35+ Delicious Indian Dishes to Make for Dinner Tonight

Enjoy this collection of more than 35 Indian recipes made with fresh ingredients and layers of warm aromatic spices!

by Sabrina Snyder

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Photo collage of Indian recipes, garlic naan, lentils, and chicken with rice.

There’s no better feeling than making a dinner that makes the kitchen smell incredible and has everyone coming in to ask when it will be ready. I’ve put together a collection of all of my favorite Indian Dishes that I’ve made countless times for my family, and that I’m sure you’re going to love, too. These recipes are made using fresh ingredients and blends of fragrant spices, along with my tips for how to make the recipe turn out perfect every time. Be sure to try this Butter Chicken, which is made in a rich tomato curry and ready in only 30 minutes. I’ve also included my favorite refreshing Mango Lassi if you’re in the mood for something sweet!

Indian Recipes for Dinner Tonight

The perfect collection of Indian recipes to add to your weeknight dinner menu!

Chicken Dishes

These chicken dishes are so incredibly tender and full of flavor, perfect for lunch or dinner this week!

Orange colored poultry dish on a plate with rice and fork
Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
Slow Cooker Butter Chicken is easy for any home chef and uses pantry spices to recreate a popular Indian restaurant dish. Try this today!
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Chicken in rich tomato sauce in a pot
Indian Tomato Chicken Recipe
Indian Tomato Chicken is an easy, one pot dinner made in under an hour! Chicken simmered in a flavorful, kid-friendly mild tomato curry.
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Cooked ingredients with rice ready to eat
Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe
Chicken Jalfrezi is a popular Indian restaurant dish that can be made at home! Warmly spiced, full of flavor, and ready in about 30 minutes!
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Indian Chicken Vindaloo and naan in hand 1x1
Indian Chicken Vindaloo
Indian Chicken Vindaloo is made wonderfully spicy and tangy with ginger, cumin, cardamom, garam masala, and brown sugar in a rich sauce.
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Chicken with white rice
Indian Chicken Korma Recipe
Authentic Chicken Korma recipe for an easy fragrant chicken curry. The perfect dish for someone learning to make curries. Try it out today!
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chicken on a platter with cilantro underneath
Tandoori Chicken Recipe
Tandoori Chicken is an Indian recipe full of flavor and spices in every bite. Ready in 40 minutes for an easy weeknight meal. Try it tonight!
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Chicken in baking dish 4x3
Chicken Tikka Masala Bake Recipe
Chicken Tikka Masala Bake is a hands-off way to enjoy bold, comforting, Indian flavors! Enjoy a hearty, flavorful dinner in about an hour!
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Indian rice dish on a white plate
Chicken Biryani Recipe
Chicken Biryani is a bold and flavorful Indian dish with tender bites of chicken and bell peppers in a deliciously spiced and fragrant rice.
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Dinner plate with rice, and Indian curry.
Instant Pot Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) Recipe
Instant Pot Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) makes this popular Indian takeout dish a breeze. Rich, comforting, and full of bold flavor.
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Curry Chicken Legs in pot 4x3
Curry Braised Chicken Legs Recipe
Curry Braised Chicken Legs are rich, tender, and full of flavor. Simmered in coconut milk and spices, they're ready in just an hour!
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Butter Chicken whole breasts cooked in pan
Indian Butter Chicken Recipe
Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) is a rich, tomato-based curry that comes together in 30 minutes! Your favorite restaurant dish at home.
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Aerial view of Indian chicken dish
Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
Chicken Tikka Masala is a delicious, creamy tomato-based Indian recipe made with white meat chicken and a bold spice blend everyone will love!
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Aerial view of pot of Soup
Easy Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
Mulligatawny Soup is a cozy, curry-inspired dish that's creamy, flavorful, and ready in under an hour. Perfect for Easter or busy weeknights!
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Chicken served on plate with rice
Chicken Saag Recipe
Chicken Saag is a classic Indian chicken curry recipe. Full of fiber and an easy way to add some fresh veggies to your meal. Try it soon!
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Chicken on a plate with rice on the side
Slow Cooker Tikka Masala Chicken Recipe
Slow Cooker Tikka Masala Chicken is an easy recipe with all your favorite Indian Restaurant flavors! So good you won't want to eat out again!
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Beef and Lamb Dishes

Some hearty restaurant-worthy beef and lamb dishes that you’ll want to come back to every week!

Curry in a bowl with tomatoes on the side.
Indian Lamb Curry Recipe
Indian Lamb Curry made in an hour with an easy homemade curry spice mix and creamy tomato sauce, simmered until fall-apart tender.
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indian dish in yellow pot
Indian Keema Aloo (Ground Beef and Potatoes) Recipe
Indian Keema Aloo is a traditional one-pot Indian dish that comes together in under 45 minutes! Packed with flavor from delicious spices!
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Cooked ingredients served in a bowl
Indian Butter Pot Roast Recipe
Indian Butter Pot Roast is your new favorite one-pot dinner, combining rich flavors for a hassle-free cooking experience. Try the dish today!
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Vegetarian and Seafood Dishes

A selection of warming vegetarian recipes and seafood options for cozy weeknight meals!

