Recipes By Zainab Shah
60 recipes found
Kaddu With Greens and Shrimp
The base for this stew is a simply spiced, South Asian–style preparation of kaddu, or squash, seasoned with ginger, garlic, cumin, chile powder and garam masala. In this recipe, the addition of coconut milk, kale and shrimp leads to a complex, flavorful and hefty meal. The sweetness of the coconut milk provides a counterbalance to the heavily spiced squash, while greens add a touch of bitterness. To save on prep time, you can use 6 cups of store-bought precut squash instead of peeling and chopping your own. For a vegetarian version of this dish, you can simply skip the shrimp.
Broccoli Korma
Broccoli florets are simmered in coconut milk and almond butter then topped with slivered almonds, resulting in a nutty, luxurious main or side in just 30 minutes. Malabar pepper, grown and commonly used in the south of India, has a delicate lingering heat. (You could use another black pepper, but if the former is an option, try it.) Garam masala dials up the spice and an onion provides subtle sweetness. Serve with rice or roti.
Mango Chutney
Ripe mangoes work best as a base for this sticky, deliciously sour and heavily spiced condiment. The intense sweetness of the cooked mangoes is fittingly balanced by apple cider vinegar, crushed red pepper, ginger and garlic; nigella seeds add some texture and bitterness. One dollop of this chutney lends a kaleidoscope of flavors to any meal or snack, from a simple sandwich to a kebab or roast chicken. Mango chutney typically tends to be somewhat thick, but if you prefer a looser texture you can add more water during the cooking process. You can adjust the bite as you like, keeping as many or as few mango chunks intact as you’d like. This chutney is customizable, but its punchy flavors remain.
Bagara Baingan (Creamy Spiced Eggplant)
Tender and round, Indian eggplants are slit, shallow-fried and simmered in a rich, nutty, spiced gravy in this fiery Hyderabadi dish. There are a few different ways of making it, including stuffing the eggplants with a paste of peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds. This version minimizes tedium by skipping that step and using peanut butter instead of freshly ground peanuts. Whole mustard seeds bring texture and a delicious bitterness. Tamarind paste and cilantro add a citrusy freshness. Though the ingredient list is on the lengthier side, the only ingredient that needs chopping is an onion — and this deeply flavorful dinner cooks in just 40 minutes.
Paneer Chile Dry
Served at restaurants on both sides of the Pakistan-India border, this spicy, sticky paneer’s popularity is testament to China’s culinary influence on the region. The word “dry” in the title references the preparation’s consistency compared to more saucy, gravy-rich dishes. Coating paneer in batter then frying it gives the mild fluffy cheese a crispy crust, then tossing it in a thick chile-soy sauce imbues it with salt and heat. Onion and bell pepper provide just enough fresh, sweet relief until the next bite. The dish forms a deluge of pleasurable textures and fiery flavor in 30 minutes. If you’d like, you can substitute tofu for the paneer and skip the batter frying.
Chana Masala
Variations of chana masala, which means spiced chickpeas, are found across South Asia. This version, particularly common in Punjab, calls for a simple spiced onion and tomato mixture, which serves as the foundation for the humble chickpea. The nutty and buttery legume benefits from both dried chile powder and fresh chiles, coriander and the spice blend garam masala. Thinly sliced ginger and cilantro, added upon serving, add freshness. Both canned and dried chickpeas work for this dish, and in the case of the former, the resulting bowl of comfort feels nothing short of a miracle in under 30 minutes.
Smashed Cucumber and Chicken Salad
A few simple elements — shredded rotisserie chicken, smashed, salted and drained cucumbers, and a sweet and spicy dressing — come together quickly in this Sichuan-inspired salad. The end result: a fresh, crunchy, flavorful main, served cold with no cooking time, perfect for hot summer days when turning on a stove feels like a Sisyphean task. It keeps in the fridge for a few days and tastes even better once the cucumbers have had a chance to marinate and soak up the briny dressing overnight. For a whole other salad, add chickpeas to whatever’s left, or sandwich leftovers between a couple of slices of bread to make a far-from-ordinary lunch.
Kali Mirch Karahi (Black Pepper Chicken)
This chicken dish with deep fiery flavor is traditionally made with bone-in chicken pieces and, like chicken karahi, its more common counterpart, it’s served in restaurants and homes across South Asia. Unlike chicken karahi, though, this dish is particularly convenient to make if there aren’t fresh tomatoes laying around. This recipe, which uses boneless thighs, can be made with pantry staples and comes together in 30 minutes for a weeknight meal that layers heat and packs a punch. Malabar pepper, grown and commonly used in the south of India, has a delicate lingering heat. (You could use regular black pepper, but if the former is an option, try it.) Lemon juice, julienned ginger and Thai green chiles add freshness; Greek yogurt cools it all down.
