Plain naan
Easy home-made naan: a soft dough of self-raising flour, yeast and yogurt, left to rise and then cooked under a hot grill until puffed and light brown. Brush with butter or ghee if you like and serve hot with curries.

Bread dumpling loaf
Houskové knedlíky are the sliced bread dumplings that sit beside almost every sauce in a Prague pub, from mushroom svíčková-style cream sauces to sweet-sour dill gravy. Unlike the round German Semmelknödel, these are a soft yeast dough rolled into a log with crisp cubes of stale roll inside, simmered whole, then cut into thick, spongy slices that drink up gravy. Czech grandmothers still slice them with a length of thread rather than a knife, which keeps the crumb open instead of squashing it. Chef's tip: cut the cooked loaf with a piece of cotton thread wrapped around it and pulled tight; a knife presses the slices into dense, gluey discs.
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Easy home-made naan: a soft dough of self-raising flour, yeast and yogurt, left to rise and then cooked under a hot grill until puffed and light brown. Brush with butter or ghee if you like and serve hot with curries.
A hearty vegetarian biryani: rice cooked with soya mince, onion and garlic, layered with mixed vegetables in a spiced tomato, yogurt and mint gravy, then baked. Topped with fried cashews and potato cubes, it's high in protein and very filling. Serve with masala yogurt.
A special-occasion khichdi: rice and split green gram cooked with whole spices and onion, then layered with baby potatoes and peas in a fresh paste of coconut, green chilli, ginger, garlic and coriander, and gently baked. Serve garnished with crisp onion rings, coriander and coconut.
Bright green parathas: the dough is kneaded with puréed spinach and lemon, then filled with a gently spiced stuffing of crushed peas, grated cauliflower and crumbled paneer and cooked on a hot griddle. Soft inside with crisp spots outside. Serve hot with yogurt and chutneys.
A crowd-pleasing baked rice: fluffy grains mixed with steamed vegetables and three colours of capsicum cooked in a gingery tomato and yogurt masala, then covered with cheddar and baked until bubbling. Children love it. Serve it hot, on its own or with a salad.
Kulchas are soft, leavened breads from North India. Here the yogurt and poppy seed dough is filled with soya mince sautéed with garlic and green chilli and mixed with cheddar, baked, then finished on a griddle just before serving. Make plain kulcha by leaving out the filling.
Thin mint-flecked chapatis folded into square envelopes around a filling of spiced soya mince, onion, coriander and grated cheese, then cooked on a hot pan until brown-speckled. They're high in protein and great for lunch boxes. Serve hot with green, red and tamarind chutneys and salad.
Uttapam are thick South Indian pancakes made from a fermented rice and urad dal batter mixed with onion, green chilli, coconut and coriander. They're topped with a sprinkle of chilli and cumin, covered and cooked until crisp underneath. Serve hot with sambhar and mint coconut chutney.
Here the rice is 'brown' because sugar is caramelised in the oil before the rice goes in, which gives it a deep golden colour and a gentle toasty sweetness. It's layered with crisp matchstick vegetables tossed in a sharp, spicy vinegar marinade and ketchup, then baked. A good party dish; serve it with yogurt or raita.
Tandoori roti made at home: wholemeal dough spread with chilled, solidified ghee, rolled into a cone and pressed out again so it bakes into soft, flaky layers. Cook it in a tandoor or on the back of a perforated earthenware tava over the flame until brown-spotted. Serve with a curry of your choice.
A comforting one-pot khichda of rice, green gram and pigeon pea lentils with little cubes of potato, cooked in cumin-scented ghee with ginger and green chilli. It's soft and mild, everyday food. Serve with Gujarati kadhi or plain yogurt.
Chapatis are the everyday Indian flatbread: thin rounds of soft wholemeal dough, cooked on a hot tava and then puffed over a wire mesh on the flame. Spread with ghee and serve with any curry or dal. Tip from the book: you can half-cook a stack of rotis ahead and do the final roasting just before serving.
Bhatura are big, soft, puffy fried breads made from a curd-leavened dough. This version has fresh coriander, fenugreek and tomato in the dough. Serve them straight from the pan with channa paneer masala or a curry of your choice. For masala bhatura, add chopped green chillies, coriander, onion and garam masala to the dough.
A simple, nutty rice of basmati and whole brown masoor lentils, mixed with sautéed onion, capsicum and tomato and gently spiced with garam masala and turmeric, then baked so the flavours meld. Serve hot with yogurt.
Five kinds of lentil cooked together, then simmered in a gravy of browned onion, tomato, garlic and ginger under a fragrant tempering of cumin, cloves, cinnamon, red chillies and curry leaves. It's thick, hearty and full of protein. Serve hot mixed dal with chapaties or paratha.
The much-loved aloo paratha, Gujarati style: soft wholemeal dough wrapped around mashed potato tempered with cumin and asafoetida and seasoned with lemon, a little sugar, ginger and chilli. Cook on a hot griddle until golden and serve with masoor dal and banana raita.
A fresh, green pullao: sprouted green gram cooked with whole spices, mixed with rice and a vivid paste of coriander, mint, coconut and green chilli, then layered with whisked yogurt. It's light, herby and full of protein. Serve warm.
A bright, quick rice dish: boiled rice gently mixed with sweetcorn and julienned red and green capsicum tempered with cumin and curry leaves, sharpened with lemon juice. It's light and colourful. Serve with plain yogurt or masala yogurt.
Fresh sweetcorn is ground to a smooth paste with ginger and chilli and cooked into thin, lacy pancakes, covered so they steam and turn light brown. They're naturally gluten free and sweet-savoury. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney.
A festive pulao of basmati rice with green peas, golden fried paneer cubes and cashews, cooked with whole spices, ginger and garlic. Each grain stays separate and fragrant. Garnish with more cashews and sliced chillies and serve with masala yogurt.
Chopadia are flaky, layered parathas: the dough is spiced with roasted cumin and black pepper, brushed with ghee, rolled into a cone and rolled out again so it cooks into soft layers. They can be made several hours ahead. Serve with any curry, dal or pickle.
A quick vegetable biryani made in a pressure cooker: peas, carrots, potatoes, beans and tomatoes cooked with fresh coconut, yogurt and gentle spices, then steamed with the rice until each grain is separate. Finish it with crisp potato chips and fried vegetables. Serve with masala yogurt.
Two thin rounds of dough sandwiched around a filling of potato, carrot, peas and cauliflower cooked with cumin, ginger and chilli and mixed with cheddar and lemon, sealed with a flour paste and shallow fried. Filling and kid-friendly. Serve hot with spring onion and yogurt dip.
Soft, puffy bhaturas with a surprise inside: a yeast-raised dough is stuffed with grated paneer, fresh fenugreek, coriander, ginger, garlic and chilli, then deep fried until golden. Serve with chutneys and channa paneer masala.
A quicker bhatura that needs no long rising: soaked bread and yogurt with a pinch of bicarbonate make the dough soft and puffy, and wholemeal flour and fresh fenugreek add flavour. Deep fried until golden, they're ideal with channa paneer masala.
Small, crisp squares of brown-sugar butter dough mixed with crunchy home-made almond praline, then topped with cinnamon and more praline. A lovely biscuit for festive tins. Like all biscuits, they feel soft in the oven and crisp up as they cool.
A colourful, mildly spiced rice cooked in puréed tomatoes and coconut milk with carrots, peas and french beans. Creamy coconut softens the tang of the tomatoes. Garnish with coriander, tomato slices and coconut, and serve with masala yogurt.
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