Here is a comprehensive list of popular Indian curries that are easy to spot on restaurant menus, and even easier to make at home. Get all your curry questions answered, with plenty of recipes to inspire you.
Curry is a staple dish that has taken the world by storm.
While curry exists in all parts of the world, from Thailand to Japan to the United Kingdom, today's focus is on some of the Best Indian curries. These are the ones you are going to spot on Indian restaurant menus.
Classic, refined, and always delicious, it's a deep dive into Indian curry recipes. Let's get started!
Interested in learning more about curry? Check out What is Curry, What Curry Tastes Like, and How to Thicken Curry.
Popular Types of Indian Currys
Most homestyle north-Indian curries start with a master sauce known as onion tomato bhuna masala. It is used as a base for dal (lentils), legumes, chicken, and vegetables.
Here is a breakdown of the most popular Indian curries:
- Tikka Masala: in this famous dish, grilled pieces of meat (tikka) are simmered in a creamy onion-tomato gravy (masala).
- Makhani: a dish in which meat or vegetables are simmered in a rich tomato sauce, and finished with heavy cream.
- Korma: Meat or vegetables are braised in yogurt, cream, or a nut-paste-based sauce.
- Saag: saag is a generic term used for curried greens such as spinach, mustard greens, or collards, that form the base of the curry.
- Vindaloo: an adaptation of the famous Portuguese dish 'carne de vinho d'alhos' in which meat is marinated with dried chiles and vinegar.
- Jalfrezi: an Anglo-Indian infusion, jalfrezi (hot fry) is a dish of either chicken, fish, paneer, or vegetable stir-fry.
- Dhansak: dhansak is a sweet and sour dish made with meat, lentils, and vegetables.
- Rogan Josh: rogan josh is an aromatic meat dish from the Kashmiri region, made with red meat, and Kashmiri red chiles.
- Sambar: also known as 'Sambaar', this South Indian lentil stew is made with Toor dal (split pigeon peas) and vegetables.
- Dal: also spelled 'Daal', 'Dhal', or 'Dahl', this is a naturally vegetarian curry made with dried pulses, lentils, beans, and dried peas.
Best Indian Curry Recipes
If you are looking for an Indian chicken curry recipe or any other homemade version, I have got you covered with plenty of meat and vegetarian options.
The following are my favorite, and most popular, Indian curry recipes on the blog:
Chicken, Meat & Seafood
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala is an easy one-pot pressure cooker recipe for an iconic Indian curry in which marinated chicken is cooked in a creamy tomato sauce.
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Chicken Curry Recipe in Instant Pot
Easy and delicious one-pot Indian meal! Here is an Instant Pot recipe for an Indian style Chicken Curry cooked with pot-in-pot cumin flavored basmati rice!
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Butter Chicken: Authentic & Easy Murgh Makhani in the Instant Pot
Marinated and grilled chicken, simmered in a creamy tomato sauce, seasoned with toasted garam masala, coriander and cumin, and finished with a little heavy cream, this recipe for Authentic Butter Chicken will make your taste buds dance!
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Chicken Korma- Instant Pot | Stove
Chicken Korma, a mildly spiced Indian Chicken curry made by simmering chicken with floral Indian spices and creamy coconut milk. It's an easy one-pot meal with cumin rice cooked right alongside, ready in 30-minutes!
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Chicken Saag (Chicken Spinach Curry) | Palak Chicken
Easy one-pot Instant Pot recipe for Chicken Saag or Palak Chicken, a flavorful Chicken and Spinach Curry, that's ready in just 30-minutes.
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Chicken Vindaloo
Easy weeknight recipe for Chicken Vindaloo, a popular Indian curry made with a unique spice paste containing dried chilies, aromatics, tamarind, and vinegar.
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Keema Matar - Instant Pot | Stove
Keema Matar is a popular Indian and Pakistani curry made with ground meat (Keema) and green peas (matar), and seasoned with warm Indian spices.
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Kadai Chicken (Chicken Karahi)
Kadai Chicken is a spicy, semi-dry Indian curry featuring crunchy onions, peppers, ginger, and toasted spices. Enjoy this restaurant favorite with this 30-minute Instant Pot recipe.
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Creamy Lamb Korma
Easy Instant Pot recipe for Creamy Lamb Korma. Lamb stew meat is cooked in a creamy coconut sauce, seasoned with warm spices and pressure cooked to a melt-in-the-mouth perfection.
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Instant Pot Mutton Curry | Goat Curry
Easy recipe for Goat Curry or Mutton Masala in Instant Pot pressure cooker. Tender and juicy meat in a flavorful yogurt based sauce that is seasoned with warm Indian spices and crushed cardamom. Serve it with basmati rice and raita and enjoy a hearty Indian meal.
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Coconut Fish Curry
30-minute Instant Pot recipe for Coconut Fish Curry, with tender fish and bell peppers cooked in a coconut milk sauce seasoned with warm Indian spices.
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Coconut Chicken Curry
Easy recipe for Coconut Curry Chicken that's sweet, creamy and fragrantly spiced. Ready in 30 minutes in the Instant Pot or on the Stove.
