Indian Spiced Chickpea Gravy (Chole)

Chole, Indian chickpea curry, is a wonderful side or main. It's usually eaten with deep fried bread or with a steaming hot plateful of white rice.

Chickpea Rice Pilaf

Fragrant Middle Eastern Chickpea Rice - 5 minutes of prep, no chopping, then the hardest part is patience while the rice rests for 10 minutes! This rice is so delicious it only needs something simple to accompany it, like roasted vegetables or a simple piece of grilled fish.

Chickpea, Coconut, and Cashew Curry

This 30-minute curry is intense with garam masala and ginger cooled by coconut milk and ground toasted cashews.

Capsicum Besan Sabji (Bell Pepper and Chickpea Flour Stir-Fry)

The combination of chickpea flour and bell peppers results in a wonderful textural contrast of soft and mildly crisp.

Skillet Lamb Chops With Harissa, Spinach, and Chickpeas

Seared lamb chops served over a quick stew of chickpeas and spinach, flavored with harissa and Moroccan spices. A one-skillet meal in just 20 minutes.

Chickpea Curry with Potato (Chana Aloo Curry)

Say goodbye to boring chickpea recipes – this Chickpea Curry packs serious flavours but you won’t need to hunt down any unusual spices!

Bengali Rice Porridge With Lentils and Chicken

This rice porridge, made with aromatic jasmine rice and hearty red lentils, is bright from plenty of turmeric and ginger, with a pungent hit of mustard oil and a garnish of spicy green-chile chutney.

Cilantro Fritters (Kothimbir Wadi)

Kothimbir wadi or Cilantro/Coriander Fritters are one of the best ways to bring out the real flavours of the herb. It's light, fresh and a wonderfully aromatic dish that's makes a delicious snack.

Beyond Curry: Khichdi with Eggplant Fritters

If Indian food is just chicken tikka and biryani to you, then please keep reading. In India, food varies from region to region, home to home, and religion to religion. And it's not all spicy and complicated. Most Indian food is surprisingly simple to make and very, very rewarding to eat. In this new Indian cooking column, I'd like to introduce you to the real food we cook and eat at home. For starters, khichdi, a sort of one-pot comfort meal of rice, lentils and vegetables.

Dinner Tonight: Chana Masala

[Photograph: Blake Royer] Chana masala, more than anything else, speaks to the wondrous things Indian cuisine can do with vegetables. I don't think any other cuisine can make dishes as hearty, rich, filling, and, well, meaty with nary an animal...