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    Home » MSN

    11 Mother's Day Indian Sunday Mains for the Big Spread

    Published: May 9, 2026 by Mandy Applegate · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

    Mother's Day Sunday lunch gets tricky when one dish has to carry a table with different appetites. These 11 Indian mains cover saucy chicken curries, a fish curry, rice dishes, and eggplant plates that can sit beside naan, roti, or basmati rice. The mix gives the spread both rich centerpiece bowls and lighter vegetable or rice options, so the table has more than one path to a full plate. Most dishes feed five to eight, which fits the family-lunch format without turning the menu into a dozen tiny sides.

    Top view of a bowl of Chicken Vindaloo garnished with herbs, accompanied by a slice of bread on the side.
    Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Instant Pot Butter Chicken

    A bowl of Instant Pot Butter Chicken garnished with cilantro, accompanied by naan bread on a white marble surface.
    Instant Pot Butter Chicken. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    A creamy tomato-based bowl, Instant Pot Butter Chicken feeds 6 in 30 minutes with boneless chicken thighs, tomato sauce or passata, butter, cream, garam masala, and cilantro. The pressure-cooker method keeps the main dish moving while the rest of the Mother’s Day table comes together. Serve it with naan or basmati rice so the sauce has somewhere useful to land.
    Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Butter Chicken

    Chicken Masala

    A plate of Chicken Masala with two pieces of naan and basmati rice garnished with herbs, served with sliced onions on the side.
    Chicken Masala. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    For a home-style curry with a deeper simmer, Chicken Masala feeds 6 in 50 minutes using boneless chicken thighs, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, yogurt, cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala. The yogurt gives the sauce body without turning it into a cream-heavy dish. Add it to the Sunday spread when you want a chicken main that works with rice, chapati, naan, or paratha.
    Get the Recipe: Chicken Masala

    Chicken 65

    A dish of Chicken 65 seasoned with herbs and spices, garnished with chopped cilantro and green chili peppers in a white bowl.
    Chicken 65. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Crispy pieces of Chicken 65 bring a fried chicken option to the Indian Sunday spread, with 6 servings made from chicken thigh, rice flour, cornstarch, yogurt, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, and garam masala. The card lists 1 hour total and includes both air fryer and frying pan equipment. Put it near the rice dishes or serve it before the curries when the table needs something crisp.
    Get the Recipe: Chicken 65

    Cilantro Chicken Curry, Dhaniya Chicken

    White bowl containing Dhaniya Chicken with a creamy, green sauce and garnished with herbs.
    Cilantro Chicken Curry,Dhaniya Chicken. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Bright green masala gives Cilantro Chicken Curry, Dhaniya Chicken its place among richer Sunday mains, and the recipe feeds 6 in 40 minutes. Chicken thigh cooks with onions, whole spices, ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and a paste of cilantro, yogurt, green chili, and garlic. The Instant Pot keeps the process contained, which helps when the holiday kitchen already has rice, bread, and dessert competing for space.
    Get the Recipe: Cilantro Chicken Curry,Dhaniya Chicken

    Chilli Chicken

    A plate of Chilli Chicken with chunks of red peppers, drizzled in a dark sauce, garnished with green onions.
    Chilli Chicken. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    For the Indo-Chinese corner of the table, Chilli Chicken serves 4 in 45 minutes with boneless chicken thigh, soy sauce, vinegar, hot chili sauce, egg, cornstarch, all-purpose flour, bell pepper, onion, green chili, scallions, and tomato ketchup. The chicken is fried first, then tossed with vegetables and sauce over high heat. Pair it with steamed rice, fried rice, or noodles when the spread needs a bolder plate.
    Get the Recipe: Chilli Chicken

    Bengali Fish Curry

    A bowl of Bengali Fish Curry with chunks of meat and vegetables, garnished with cilantro, served next to a plate of rice.
    Bengali Fish Curry. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    A faster seafood main, Bengali Fish Curry feeds 6 in 25 minutes with barramundi, onion, ginger, garlic, green chili, tomato, turmeric, chili powder, ground cumin, cilantro, and water. The Instant Pot keeps the curry short enough for a Sunday lunch schedule without losing the rice-friendly sauce. It gives the spread a lighter main beside the chicken curries and eggplant dishes, especially for guests who want fish over meat.
    Get the Recipe: Bengali Fish Curry

    Coconut Milk Pulao

    Close-up of Coconut Milk Pulao with cashews and spices.
    Coconut Milk Pulao. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    A rice dish can carry part of the meal, and Coconut Milk Pulao feeds 8 in 30 minutes with basmati rice, coconut milk, cashews, ginger, green chili, carrot, peas, green beans, corn, and whole spices. The Instant Pot handles the cooking while the coconut milk gives the rice a richer base. Use it as the main starch for the spread, then set curries, raita, or dal beside it.
    Get the Recipe: Coconut Milk Pulao

    Instant Pot Chickpea Pulao

    A close-up of a plate filled with Chickpea Pulao.
    Instant Pot Chickpea Pulao. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    For a meatless main that still fills a plate, Instant Pot Chickpea Pulao serves 8 in 20 minutes with basmati rice, canned chickpeas, potato, onion, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, garam masala, cilantro, and lemon juice. The one-pot format helps round out the Sunday table without another curry pot. Serve it with raita, salad, or a smaller chicken dish on the side.
    Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chickpea Pulao

    Instant Pot Aloo Baingan

    A vibrant bowl of aloo baingan garnished with fresh cilantro, served alongside lime wedges.
    Instant Pot Aloo Baingan. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Potato and eggplant make Instant Pot Aloo Baingan a sturdy vegetable main, with 6 servings ready in 30 minutes. The recipe uses globe eggplant, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, ground coriander, chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, kasoori methi, lime juice, and cilantro. It fits the big spread because it gives anyone skipping chicken or fish a full plate with rice or roti.
    Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Aloo Baingan

    Bhagara Baingan

    A bowl of Bhagara Baingan garnished with cilantro, served with flatbread on the side.
    Bhagara Baingan. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Small eggplants turn into a richer curry in Bhagara Baingan, which serves 5 in 40 minutes with baby eggplant, tamarind, jaggery, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, onion, ginger, garlic, coconut, roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried red chili, and whole spices. The nut-and-seed masala makes it more substantial than a plain vegetable side. Put it near roti or rice for a centerpiece eggplant option.
    Get the Recipe: Bhagara Baingan

    Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo

    Top view of a bowl of Chicken Vindaloo garnished with herbs, accompanied by a slice of bread on the side.
    Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    A tangier Goan-style curry, Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo feeds 6 and lists 35 minutes total, with chicken thigh marinated in a paste of dried red chili, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and tamarind. The recipe also uses onion, turmeric, sugar, salt, and cilantro. Marinate the chicken earlier, then use it as the boldest curry on the Mother’s Day table.
    Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo

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