Ghee
Ghee, which is used extensively in South Asian cooking, is made by slowly browning butter, then straining its solids. This creates a higher smoke point, making ghee ideal for cooking methods that call for higher temperatures like frying, or browning meat. The flavor profile is rich and nutty; it has all of the best parts of butter, but concentrated. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a year.
Basmati Rice
How to cook rice to its perfect texture is an art: too much water and it’s gloppy; too little, and it’s dry and brittle. If it’s cooked for too long, it smushes together; not enough time and it’s grainy and hard. Different types of rice require different cooking methods, too. This recipe, specifically for long-grain basmati rice, boils it down to a science. The rice-to-water ratio used here is 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water, but thoroughly drained rice, heat levels, cook time and resting time can all impact results. Even the size of the pot matters; you’ll want to select a small one in which the water level rises an inch above the rice level. Follow the steps exactly and cooking long-grain basmati rice is no longer an experiment but a formula.
Aloo Palak (Spicy Spinach and Potatoes)
Onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and layered spices make the base for this deceptively simple vegetarian main or hefty side — a preparation well-suited for the humble potato and spinach. As is typical for South Asian dishes, aloo palak packs a fiery punch. The key here is chopping the potatoes into 1-inch cubes so they cook quickly. Since spinach doesn’t take as long to cook, it’s added toward the end when the potatoes are almost done. Use frozen chopped spinach for convenience and dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes from start to finish. Serve with rice, roti or store-bought pita.
Chicken Kofta in Tomato Gravy
Kofta are delightful little balls of heavily spiced ground meat, most often beef or lamb. They exist on a spectrum of flavors and textures across multiple regional cuisines and even continents (and spelling variations exist). In Pakistan, they are tender and cooked in a spiced gravy. This kind of preparation makes them perfect to eat over basmati rice and roti, the gravy poured over the former or sopped up with the latter. Though traditionalists will say poppy seeds are a must, this chicken version makes allowances for what might be available. Gram flour acts as a binding agent and vinegar is a tenderizer. Make the kofta ahead of time (and the gravy, too, if you like) and freeze for up to three months. To cook from frozen, add the kofta directly to simmering gravy.
Kerala-Style Vegetable Korma
A korma can be made with any combination of meats and vegetables, braised or stewed. In the Indian coastal state of Kerala, where coconuts are abundant, vegetable korma is made with desiccated fresh coconut and coconut milk. This quick, convenient version uses the same foundation — onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic — while skipping the fresh coconut. It works just as well with whatever combination of fresh or frozen vegetables that might be handy. Cashew butter is used in place of making a paste from soaked cashews. Black mustard seeds add complex bitterness; Thai green chiles, black pepper and garam masala give it a kick. Cutting corners doesn’t quell any flavor in this recipe.
Aloo Anday (Potatoes and Scrambled Eggs)
This is just one version of a popular Pakistani spicy scrambled egg and potato breakfast dish. Endlessly adaptable, it also makes for an inexpensive yet substantial weeknight meal. Sweetness from onions, tanginess from tomatoes, heat from chiles and nutty freshness from coriander seeds provide a fine foundation for humble eggs and potatoes. Often served with chapati, the dish is just as good with store-bought pita, naan or even with rice.
Hara Masala Murgh (Green Masala Chicken)
As is the case with every South Asian dish, variations of hara masala murgh abound. In the south of India, fresh desiccated coconut is used in place of yogurt, which is a common ingredient in the northern parts of Pakistan and India. The stalwarts of the dish across regions are copious amounts of fresh cilantro and mint — hence its name hara masala, which means green masala. In Lahore, it is commonly found on restaurant menus, and its peppery herbaceousness is a welcome reprieve from the tomato-onion gravies typical in Punjabi cooking. This version uses thinly sliced chicken breast. It also skips over the tedium of grinding almonds in favor of using almond butter. These two shortcuts mean a quicker cooking time and a creamy texture.
Sheet-Pan Paneer Tikka
Paneer, the slightly salty and extremely versatile South Asian cheese, is the perfect backdrop for heady masalas. In this recipe, soaking paneer in hot water for 10 minutes before cooking rehydrates it, while coating and baking it — along with bell peppers and red onion — with yogurt, ginger, garlic, oil, and spices means the paneer will be light, fluffy and flavorful every time. Basting the paneer with melted ghee toward the end of the baking process keeps it from drying out and adds nuttiness. In the end, you’ll have a one-pan meal of sweet, crunchy veggies and luxuriously spiced paneer in under 30 minutes. To make it vegan, substitute tofu for paneer (no need to soak) and skip the yogurt.
