Madhur Jaffrey's Easy, Healthy Indian Recipes

Chicken with Roasted Coriander in Coconut-Curry Sauce Dakshini Murgh
Photo: Jake Stangel

We have a proposition for anyone seeking an exciting way to eat more vegetables: Try adding these classic Indian dishes to your repertoire. Each vibrant recipe comes courtesy of Delhi-born cookbook author and culinary legend Madhur Jaffrey. Our takeaway? If you have the right spices, and know how to chop, simmer, and stir-fry, Indian food doesn't have to be labor-intensive or complicated. These recipes, some of which take less than 30 minutes, are the healthy, flavor-packed proof.

01 of 09

Chicken with Roasted Coriander in Coconut-Curry Sauce

Chicken with Roasted Coriander in Coconut-Curry Sauce Dakshini Murgh
Jake Stangel

Flavored with roasted fenugreek and coriander seeds and coconut milk, this rich, succulent South Indian-style chicken dish is ideal for entertaining.

02 of 09

Toovar Dal

toovar dal
Jake Stangel

Spooned over rice, this brothy dal is a classic home-cooked dish among the Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmins, on India’s southwestern coast.

03 of 09

Delhi-Style Green Beans

delhi style green beans
Jake Stangel

Jaffrey cooks the beans until they are very tender, so they’ll better absorb the spices.

04 of 09

Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes

roasted eggplant and tomatoes
Jake Stangel

This light dish can be served at room temperature as a side or dip.

05 of 09

Potatoes with Sesame Seeds

potatoes with sesame seeds
Jake Stangel

Jaffrey recommends serving these cumin-spiked potatoes with roasted meat.

06 of 09

Stir-Fried Carrots with Coconut

stir fried carrots with coconut
Jake Stangel

Roasted urad dal gives the carrots a subtle, nutty flavor.

07 of 09

Plain Basmati Rice

plain basmati rice copper pot
Martyna Szczesna

Jaffrey takes the guesswork out of cooking basmati rice with her super simple (and reliable!) method.

08 of 09

Yogurt with Cucumber and Mint

yogurt cucumber mint raita
Martyna Szczesna

Toast and grind your own cumin seeds to give this cooling cucumber raita a major flavor boost.

09 of 09

Fresh Cilantro Chutney

fresh cilantro chutney
Martyna Szczesna

Fiery green chiles -- Jaffrey likes the bird's-eye variety -- give this bright condiment just the right amount of heat.

Indian Cooking

," by Madhur Jaffrey, copyright © 2002 Madhur Jaffrey, published by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All other recipes except Fresh Cilantro Chutney excerpted from "

Vegetarian India

," by Madhur Jaffrey, copyright © 2015 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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