Recipes

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Typically cooked on the stove with bone-in goat pieces, this version of a traditional Punjabi meat and potato stew exchanges simmering for the French technique of braising, and swaps goat for boneless beef — the meat is browned first and then finished in the oven submerged in liquid. Beef broth or water do the trick here. Tomatoes provide acidity. The use of whole spices like peppercorn and clove along with chile powder and garam masala, used twice at different points in the cooking process, contribute to the deliciously layered dish. Braising lends more control, ensuring the meat is tender, and potatoes provide quiet moments of relief in an otherwise fiery combination of flavors. Though it takes some time, the steps are simple and the resulting complexly spiced and rich, lip-smacking stew is worth the effort.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

A comforting snack made for kids and adults all across South Asia, chile cheese toast is endlessly riffable. From simply sliced white bread and Cheddar, popular with the kids, to something fancier using brioche or sourdough, variations are abundant. Play around and adapt ingredients to find the best version for you. Serve at tea time as a snack, pack in a lunchbox or enjoy as a meal on a busy afternoon that may require ease and comfort.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This 25-minute recipe for spicy, tangy, flaky fish relies on a bed of aromatic ingredients — ginger, garlic, onion, sesame oil — and a saucy blanket of tamarind. The easy sauce comes together quickly because the key ingredient, common in South Asian, Southeast Asian and Mexican cooking, is zingy tamarind concentrate. In addition, sweetness from sugar adds balance while chile powder and Thai green chiles bring the heat. It’s a lively, complex dish with a satisfyingly simple preparation that’s out of the oven and on your weeknight table in no time. Serve with white rice.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Paneer cubes are cooked in three types of fat here: ghee, butter and cashew butter for a luxurious vegetarian main. ​​Traditionally, roasted and crushed cashews are puréed with cooked onions and tomatoes, but this version skips the hassle and achieves the same creamy, nutty richness. Red chile and fresh Thai green chiles layer in a touch of heat. Substitute firm tofu for paneer to make the dish vegan, and spoon the leftovers over noodles for another meal.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This no-bake dessert, or mithai, is commonly found in sweet shops across South Asia. Kalakand is typically made by cooking milk and sugar until the milk almost solidifies — a process that takes many hours. This version uses a shortcut: condensed milk and grated paneer. The use of these two ingredients cuts cooking time down to about 10 minutes. Top with any mix of nuts to balance the sweetness and add texture. The result is a milky, decadent, soft and chewy dessert that is fantastically and complexly sweet. Kalakand does need a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge to set, which requires some planning ahead. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week in the rare case of leftovers. If soft, crumbly paneer is not available, opt for ricotta.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Paneer, a mild and firm cheese widely used throughout South Asia and beyond, makes the perfect base for this salty, spicy snack or starter. The addition of rice flour to the batter for these bite-size fritters makes for an extra crispy coating. Chaat masala, a funky, umami-rich spice blend readily available at Indian grocers, adds notes of sour mango and earthy cumin — perhaps the defining flavors of this ultimate fried cheese snack. Homemade or store-bought paneer works for this recipe, although the latter tends to vary in consistency. If the variety available is on the firmer side, soak the cubes in warm water for 10 minutes and drain before using. Serve with store-bought or homemade mint or mango chutney.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Hearty slabs of cauliflower are deeply caramelized in the oven on high heat then dressed with a riff on the traditional Vietnamese nước chấm sauce — an umami-rich mix of fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic and chiles. Fish sauce and garlic add pungency, vinegar brings a touch of sourness (in place of more traditional citrus), sugar rounds out these strong flavors with some sweetness, and chiles bring the heat. Mild, subtly sweet cauliflower benefits a great deal from getting burnished in the oven, and again from the sauce, while crushed roasted nuts add texture and bring out the vegetable’s nuttiness. Serve this dish as a starter or side, or supplement with rice to make it a main.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Typically prepared with beef and sometimes chicken, this version of the traditional Pakistani dish uses canned beets instead of fresh ones. That cuts down on both cooking time and cleanup while achieving the same results: a comforting earthy, sweet and spicy curry with a dramatically deep purple appearance. Sourness from yogurt and lime juice balances the sweetness of the beets, while ginger and garlic add layers of flavor and complexity. Riff on the recipe by adding leafy greens like spinach a few minutes before adding the spices. Serve with rice or roti.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Grilled cheeses come in many flavors and shapes depending on the cheese, bread and condiments used. This version opts for relatively mellow, creamy Brie topped with tangy mango chutney and earthy spinach. Mayonnaise is slathered on the side of the bread slices that cook on a preheated pan for a guaranteed crunchy crust, and the two halves of the sandwich initially cook separately to ensure the Brie melts nicely. Feel free to adjust the amount of mayo, cheese and chutney depending on the size of your bread slices (and your taste). To make a simple, comforting appetizer or shareable snack instead of a sandwich, remove the grilled cheese halves from the pan after Step 3, cut into rectangles or triangles and serve.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