Sheet-Pan Fish Tikka With Spinach
Tikka marinade imbues meats and veggies with extreme flavor: Complex, layered heat comes from garam masala and red chiles, garlic adds a delicate depth and ginger a mellow freshness, while yogurt cools, tenderizes and extends flavors from the spices. Though traditionally anything with tikka marinade is cooked on coals for smokiness (see Tip), the flavors come together well in a home oven. This recipe calls for any fleshy white fish that can stand this mix of heady spices and maintain its structural integrity for 12 to 15 minutes in the oven. Lay the fish on a bed of spinach, and the marinade will flavor both. The preparation is simple for this recipe, but the flavorful results are anything but.
Chicken Manchurian
A stalwart of Desi Chinese cooking, chicken Manchurian is immensely popular at Chinese restaurants across South Asia. Nelson Wang, a third generation Chinese chef who was born in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), is credited with inventing the dish in Mumbai in the 1970s. This recipe comes from attempts at recreating the version served at Hsin Kuang in Lahore, Pakistan, in the late ’90s. At restaurants it’s almost always served on a sizzler platter, the tangy, sweet-and-sour sauce bubbling and thickening on its way to the table. Making it at home doesn’t compromise any of the punchy flavors. Velveting the chicken in egg and cornstarch means it’ll stay tender through the short cooking process; bell pepper and spring onions add freshness and crunch to the otherwise intense flavors from ketchup and chile-garlic sauce.
Keema Shimla Mirch (Ground Chicken With Bell Peppers)
Bell peppers provide a sweet, crunchy freshness that perfectly complements spiced ground chicken in this winning mix of textures, flavors and convenience. A weeknight staple in many Pakistani households, this dish includes lemon juice, garam masala and fresh cilantro for a layer of brightness and warmth no matter the time of year. It all comes together in 30 minutes with very little prep.
Masala Black-Eyed Peas
Tender, creamy, earthy black-eyed peas spruced up with ginger, garlic, chiles and hefty spices like Kashmiri red chile powder, cumin seeds and garam masala result in a comforting, piquant main. This dish is equally suitable for solo dining — the simple preparation results in versatile leftovers that can be had on toast, with eggs or cooked shredded meats — or for feeding a crowd. The cooking method is typical for beans and peas across South Asia, and the recipe works just as well with any cooked beans from chickpeas, kidney beans, peas or whatever cooked or canned variety may be handy.
Mixed Sabzi
Some English words have become part of Urdu names for dishes, as with this one, which is called mixed sabzi. Sabzi is the Urdu word for vegetables and the recipe calls for a mix of vegetables stir-fried and simply spiced for a quick weeknight main, or hefty side. Whatever’s in season tends to taste best. In Pakistan, it is most often made with cauliflower, potatoes, peas and carrots. But, it is great with any vegetables really: eggplant, green beans, bell peppers, bitter gourd or pumpkin, too. For convenience, you can even use mixed frozen vegetables. Roti or cooked rice are ideal for serving alongside.
Bhindi Masala (Okra With Red Onion and Tomato)
Ready in less than 30 minutes, bhindi masala is a hot and spicy vegetarian main dish perfect for any weeknight. Okra often gets a bad rap, but in this recipe, searing it in ghee preserves its structure, adds texture and seals any potential stickiness. Onion, tomato, red chile powder, ginger and garlic come together to make this a zinger of a dish. Finishing with lime juice adds fresh tartness that balances the heat. If you can’t find fresh okra, frozen works just as well.
Mango Lassi
Mangoes tend to vary in texture and sweetness depending on where they are from; tart varieties can add sour notes to salad while milder mangoes go well with chile and lime. In Pakistan and across South Asia, there is a revered, intoxicating sweetness to most mangoes. Adding yogurt and milk to chopped bits balances that sweetness and makes this Punjabi mango lassi the perfect chilled drink for hot summer months, when the fruit is in season. This recipe adds honey to the mix, making allowances for the kind of mango that might be available — but you can skip it, if luck sources sweet mangoes. For added luxury, finish the drink off with powdered cardamom and crushed nuts.
Aloo Samosas (Potato Samosas)
Filled with a Punjabi-spiced potato and pea mixture, these samosas prioritize convenience without compromising flavors or textures. Use store-bought spring roll wrappers to make a big batch when you have time, then freeze the samosas to fry and serve as near-instant snacks for iftar, at parties or intimate gatherings with chai, or as low-fuss everyday cooking. With a crispy exterior and a filling citrusy with coriander and sweet from peas, these vegan samosas are perfect any time.