to the heavenly spice trail that India is famous for. Often accompanied with a cup of freshly brewed filter coffee, a masala dosa is a bite into the culture of South India. The ultimate breakfast recipe that packs a punch to start off your day with vigor.

Buttery Lentil Soup

North Indian cuisine unfolds the magical sojourn of buttery black lentils. The recipe of this very popular Indian dish is simple too. Soaked overnight and boiled; then simmered with an assortment of spices, homemade fresh cream or cashew milk. Thereafter tempered with the crackle of cumin seeds, the frittering of red chilies with the slight whiff of asafoetida, garlic, fenugreek leaves and a generous serving of butter makes the perfect lentil soup, locally known as Dal Makhni. Furthermore, this is the ultimate recipe for vegans where the calorie count and the puritan taste balances perfectly to offer the iconic Indian touch. Indeed, tasting this evergreen vegetarian delicacy is like tasting the magic of generations of cooks who have woven pure love to lure your heart.

Indian Masterpiece – Butter Chicken

Talking of the Indian entrée without the regality of the Mughals is incomplete and thus we have the ultimate soul stirring recipe of Butter Chicken. This delicacy of fine flavors perfectly balanced is one that has come down generations and has travelled the globe. Tender succulent chunks of chicken are cooked to perfection in an array of the aromatic spices like nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, cardamon, bay leaves, turmeric, cumin, ginger and cayenne. The fabulously rich looking dish is smothered with butter and some homemade cream and garnished with fresh coriander leaves. Let your taste buds tingle as you experience the ultimate food once cooked for royalty.  To sum up, this delectable recipe is food truly fit for kings.

Classic Chicken Tikka Masala

If there is any Indian recipe that is a headturner anywhere in the world, it has to be the Tikka. The magic of these bite-sized juicy and tender chicken pieces are a food connoisseur’s delight. The recipe that seemingly originated in Glasgow, Scotland, wove its way into the kitchens of the zamindars of India where they were re-created to a completely new avatar. Marinated overnight and then grilled or roasted in clay ovens, these pieces mixed with an assortment of aromatic spices, yogurt, ginger and cumin are then cooked till tender. Finally, when dipped in the thick, creamy flavorsome tomato gravy is simply edible magic. The delightfully simple and aromatic tikka is one that has been the global mascot of pure comfort food. You taste heaven every time you  take a bite of this magical dish.

Spiral of Love: Jalebi

The sweet that was brought on the edge of a sword, that explains the twists and turns of this mouthwatering simply irresistible crown jewel among sweets, the jalebi. Jalebi’s recipe came to India through Persian-speaking Turkic invaders. Traditional, crispy, juicy, saffron hued Indian sweet made from fermented batter of wheat flour and lentil. The batter is poured in a pretzel-like shape, deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup for a few seconds before being served hot. An eternal favorite, the beautifully spiralled jalebi is the taste that is the closest to the definition of love.