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It seems to me that as home cooks in America, Asian food tends to scare us. If the recipe doesn’t utilize premade teriyaki sauce, a jar of curry paste, or a packet of pre-blended spice mix, we’d probably just rather order take-out. And of the many intimidating Asian cuisines with their complex seasonings, probably none seems more foreign than Indian food.
Just one look at the lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant and one thinks there is no way you could replicate the flavors and aromas of such a feast at home. For sure the flaming red of the tandoori chicken could only be made in a tandoori oven. The pungent aromas of the lamb biryani must require the ancient knowledge of Indian grandmothers passed down through generations in order to come out just right. And the chicken tikka masala? Well surely that must need a secret recipe consisting of twenty hard to find ingredients in order to come out remotely authentic tasting.
That many American ideas of Indian food involve chunks of meat swimming in a heavy sauce or murky plates of delicious yet swampy saag paneer certainly doesn’t help with the impression that true Indian flavors can’t be done at home. What most people don’t realize is that our Americanized Indian food, with all its heavy sauces and questionable presentations, probably owe as much if not more to the British than they do to India itself.
According to several food historians who have written on the subject (see Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors by Lizzie Collingham) it was the British who were used to having their meats smothered in sauces and who eventually adapted the flavors of their conquered country into the soupy curries and richly sauced chafing dish preparations we find in most Indian restaurants today.
It takes no more than a quick flip through my favorite Indian cookbook by the authority Madhur Jaffrey to realize that there are many Indian recipes and flavors I can adapt in my own kitchen that do not require ingredient lists of epic lengths. Certainly there are pastes, sauces, and marinades that require a degree of labor and time, but there are also dishes that are steamed, sautéed, and broiled (all those favorite quick cooking techniques of home cooks) using key spices to give the dish an authentic Indian flavor but without a lot of work.
To tackle this cuisine at home it helps to familiarize oneself with some of the key seasonings on an Indian spice rack. Cumin and coriander are used widely in both their ground and whole form. Ginger both powdered and fresh, is used widely. Nutmeg and cinnamon, two spices we tend to associate more with baking than sautéing, find their way into many savory Indian dishes. Mustard seeds, dried chilies, black pepper, saffron, and cloves all make appearances from time to time in the Indian kitchen. Turmeric, typically purchased in an orangey powdered form, lends both color and a mild curried taste without any heat.
If all this sounds daunting, rest assured even Indians use spice mixtures on a frequent basis. Garam masala is a spice mixture used widely throughout India and many other Southeast Asian countries. It is essentially a combination of many of the spices listed above with variations depending on the region it is coming from. It can include but is not limited to cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, and black pepper. This mixture can be purchased or made at home and then used either as a primary seasoning or as a complement to another array of spices.
To work these flavors into some easy home dishes, try experimenting by cooking with a few spices at a time. Stir-fry greens like kale or dandelion greens with onions, fresh ginger, and mustard seeds. Roast cubed russet or sweet potatoes with a bit of garam masala and some crushed cardamom pods for a fragrant side dish. Broil or sauté a hearty fish like mahi mahi or swordfish with a coating of turmeric mixed with ground cumin, coriander, pepper and mustard seeds for a finished product redolent of the East with hardly any effort.
Trying to replicate our favorite Indian takeout at home usually leads to an over reliance on one-dimensional store-bought sauces. This does not have to be the case. Indian food is rich with spices that only need to be worked into your standard quick-cooking techniques like sautéing, broiling, and grilling for complex taste sensations to emerge from otherwise uncomplicated recipes.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1026-indian-cuisine/
Spicing Up Dinner With The Indian Cupboard
It seems to me that as home cooks in America, Asian food tends to scare us. If the recipe doesn’t utilize premade teriyaki sauce, a jar of curry paste, or a packet of pre-blended spice mix, we’d probably just rather order take-out. And of the many intimidating Asian cuisines with their complex seasonings, probably none seems more foreign than Indian food.
Just one look at the lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant and one thinks there is no way you could replicate the flavors and aromas of such a feast at home. For sure the flaming red of the tandoori chicken could only be made in a tandoori oven. The pungent aromas of the lamb biryani must require the ancient knowledge of Indian grandmothers passed down through generations in order to come out just right. And the chicken tikka masala? Well surely that must need a secret recipe consisting of twenty hard to find ingredients in order to come out remotely authentic tasting.
