What's a relatively easy Indian food recipe that doesn't require special ingredients? (excluding saffron)

I can get access to saffron rice, but beyond that, I can't really get any super-crazy Indian ingredients...what would be a good mostly-authentic dish that I could feed to a HUGE group of people for not a HUGE price?What's a relatively easy Indian food recipe that doesn't require special ingredients? (excluding saffron)
Onion Bhajis





Ingredients





1 large onion


1 potato


cumin


coriander


turmeric


cayenne pepper


olive oil


vegetable oil





Grate the onion and fry gently until soft. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric and half teaspoons of cumin and coriander plus a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. Cook until the onion starts to brown.





Peel and boil the potato until very soft. Drain and the mash the potato into a bowl.





Add the onion mixture to the potato. Stir up and bind the ingredients together. Add a little olive oil to help the ingredients to stick together. Form the mixture into small balls and deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.


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Vegetable Samosas





Ingredients





1 medium potato


1 onion


4 tablespoons peas


1 carrot


4 cauliflower florets


filo pastry


1 teaspoon cumin


2 teaspoons coriander


1 teaspoon turmeric


olive oil


salt


1 small pinch cayenne pepper





Peel and finely chop the potato, onion, cauliflower and carrot. Fry them gently in some oil, with the peas until they are soft. Add the spices and stir well. Taste and season if necessary. This mixture can be frozen if have too much.





Take one sheet of filo pastry and moisten around the edges. Fold in half length ways and press down the edges. Moisten the edges again. Put a small spoonful of mixture in the top right hand corner leaving a small gap around the edge. Then fold the top right hand corner over to the left edge to make a triangle. Continue folding in this manner until you have a nice triangular package. Brush it with oil and cook in a 180 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown, turning over half way through cooking.


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Lentil Dahl





Ingredients





I tin of lentils


curry spices or paste


small tin of tomatoes


1 brown onion


1 clove garlic


olive oil


salt and pepper








In the recipe the spices are not specified as often people have a preferred curry paste or spice mixture that they like to use. However, if you do not have this then I would suggest using 1 teaspoon each of turmeric, coriander, cumin and a pinch of chilli powder (unless you like it really hot then add a bit more).





Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add in the garlic and onion (very finely chopped) and the spices. Gently cook until the onion is see through. Blend the tomatoes in a food processor and drain and wash the lentils. Add these into the pan and cook on a very low heat for 20 minutes. Then taste to see if the mixture needs seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.What's a relatively easy Indian food recipe that doesn't require special ingredients? (excluding saffron)
An excellent cookbook that has authentic Indian dishes that are quick and don't require ';super-crazy'; ingredients is: Madhur Jaffrey's Quick %26amp; Easy Indian Cuisine, which is a thin paperback and is widely available at Barnes %26amp; Noble, Borders and other bookstores. I use this cookbook a lot.
It is quite easy to make Indian Recipes at home, the ingredients are nothing special - just some fresh vegetables, or chicken or any meat you prefer.





Just buy a ready made spice mix ( I prefer the Pathaks) brand from UK. Just saute the veges or the meat and throw a spoon or two of this spice mix and you get a authentic smelling and tasting Indian dish.





Saffron and all are for the aesthetics only.


If you want to cook saffron rice and don't have saffron, just throw half a tea spoon of Turmeric in your rice and you would get yellow coloured rice which are good for your stomach as well, after all they sell Turmeric Pills to help your stomach and liver...





Here is a website which has some easy recipes.
great website:





http://www.bellaonline.com/Site/indianfo鈥?/a>
dal-chawal, that is lentils and rice.


buy tur dal, and ordinary rice, good quantity of onions, potatoes, and garlic. some green masala like green chillies, coriander, and also tomatoes.


cook dal with the above, cook plain steamed rice, and serve hot.
Vegetable pulao with raita. All you need to do is fry an onion in hot oil to which a bit or two of cinnamon is added,when soft add to the onion cubed potato,peas,diced carrot %26amp; cauliflower florets,mix well cover %26amp; steam for two minutes,add washed %26amp; soaked rice,stir gently to mix with vegetables,top with sufficient water twice the quantity of rice used,add salt stir again,cover with lid %26amp; let it cook,till water dries %26amp; rice is cooked.Vegetables add both to the taste of the dish %26amp; quantity too.Raita is beaten curd with a pinch of salt,chopped onion,cilantro %26amp; chillies if liked.
make those one black dal or jus simple rice
mostly authentic:





Veggies (including chick peas, carrots, potatoes, onion, eggplant, peppers, okra, other faves) simmered in a tomato sauce. Add curry powder, cinnamon, chili powder and coconut milk to add an indian flavor. Add grilled chicken, shrimp or tofu if you want. Serve with rice and flat breads. I take pita bread, bruch with olive oil and throw on garlic and cilantro and bake to warm through to simulate Indian Naan. Raita (a creamy yogurt sauce) can be easily made as a condiment. Take yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, cilantro and lemon juice and chill together in the frigde for a few hours. Good luck!