Pav Bhaji cooked and garnished in bowl with spoon with bread and garnishes off to side
Pav Bhaji
Homemade Pav Bhaji recipe for a spiced vegetable curry served with buttery rolls. Delicious, flavorful easy Indian street food made at home!
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Korma in serving bowl with cashews and cilantro garnish 1x1
Vegetable Korma Recipe
Vegetable Korma is a classic Indian dish with delicious spices and vegetables. Serve it for dinner over a bed of rice and top with cashews.
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bowl of Cauliflower and Potatoes and rice
Aloo Gobi
You have to try Aloo Gobi – it is a vegetarian dinner made with fresh cauliflower, steamed potatoes, and sauteed with seven different spices!
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Bowl of Saag Curry with pieces of Paneer in a brown bowl.
Saag Paneer Recipe
Saag Paneer combines the earthy flavors of spinach with the creamy richness of paneer, making it a perfect comfort food. Try this recipe now!
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indian food in green pot
Chana Masala Recipe
Chana Masala is an easy dinner full of spices in one pot. This vegetarian Indian recipe is a great filling meal for the whole family!
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Shrimp Curry in serving bowl topped with cilantro
Indian Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe
Indian Coconut Shrimp Curry is a flavor-packed recipe with rich, spiced curry sauce and juicy shrimp. Try this tasty 20-minute dinner tonight!
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Appetizers, Sides, & Bread Recipes

Sometime the best part of the meal is finishing with a warm piece of naan! Here’s a few of my favorite sides to serve with Indian cuisine.

thin circular bread with green garnish on a platter
Garlic Naan Recipe
Garlic Naan is a soft, buttery homemade bread that's easy to make and perfect for serving with your favorite Indian dinners! Try it today!
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Close up of finished flatbread
Flatbread Recipe
Flatbread is fluffy, tender, and easy to use in a variety of ways. Make the soft dough with 6 pantry ingredients and fry until golden brown!
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Indian crepes on a serving plate.
Indian Dosa Recipe
Homemade Indian Dosa is a soft, crispy, and light crepe-like dish perfect for serving with coconut chutney, masala, and sambar.
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Indian flatbread on plate 1x1
Roti Recipe
Roti is a 3-ingredient Indian flatbread that you can cook on the stovetop. Perfect for serving with curries, stews, and other dinner dishes.
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Fritters served with dipping sauce
Pakora Recipe
Pakora is a crispy fritter and a popular Indian street food snack. Full of veggies and spices, it's a perfect shareable appetizer at parties.
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Indian Spiced Honey Roasted Carrots on serving plate with spoon
Indian Spiced Honey Roasted Carrots
Indian Spiced Honey Roasted Carrots are the perfect side easily roasted in the oven with garlic, ginger, garam masala, and honey.
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Close-up of Potatoes and Peas plated with napkin around bottom of plate.
Indian Bombay Potatoes and Peas Recipe
Indian Bombay Potatoes and Peas is a comforting, one-pot dish with flavorful spices. It's the perfect sharing dish. Try making it at home!
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Sauces and Chutney

The right sauce or chutney makes the perfect finishing touch to classic Indian dinners.

Cooked and reduced chutney in sauce pan.
Mango Chutney
Mango Chutney is the ideal combination of sweet, tangy, and spiced flavors. Make it yourself with fresh fruit, vinegar, and aromatic spices.
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Indian Cucumber Raita
Indian Raita
Easy Indian Raita made with yogurt, cumin, cucumbers and coriander makes a perfectly easy cooling sauce to cover your delicious spicy Indian recipes.
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Chunky chutney in a canning jar
Chutney Recipe
Chutney is a sweet and tangy condiment known in Indian cuisine. The versatile dish makes the perfect addition to your next charcuterie board.
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Rice Dishes

A few of my favorite rice dishes, all with their own incredible flavor that pairs perfectly with the main course!

bowl of yellow rice with kebobs on top
Saffron Rice Recipe
Saffron Rice is a fragrant side dish with a vibrant yellow color from saffron threads. Pairs perfectly with hearty meats, curries, and stews.
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Closeup of cooked ingredients in a bowl ready to eat
Coconut Rice Recipe
Coconut Rice is an easy, fluffy, slightly sweet side dish that pairs perfectly with any number of your favorite weeknight dinners. Try soon!
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plated vegetable and rice dish 4x3
Easy Vegetable Biryani Recipe
Vegetable Biryani is an aromatic rice dish loaded with mixed vegetables and tons of flavor from warm spices like turmeric and garam masala.
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Desserts

The perfect end to an incredible dinner, these are two of my go-to desserts that are great for parties or just the weekend when you’re looking for something sweet.

Round fried balls topped with syrup and pistachio.
Gulab Jamun
Gulab Jamun is a sweet and cherished dessert from India made with fragrant spices, perfect for a celebration, and very delicious.
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Glass of mango lassi with mint garnish and straw.
Mango Lassi
Mango Lassi is a refreshing Indian drink made with frozen mango, Greek yogurt, milk, honey, fresh lemon juice, and a little cardamom.
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From rich sauces with chicken or vegetables, to sweet chutneys or flatbread, this collection has something that everyone will enjoy. Make sure to let me know which recipe you liked the most in the comments below! For more cozy dinner recipe ideas, try my 13 Hearty Flavor Packed Chili Recipes, or my 30+ Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes.

3-image collage of Indian dishes: garlic naan, vegetable korma, chicken tikka masala

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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