13 Indian Mother's Day Dinners for the Sunday Family Table

Mother's Day dinner can get tricky when the table needs a main dish with enough flavor, enough servings, and enough variety for everyone sitting down. These 13 Indian recipes focus on family-style dishes that work with rice, naan, roti, chutney, or simple sides already on the table. The list covers layered biryani, creamy curries, Instant Pot chicken dishes, grilled-style kabab, and one chickpea main for a meatless option. It gives the Sunday meal a clear center without turning the cook into a short-order restaurant.

Close-up image of chicken biryani in a copper dish, garnished with mint and coriander leaves. — Chicken Biryani. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Made in the Instant Pot with chicken thighs, tomato sauce, butter, cream, garam masala, and cilantro, Instant Pot Butter Chicken keeps dinner rich without a long cook time. The recipe serves 6 and finishes in 30 minutes, which helps when other dishes still need space on the stove. Its tomato-cream sauce fits a Sunday table because it pairs easily with naan or basmati rice. Add a simple salad or cucumber raita to round out the plate.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Butter Chicken

Chicken Korma

Built with chicken thigh pieces marinated in yogurt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, chili powder, and garam masala, Chicken Korma serves 6 in 1 hour. Cashews, onion, more yogurt, heavy cream, and almond flakes give the sauce body without needing a long list of side dishes. It fits the family-table theme because the curry stretches well over rice or naan. Keep this one near the center for anyone who wants a milder, creamier chicken option.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Korma

Chicken Tikka Masala

Grilled-style chicken pieces in a rich onion-tomato sauce make Chicken Tikka Masala a strong pick when dinner needs something familiar but still homemade. The recipe serves 6 and takes 1 hour 15 minutes, using chicken thighs, bell peppers, yogurt, chickpea flour, crushed tomatoes, butter, and heavy cream. It gives the Sunday table a saucy main that pairs with rice, naan, or roti. Serve it beside a quick cucumber salad to balance the cream-based sauce.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka

Threaded with chicken, onion, and bell peppers, Chicken Tikka brings a platter-style option to a table filled with curries. The recipe serves 6 and takes 55 minutes, including marination time, with yogurt, chickpea flour, ginger garlic paste, Kashmiri chili powder, and garam masala in the marinade. It fits Mother’s Day dinner as a starter or main beside rice and chutney. Serve with mint chutney so guests can build lighter plates before the saucier dishes.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Tikka

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.

Made with a paste of dried red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin, cloves, cardamom, vinegar, tamarind, ginger, and garlic, Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo gives the table a tangy, spiced curry. The Instant Pot recipe serves 6 and takes 35 minutes, using boneless chicken thighs and onion in the curry base. It works when the meal needs one bolder dish beside creamier options. Serve with naan, jeera rice, or basmati rice, plus something cooling nearby.
Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Vindaloo

Chicken Masala

Cooked with boneless chicken thighs, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, yogurt, and garam masala, Chicken Masala is the home-style curry that keeps the dinner grounded. The recipe serves 6 and takes 50 minutes, with the sauce built in a heavy-bottomed pan. It fits the Sunday family table because it lands between rich and simple, without needing a special side. Pair it with rice, chapati, naan, or paratha, depending on what is already planned.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Masala

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 cilantro sauce gives Cilantro Chicken Curry / Dhaniya Chicken a different lane from the tomato-heavy curries in the lineup. The recipe serves 6 and takes 40 minutes in the Instant Pot, using chicken thigh, onions, flour, cilantro, yogurt, green chili, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and garam masala. It helps the table feel varied without adding another complicated dish. Serve warm with rice or flatbread so the green sauce has something to soak into.
Get the Recipe: Cilantro Chicken Curry,Dhaniya Chicken

Indian Chicken Curry

A bowl of Chicken Curry Home Style with pieces of meat and visible spices in a rich, orange sauce. — Indian Chicken Curry. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

Marinated with yogurt and turmeric before cooking with onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and spices, Indian Chicken Curry keeps the Sunday menu practical. The recipe serves 6 and takes 35 minutes, using bone-in, skinless chicken and a cup of water for the curry base. It works well when the table needs a straightforward chicken main that still has enough sauce for rice. Serve with steamed rice or roti for a simple family plate.
Get the Recipe: Indian Chicken Curry

Chettinad Chicken

Made with chicken drumsticks, coconut oil, curry leaves, tomatoes, coconut, poppy seeds, ginger, garlic, and garam masala, Chicken Chettinad brings a deeper spice profile to the dinner. The recipe serves 6 and takes 25 minutes, making it one of the fastest mains here. It fits the family table because drumsticks are easy to portion and the sauce does not need much backup. Serve hot with rice, naan, or a mild side.
Get the Recipe: Chettinad Chicken

Balti Chicken

Loaded with bone-in chicken, plenty of onions, cashew, yogurt, tomatoes, cumin, bay leaf, and garam masala, Balti Chicken serves 6 in 45 minutes. The recipe uses a cashew-yogurt mixture to thicken the curry, which makes it strong enough to anchor a plate with little else. It works for Mother’s Day dinner when the table needs a mild chicken option with sauce. Serve with roti, naan, or rice for easy plating.
Get the Recipe: Balti Chicken

Chicken Tangdi Kabab

Close-up of several grilled chicken drumsticks coated with a yellowish-green seasoning, garnished with herbs and served on a white plate. Sliced red onions are placed alongside the chicken. — Chicken Tangdi Kabab. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

Marinated in mint, spinach, green chili, onion, ginger, garlic, yogurt, besan, Kashmiri chili powder, and garam masala, Chicken Tangdi Kabab gives the lineup a hand-held drumstick option. The recipe serves 4 and takes 30 minutes, with air fryer and oven instructions included. It fits the Sunday table as a starter, side main, or option for anyone skipping heavy sauces. Serve with onion salad, green chutney, chaat masala, and lemon or lime juice.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Tangdi Kabab

Chana Masala

Built from chickpeas, chana masala powder, onion, tomatoes, tomato puree, kasuri methi, cilantro, and lemon, Chana Masala gives the dinner a sturdy meatless main. The recipe serves 6 and takes 1 hour 15 minutes when starting from soaked chickpeas, with canned chickpeas listed as an option. It works beside the chicken dishes because it adds texture and a different protein. Serve hot with rice, roti, or naan for a full plate.
Get the Recipe: Chana Masala

Chicken Biryani

Layered with bone-in chicken, yogurt, basmati rice, mint, cilantro, and saffron milk, Chicken Biryani brings the big centerpiece energy to a Mother’s Day dinner. The recipe serves 8 and takes 1 hour 30 minutes, with chicken cooked first and rice finished in layers. It works when the table needs one dish that can carry the meal. Serve it with raita or salan so each plate gets something cooling on the side.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Biryani