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Dhaba Style Keema
This Dhaba Style Keema curry features ground lamb swimming in a boldly spiced and creamy tomato-based masala using the Instant Pot or Stove.
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Vegetable & Paneer Curries
Creamy Vegetable Korma
Vegetable Korma is a mildly-spiced, rich, and creamy curry that's loaded with colorful vegetables. Here's a 30-minute Instant Pot and stovetop recipe for this popular Indian delicacy.
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Saag Aloo
Saag aloo, a flavorful and comforting north-Indian spinach curry with potatoes. Here's an easy 30-minute recipe for the Instant Pot or stove.
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Paneer Butter Masala | Paneer Makhani
Easy recipe for Paneer butter masala, or Paneer Makhani, a rich & creamy curry made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese), spices, tomatoes and a touch of heavy cream.
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Saag Paneer | Palak Paneer in Instant Pot
30-minute Instant Pot recipe for Palak Paneer, or Saag Paneer, a popular Indian curry made with soft paneer cubes simmered in a flavorful spinach gravy.
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Homemade Matar Paneer (Mutter Paneer) - Instant Pot & Stove
This Matar Paneer features spongy paneer cubes and tender green peas simmered in a richly spiced tomato-onion sauce ready in 30 minutes.
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Paneer Tikka Masala in Instant Pot
In this easy Instant Pot Paneer Tikka Masala recipe, soft paneer cubes are simmered in an aromatic and mildly seasoned creamy tomato sauce and finished with a touch of heavy cream.
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Chilli Paneer (Dry & Gravy)
This easy, 30-minute Chilli Paneer recipe features crispy paneer cubes stir-fried with crunchy onions and peppers in an umami-packed sauce.
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Kadai paneer
Kadai paneer is a delicious & elegant dish made with Paneer, peppers & onions. Seasoned with fragrant Indian spices, this is a real crowd pleaser.
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Punjabi Kadhi (Yogurt & Gram Flour Curry)
A delicious yogurt and gram-flour-based curry, called Kadhi, served with gram-flour fritters, called Pakoras.
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Legumes & Lentils
Chana Saag (Curried Chickpeas and Spinach)
This Chana Saag recipe is a creamy chickpea curry finished with fresh, tender baby spinach prepared with pot-in-pot cumin rice, ready in 30 minutes!
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Chana Masala
An easy and authentic Instant Pot recipe for a popular Indian chickpeas curry called Chana Masala, using dry or canned chickpeas. Enjoy it with cumin rice or naan.
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Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Curry - Lobia
An easy Instant Pot recipe for a hearty north Indian Black Eyed Peas curry called Lobia, in which beans are cooked in a spiced onion tomato sauce.
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Punjabi Chole in Instant Pot (Tangy Chickpeas Curry)
Punjabi Chole, or Amritsari Chole, is a creamy, tangy and dark-colored chickpea curry made with a special masala blend served street-style.
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Rajma Recipe - Rajma Masala
Easy Instant Pot recipe for Indian kidney beans curry, Rajma. Make it with dry or canned beans and enjoy this vegan & gluten-free curry with steamed basmati rice.
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Chana Dal in Instant Pot
Instant Pot Chana Dal is a mildly spiced North Indian style curry made with split chickpeas in a traditional onion-tomato gravy, and it's ready in 45 minutes!
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Kala Chana in Instant Pot
Kala Chana is delicious curry loaded with black chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, & plenty of fragrant aromatics Indian spices. Perfect with rice or roti.
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Dal Palak / Spinach Dal in Instant Pot
This Dal Palak recipe is a blend of split lentils and baby spinach quickly prepared in the Instant Pot then tempered with sweet ghee and warm Indian spices.
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Dal Makhani
Dal Makhani is a rich and creamy north-Indian curry made with black lentils, kidney beans, herbs, and toasted spices. Here's a restaurant-quality recipe made easy using the Instant pot.
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Green Moong Dal
This Green Moong Dal recipe is a creamy, protein-packed vegetarian curry made with green mung beans, onions, tomatoes, aromatics, and warm Indian spices.
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Moong Dal
This Moong dal recipe is a mildly spiced yellow lentil curry that's ready in under 30 minutes. Enjoy this healthy, vegan and gluten-free Indian dal with rice or your favorite Indian bread.
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Dal Tadka | Dal Fry
Easy Instant pot recipe for a hearty and delicious Dal Tadka, or Dal Fry, with the option to make rice in the same pot. Ready in a little over 30 minutes!
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Instant Pot Sambar (Lentils & Vegetable Stew)
A quick and easy Instant Pot recipe for an authentic south-Indian lentil and vegetable stew called Sambar. It comes together in 40 minutes and is best enjoyed with rice, idli or dosa.
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I hope you found one of your favorite curries in this collection. Be sure to bookmark it for later. And if there's a curry that you'd like to see added to this collection, simply comment below and let me know.
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Paul says
Can’t find the Dhansak recipe
Aneesha says
Hi Paul, Dhansak recipe is in the Curry Cookbook which is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3iXjtUM. I hope you enjoy it!