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Simple tandoori-style chicken thighs marinated in yogurt and spices for tender, flavorful meat. Thighs or drumsticks work best; use mild paprika for color and flavor, or chilli powder for heat. Yogurt and lemon tenderize the meat, allowing spices to penetrate deeply.
Fine bulgur (#1 grade) soaks in hot water until soft and fluffy. Lamb or beef mince mixes with the bulgur, grated onion, lots of chopped parsley and coriander, ground baharat, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. The mixture should be soft enough to spread, if it's too dry the aroog crumble. Small portions press onto a hot oiled pan and flatten to 1 cm thick discs; cook for 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat until deeply browned and the meat is just cooked through. Lift, drain briefly, eat hot with lemon and yoghurt.
Dried beans (chickpeas + kidney beans + green lentils, OR the popular cheat of mixing all dried into one pot) soak overnight. Onion fries in oil; turmeric, salt and the soaked-and-drained beans go in with stock; simmers for 1 hour 15 minutes until tender. A heaping double handful of finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, coriander, dill plus blanched spinach) goes in. Reshteh noodles (Persian flat egg noodles, sold at Iranian shops) add for the last 10 minutes. The bowl finishes with a sour-fermented kashk drizzle, dried-mint-and-garlic-in-oil sizzle, deep-fried golden onion, and a swirl of yogurt. Garnishes are not optional.
A rich, ghee-laden chicken handi cooked in the traditional style, featuring tender chicken thighs simmered in a spiced tomato-onion base with yoghurt and cream. Named for the handi pot, this dish varies by chef but delivers deep, authentic flavors.
Biryani represents the height of Indian culinary technique: multiple components prepared separately with precision, then assembled in layers where flavors permeate through steam cooking. This isn't a one-step rice dish; rather, it's an architectural construction where yogurt-marinated lamb develops tenderization and flavor, then cooks slowly with warm spices and tomato, while basmati rice is independently flavored with saffron infusion and whole spices. Upon assembly, the two elements marry through steam, creating a unified dish where lamb and rice are inseparable in flavor. Traditionally cooked during festivals and royal celebrations, biryani requires patience and multiple steps but rewards with sophistication.
A rich, creamy tomato-based curry with mild spice and buttery finish. A BIR-style adaptation of murgh makhani.
The flavour you'd get at a Melbourne charcoal-chicken takeaway, distilled into something you can run at home with a heavy pan instead of a rotisserie. You build a mostly-dry rub from the pantry: garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, mustard powder, dried oregano, and a small amount of curry powder for the warmth that defines suburban-Australian charcoal-chicken shops. The rub wets out with olive oil and a generous squeeze of lemon, and the chicken thighs go in to marinate for twelve to twenty-four hours so the salt and spices penetrate properly. Thread onto skewers, sear hot in batches, rest briefly under foil so the juices settle. The lemon at the table is non-negotiable. Serve with warm flatbread, a chopped salad and a garlic-yogurt or hummus on the side, the kind of plate that arrives wrapped in butcher's paper at the takeaway.
A vibrant do-piaza curry based on layered onion textures and warming spices. This version uses both seared onion petals and a yoghurt-onion paste to build depth; the result is a rich, savoury, mildly tangy curry that works with pre-cooked stewed chicken or freshly poached chicken.
A classic karahi curry inspired by Imran’s in Birmingham, featuring tender chicken pieces simmered in a rich, spiced tomato-onion sauce. Traditionally served sizzling in a karahi pan, this dish is perfect for soaking up with naan.
Fenugreek-forward chicken methi curry with a rich base sauce and a tangy cream finish. Fresh fenugreek leaves are ideal, but dried kasoori methi can provide the signature aroma, especially in supermarkets where fresh leaves are scarce. This curry is aromatic with anise notes and a subtle bitterness balanced by yoghurt.
Chicken thighs marinate 6+ hours in baharat, turmeric, paprika, cumin, garlic, yogurt, lemon, olive oil. Stacked or spread on a tray (the home shortcut), roasted hot 25 minutes turning once, finished briefly under the grill until charred edges. Sliced thin and stuffed into pita with all the accompaniments.
Boneless chicken thighs swim in a yogurt-spice marinade for at least 4 hours. They roast hard at high heat for char, then rest and slice thin. The standard accompaniments are toum (garlic sauce), pickled turnips, parsley and warm pita.
Cabbage is shredded finely; carrots and onion are shredded or grated alongside. Salt is added to draw moisture out so the dressing isn't watered down later. Once squeezed dry, the vegetables are tossed with a mayo-mustard-vinegar dressing and refrigerated to settle.