That many American ideas of Indian food involve chunks of meat swimming in a heavy sauce or murky plates of delicious yet swampy saag paneer certainly doesn’t help with the impression that true Indian flavors can’t be done at home. What most people don’t realize is that our Americanized Indian food, with all its heavy sauces and questionable presentations, probably owe as much if not more to the British than they do to India itself.
According to several food historians who have written on the subject (see Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors by Lizzie Collingham) it was the British who were used to having their meats smothered in sauces and who eventually adapted the flavors of their conquered country into the soupy curries and richly sauced chafing dish preparations we find in most Indian restaurants today.
It takes no more than a quick flip through my favorite Indian cookbook by the authority Madhur Jaffrey to realize that there are many Indian recipes and flavors I can adapt in my own kitchen that do not require ingredient lists of epic lengths. Certainly there are pastes, sauces, and marinades that require a degree of labor and time, but there are also dishes that are steamed, sautéed, and broiled (all those favorite quick cooking techniques of home cooks) using key spices to give the dish an authentic Indian flavor but without a lot of work.
To tackle this cuisine at home it helps to familiarize oneself with some of the key seasonings on an Indian spice rack. Cumin and coriander are used widely in both their ground and whole form. Ginger both powdered and fresh, is used widely. Nutmeg and cinnamon, two spices we tend to associate more with baking than sautéing, find their way into many savory Indian dishes. Mustard seeds, dried chilies, black pepper, saffron, and cloves all make appearances from time to time in the Indian kitchen. Turmeric, typically purchased in an orangey powdered form, lends both color and a mild curried taste without any heat.
If all this sounds daunting, rest assured even Indians use spice mixtures on a frequent basis. Garam masala is a spice mixture used widely throughout India and many other Southeast Asian countries. It is essentially a combination of many of the spices listed above with variations depending on the region it is coming from. It can include but is not limited to cumin, cardamom, mustard seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, and black pepper. This mixture can be purchased or made at home and then used either as a primary seasoning or as a complement to another array of spices.
To work these flavors into some easy home dishes, try experimenting by cooking with a few spices at a time. Stir-fry greens like kale or dandelion greens with onions, fresh ginger, and mustard seeds. Roast cubed russet or sweet potatoes with a bit of garam masala and some crushed cardamom pods for a fragrant side dish. Broil or sauté a hearty fish like mahi mahi or swordfish with a coating of turmeric mixed with ground cumin, coriander, pepper and mustard seeds for a finished product redolent of the East with hardly any effort.
Trying to replicate our favorite Indian takeout at home usually leads to an over reliance on one-dimensional store-bought sauces. This does not have to be the case. Indian food is rich with spices that only need to be worked into your standard quick-cooking techniques like sautéing, broiling, and grilling for complex taste sensations to emerge from otherwise uncomplicated recipes.
Swordfish with Indian Spices and Mustard Seed Kale
Made with ground cumin, ground coriander, vegetable oil, onion, garlic, mustard seeds, lacinata kale, white wine, chicken stock, or water, swordfish, turmeric
Made with ground cumin, ground coriander, vegetable oil, onion, garlic, mustard seeds, lacinata kale, white wine, chicken stock, or water, swordfish, turmeric
Serves/Makes: 4
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, lightly crushed, divided
- 2 bunches lacinata kale
- 1 cup white wine, chicken stock, or water
- 1 1/2 pound swordfish
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and pepper
- Greek yogurt
In a wok or large saute pan, preheat 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Cut onion in half lengthwise then slice into thin half circles. Add onion to the hot wok and saute for about 3 minutes until softened.
Meanwhile, mince garlic and crush mustard seeds. Rinse kale and slice leaves crosswise into pieces 2 inches thick. Add garlic and 1 tsp. of the mustard seeds to onions and saute for another 2 minutes. Add kale along with some salt and pepper and saute together for couple of minutes until kale begins to wilt.
Add wine, water or chicken stock, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to medium-low. Let cook for an additional 15 minutes stirring occasionally until liquid is mostly absorbed.
While kale is cooking, prepare the fish. Cut swordfish into equally sized fillets if not already cut.
In a small bowl mix together turmeric, coriander, cumin and remaining mustard seeds. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper then sprinkle on seasoning mix to lightly coat on both sides.
Heat two saute pans over medium high heat with 2 Tablespoons oil in each pan. Place two fillets in each pan and sear for about 3-4 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the fillet. Fish is done when flesh easily flakes. Serve fish with kale and a dollop of plain yogurt.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1026-indian-cuisine/