South Asian korma is typically a nutty, creamy and comforting meat or veggie curry, mildly spiced and prepared with yogurt and cream. This version calls for chicken and instead of a homemade paste of crushed cashews, includes cashew butter, saving time and adding another layer of luxury to the dish. The end result is an efficient yet decadent meal in about 30 minutes, with a hint of heat from chile powder. Riff on it by adding quick-cooking veggies if you like, and serve with rice or roti.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Heavily spiced with peppercorns, fresh ginger, cumin and garam masala, this slow-cooked stew is rich with meltingly tender beef and thickened with tender, broken-down dal and barley. It’s typically prepared in big pots to feed a crowd for special occasions like Eid in Muslim communities across India and Pakistan. While haleem is traditionally slow-simmered on the stove for a few hours (see Tip for the stovetop method), this version, made in an Instant Pot, achieves a similar result in just over an hour. Briefly pulsing the stew in a food processor or using an immersion blender during the final moments of cooking is the easiest way to achieve the stew’s signature silky texture, but vigorous whisking will also do the trick. Serve with roti, naan or pita.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This stir-fry is doubly peppery, thanks to a combination of shishito peppers and plenty of coarsely ground black pepper. Though most of the shishitos are mild, the occasional one packs a punch, adding a delightful unpredictability to any meal. The peppers are fried on high heat until they blister, bringing smoky depth and texture. Soy sauce and toasted sesame oil make a fine (and quick!) marinade for steak strips that are seared in the same wok. Ginger and garlic enhance an umami-rich sauce that makes the steak and peppers shine. Serve with white rice for a formidable weeknight meal in under 30 minutes.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This Pakistani-style chicken soup uses a delicately spiced yakhni, or broth, as its base. Whole spices like black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon sticks permeate the nourishing, gelatin-rich soup made from a whole chicken (bones and meat), slowly simmered over a few hours. The addition of a blackened onion adds sweet smokiness, while the spices and a nub of ginger add depth and complexity. Though the base of this soup is formidable, the fixings do most of the talking. Lemon juice and green chiles provide a much-needed zing, freshly ground black pepper adds even more warmth and cilantro brings a touch of herbaceousness. Adjust the fixings to your liking and preferred spice level. Add white rice to the soup for a more robust meal.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

A Desi cilantro-mint chutney adds verdant, fiery flavors to tender shredded chicken in these herbaceous, tangy lettuce cups. The heat from the green chiles, warmth from the cumin and cooling sourness from lemon juice and Greek yogurt are stellar supporting acts for the otherwise everyday chicken breast, creating a chicken salad of sorts. Make the green chutney in advance and use any extra as an accent for other meals; it’s especially good with samosas, kebabs, fritters, on sandwiches, in yogurt and with any meal that includes rice and curry. Any leftover chicken salad is excellent for sandwiches or on its own.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Widely considered the Rolls-Royce of Desi kebabs, shami kebabs have a silky smooth, almost creamy texture, with a thin outer shell that forms at the time of frying, giving the kebabs structure. The key to achieving the crisp exterior and creamy interior is cooking well-marbled chunks of beef with spices and chana dal until tender, then running the mix through a food processor. This paste-like mixture is used to form round patties, slightly smaller than hockey pucks. You can dip them in egg and shallow-fry right away, or freeze them, uncooked, to enjoy later. Like samosas, they freeze well, so are often found side by side at tea time, quickly fried up as a snack for unexpected guests. They also make for excellent sides at lunch or dinner, especially on special occasions. Sandwich a leftover kebab or two in a potato roll, add ketchup and a fried egg for bun kebab, the ubiquitous Pakistani street food.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This quick, flavor-packed meal brings the smoky, tangy essence of tandoori-style cooking into the kitchen with minimal effort. The shrimp are marinated in spiced yogurt to infuse them with bold flavor before being roasted over a bed of vegetables in just minutes. Bell peppers and onions add sweetness and a bit of crunch, while a final blast under the broiler gives everything a slight char. Serve with warm naan, roti or fluffy basmati rice and a cooling raita for a complete meal.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This comforting ground-chicken dish is layered with typical Desi spices: cumin, chile powder and garam masala. Finished with tender baby spinach, it has all the makings of a satisfying one-pot meal. In most keema (or ground-meat) curries from the Indian subcontinent, onions and meat are sautéed separately in two steps, but this recipe calls for cooking them together, along with ginger and garlic, a shortcut that saves time without sacrificing flavor. Spices and tomatoes follow, and a hefty amount of quick-cooking baby spinach is added toward the end, adding a mild earthiness that balances the bold spices. A splash of lemon juice adds freshness and brings everything together. Serve it with rice or roti for an easy, flavorful meal that comes together in about a half hour.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Pakistan’s original meat and rice dish for special occasions, yakhni pulao is the demure rival to the more lavish, layered and spiced chicken biryani. Unlike biryani, yakhni pulao is delicately spiced and the rice is cooked in a quick yakhni (broth) made from the bone-in chicken pieces, which get added back to the rice toward the end of the cooking process. Golden sautéed onions give the pulao its distinct earthy color, while aromatic peppercorns, cumin, cloves and cinnamon flavor the rice. Green chiles provide a kick and yogurt a bit of sourness. Serve with a hefty curry like kaddu with greens and shrimp, butter paneer or Kerala-style vegetable korma, or alongside dal like masoor dal, sabut masoor dal or chana masala, or by itself.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Vijay Kumar, the chef behind the Michelin-starred restaurant Semma in New York City, once told me, “Coconut and spices have a love connection.” Inspired by an intricate beef curry he taught me, this recipe has been reimagined for home cooks. There are still many ingredients and steps, and every one earns its place. This is a dish of texture, aroma and deeply coaxed flavor, where whole spices are toasted until they bloom with warmth and then get blended into a rich paste. That paste becomes the backbone of the curry, lending a complexity and depth that ground spices alone can’t achieve. Simmered with coconut milk and spiked with green chiles, the final curry is velvety, robust and soulful; the kind of dish that rewards patience and turns an ordinary dinner into a celebration. Serve it with paratha, rice or roti, and let the sauce shine.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This version of the endlessly riffable, quick and comforting meal of fried rice is inspired by both Chinese and Indian flavors. Paneer, the firm, mild South Asian cheese, is first cooked in soy sauce, developing a sticky, umami-rich coating. Homemade and store-bought paneer work equally well in this recipe, and its mellow flavor provides the perfect backdrop for salt and spice from soy sauce and green chiles. Frozen veggies thaw in minutes in the same skillet the rice cooks in and this handy shortcut significantly cuts down prep time without compromising on flavor. Cilantro adds brightness and scallions bring a juicy, edgy crunch.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