Dried urad dal (white, sometimes labelled "white lentils" or "split urad") soaks overnight, then blends with ginger, green chilli and a small amount of water into a smooth thick batter. Whipped vigorously for 5 minutes to incorporate air (this is what makes the fritters light). Asafoetida and salt season; baking soda activates right before frying. Fritters drop into 175°C oil; fry for 3-4 minutes until amber. Lifted into a wide bowl of lukewarm water; soaked for 10 minutes; squeezed gently between palms to remove most water. Plated in shallow bowls; flooded with sweet salted spiced yogurt; topped with chutneys, chaat masala, pomegranate, fresh coriander, a sprinkle of crushed papri or sev for crunch.
The celebration-day Bengali fish curry, the one you cook for a Saraswati Puja lunch or a weekend when family are visiting. "Doi" means yoghurt, "maach" means fish, and that's the dish in two words: pieces of firm-fleshed freshwater fish (traditionally rohu, katla or sometimes bhetki) first lightly fried in mustard oil until the skin is taut and gold, then poached gently in a thickened yoghurt sauce. The gravy is pale ivory rather than yellow or red, with the warming whole spices (cardamom, cinnamon, bay) doing the work that chilli powder does in northern curries. The critical move is timing: you whisk the yoghurt smooth and add it off the heat so it doesn't split, then the fish goes back in to finish poaching gently in the silky gravy. A touch more refined than a workaday machher jhol, eaten with steamed gobindobhog rice and a small spoon of ghee melted over the top.
Azerbaijan's stuffed vine leaves, claimed as the national dish in 2017 and added to UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. You start by soaking brined vine leaves in warm water for twenty minutes to leach out the salt, then build a filling of raw lamb mince with rinsed short-grain rice, finely chopped onion, fresh mint and dill, butter, salt and pepper. Each leaf gets a teaspoon of filling and rolls into a tight cigar. The rolls pack in a single layer in a heavy pot, then a second and third layer perpendicular to the first, like a brickwork pattern that holds them together as they cook. Stock and a splash of sumac water pour in to barely cover, an inverted plate weighs everything down so the dolma keep their shape, and the lot simmers slowly for fifty minutes. Plated on a platter with thick garlic yogurt alongside for dipping.
Brined vine leaves are soaked for 20 minutes to leach the brine. Filling: short-grain rice is par-cooked for 10 minutes with onion in olive oil; off heat, dill, mint, parsley, pine nuts, currants and lemon zest are stirred through. Each leaf is given a teaspoon of cool filling and rolled into a tight cigar. The rolls are packed tight in a heavy pot lined with broken / extra leaves. Olive oil, lemon juice and stock are poured in to barely cover. Weighed down with an inverted plate. Slow-simmered for 50-60 minutes. Cooled in the liquid; served at room temperature.
Chicken thighs are marinated overnight in a yogurt-and-vinegar paste with a freshly-ground Goan masala (Kashmiri chillies, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin and fennel) plus a touch of toasted coconut and ginger-garlic paste. Basmati is parboiled in salted water with whole spices. Fried onions are crisped and reserved. The biryani is built in layers: marinated chicken, rice, fried onions, saffron milk, mint, coriander, repeated; sealed under a tight lid and cooked under dum for 45 minutes. Distinctively Goan: palm vinegar in the marinade and a small splash of coconut milk in the layering.
This burger borrows from the souvlaki and bifteki tradition of mainland Greece, where minced lamb or a lamb-beef mix is seasoned with dried oregano, garlic and a slug of red wine vinegar, then grilled over charcoal until the outside is dark and the inside still blushes pink. Crumbling feta directly into the mince is a home-cook trick: as the cheese melts it leaves salty, creamy seams through the patty rather than sitting flat on top. The result is much more interesting than a beef burger dressed up with Mediterranean toppings. The supporting cast is straightforward and traditional: a quick tzatziki of strained yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and dill; a sharp tomato and cucumber relish loosened with olive oil; and either toasted pita or a soft brioche bun, depending on whether you want this to lean Greek street food or backyard barbecue. Lamb is forgiving on the grill because its fat is so flavourful, but it can taste muttony if overcooked, so aim for an internal temperature around 60 to 63 degrees. Difficulty is low. The only thing to watch is keeping the mince loose: if you pack the patty tightly it goes dense and rubbery, so handle it just enough to hold together. Serve with a glass of something cold and resinous.
Bone-in mutton (or lamb) marinates for 4 hours in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, deep-fried onion (birista), garam masala, chilli and saffron. Basmati rice par-boils for 4 minutes with whole spices to 70% done. Half the rice layers on top of the marinated mutton at the bottom of a heavy pot; saffron milk, mint, more birista and ghee drizzle on top; the rest of the rice on top of that. Sealed (cover + dough or foil tight), cooked on the lowest heat 1 hour. The meat cooks from raw inside the steaming rice. Opened at the table.