This shrimp pulao is a beloved staple in the kitchens of Mumbai’s Parsi community, descendants of Zoroastrians who settled in India after fleeing religious persecution in Iran. Rooted in the rich traditions of South Asian cooking, the dish features familiar elements like cumin, red chile powder and fragrant basmati rice. What truly sets this pulao apart is its unmistakable tang from a bold, savory mix of tomatoes, vinegar, lemon slices and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. That signature sourness balances the gentle sweetness of plump shrimp and caramelized onions, creating a deeply satisfying one-pot meal. Ready in under an hour and easily scalable, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd with minimal fuss. Serve with a cooling raita, alongside dhanshak or all by itself.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Also known as potato chops, these treats trace their roots to the kitchens of Christian communities across India, Pakistan and Iraq, where they became a celebratory staple at weddings, holidays and family feasts. Golden and crisp on the outside, soft and savory within, potato chops are the ultimate comforting classic. Beloved as both a snack and a centerpiece dish, these shallow-fried patties are made by encasing a spiced ground meat filling — often beef or lamb — in a smooth, seasoned layer of mashed potatoes, then pan-frying until golden brown. (The spices often vary depending on the cook’s background or preferences.) The result is a satisfying contrast of textures: creamy potatoes that give way to a fragrant, spiced ground meat center. Making them is a labor of love: There’s some peeling, mashing and filling involved, and you’ll use more than one pan, but the reward is undeniable.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

Traditionally prepared over coals or in a tandoor for maximum char and smokiness, chaap (the Urdu and Hindi word for “chop”) is known for its deeply heady marinade and tender meat. This version substitutes lamb shoulder or loin chops for the customary mutton without compromising flavor. A yogurt-based marinade gently tenderizes the meat while a robust blend of cumin, coriander, Kashmiri chile and garam masala imparts complexity. Though ideally grilled, the chops can also be pan-seared and finished in the oven, making this dish both accessible and impressive. It’s a compelling way to bring the depth of restaurant-style South Asian cooking into the home kitchen.

Zainab Shah · NYT Cooking

According to Punjabi lore, this heavily spiced chicken and chickpea dish was born during Emperor Shah Jahan’s imprisonment, when his cooks were challenged to create luxurious meals from humble chickpeas. Traditionally made with bone-in chicken, this streamlined version calls for boneless chicken thighs, browned then simmered with chickpeas in a complex tomato-onion base with ginger, garlic and green chiles. A few simple ingredients here result in a hearty, one-pot dish that delivers layers of flavor in just 30 minutes. The spritz of lemon and scatter of cilantro at the end add freshness. Serve it with rice, roti or by itself.