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    Home » MSN

    19 Indian Recipes That Cook in Under an Hour

    Published: May 11, 2026 by Mandy Applegate · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

    Long simmering is the part of Indian cooking that can push dinner too late on busy nights. These 19 recipes focus on curries, dals, snacks, chaats, rice dishes, and vegetable sides that stay within an hour. The mix leans on Instant Pot methods, short stovetop cooking, fast snacks, and simple sides that do not need all afternoon. It gives you enough range for a full Indian meal without turning a weeknight into a kitchen marathon.

    A bowl of Bottle Gourd Curry garnished with fresh cilantro.
    Bottle Gourd Curry Instant Pot. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Tandoori Gobi Tikka

    A platter of fried cauliflower bites garnished with lemon slices and fresh cilantro.
    Tandoori Gobi Tikka. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Cooked on skewers in 45 minutes, Tandoori Gobi Tikka gives cauliflower a bigger role with yogurt, besan, tandoori masala, chili powder, and olive oil. The recipe serves 6 and roasts the marinated florets over indirect heat until the edges char. It fits the under-hour theme as a snack or starter that does not need a long simmer. Serve it with yogurt dip, mint chutney, or a cucumber side when the table needs something quick before rice or curry.
    Get the Recipe: Tandoori Gobi Tikka

    Bengali Tadka Green Moong Dal

    A bowl of Bengali Tadka garnished with fresh cilantro, served with a side of sliced red onions.
    Bengali Tadka Green Moong Dal. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    For a fast dal that still feels filling, Bengali Tadka Green Moong Dal uses green moong dal, chana dal, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, cumin, turmeric, and garam masala. The Instant Pot recipe serves 8 and takes 40 minutes after the beans are soaked. It works well in a quick Indian lineup because the pressure cooker handles the dal while the rest of dinner comes together. Serve it with roti, chapati, or rice for a simple main.
    Get the Recipe: Bengali Tadka Green Moong Dal

    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.

    Built for the Instant Pot, Indian Chicken Curry turns bone-in chicken into a 35-minute main with onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, yogurt, turmeric, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and garam masala. The recipe serves 6 and uses a pressure-cooked curry base instead of a long stovetop simmer. That keeps it inside the under-hour plan without making dinner feel thin. Pair it with steamed rice or roti when you need a meat-based curry on a tighter schedule.
    Get the Recipe: Indian Chicken Curry

    South Indian Chana Masala

    A top view of a bowl of South Indian Chana Masala with cilantro and green chilies.
    South Indian Chana Masala. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Using dried chickpeas in the Instant Pot, South Indian Chana Masala cooks in 50 minutes with coconut, tomato puree, mustard seeds, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, dried red chiles, whole spices, and tamarind. The recipe serves 6 and brings a different style from the usual North Indian chole. It belongs in an under-hour Indian list because the pressure cooker cuts down the chickpea cooking time. Serve with rice, dosa, poori, or roti.
    Get the Recipe: South Indian Chana Masala

    Bhagara Baingan

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

    Small purple eggplants carry most of the work in Bhagara Baingan, a 40-minute Instant Pot curry with tamarind, jaggery, curry leaves, coconut, roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and whole spices. The recipe serves 5 and starts by frying the eggplants before pressure cooking them in the masala. It gives the list a richer vegetable curry without crossing the hour mark. Serve it with biryani, roti, paratha, or steamed basmati rice.
    Get the Recipe: Bhagara Baingan

    Instant Pot Beetroot Palya

    A bowl of diced Beetroot Palya garnished with herbs and sprinkled with salt, served on a dark textured background.
    Instant Pot Beetroot Palya. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    For a quick South Indian side, Instant Pot Beetroot Palya cooks in 20 minutes and serves 4 with chopped beetroot, coconut oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, onion, garlic, green chili, and grated coconut. The low-pressure cook keeps the beets tender without needing a long covered pan. It fits the under-hour plan as a bright side that can sit next to dal, rice, or roti. Use it when the plate needs vegetables fast.
    Get the Recipe: Instant Pot Beetroot Palya

    Majjige Huli

    A bowl of creamy yellow soup garnished with herbs and oil on top of a cloth.
    Majjige Huli. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    A yogurt-based curry can still be quick, and Majjige Huli proves it with a 25-minute Instant Pot method that serves 6. Bottle gourd cooks with a coconut, chana dal, green chili, ginger, cilantro, cumin, and fennel paste, then yogurt is stirred in at the end. It fits the under-hour theme because the pressure cook is only 5 minutes. Serve it with steamed rice, papad, pickles, or a vegetable side.
    Get the Recipe: Majjige Huli

    Indian Spiced Popcorn

    Spilled popcorn from a red and white striped box on a marble surface, with a focus on the scattered yellow kernels.
    Indian Spiced Popcorn. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Movie-night speed meets Indian seasoning in Indian Spiced Popcorn, a 10-minute snack that serves 6 with popcorn kernels, ghee, turmeric, chili powder, salt, chaat masala, and lemon juice. The Instant Pot saute setting pops the kernels, then the spices go in after cooking. It gives the roundup a snack option that is genuinely fast, not just under an hour. Serve it right away if adding lemon juice, or store it plain and finish later.
    Get the Recipe: Indian Spiced Popcorn

    Paneer Tikka Masala

    A vibrant dish of Paneer tikka masala garnished with cilantro in a blue bowl, served alongside naan bread.
    Paneer Tikka Masala. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Grilled paneer keeps dinner inside the hour in Paneer Tikka Masala, a 45-minute main that serves 6. Paneer, onion, and bell peppers sit in a yogurt, besan, tandoori masala, ginger garlic paste, and chili marinade before going into a tomato-based sauce with garam masala and Kasuri methi. The pan-grilled method keeps the recipe practical for a weeknight. Serve with naan, roti, or basmati rice.
    Get the Recipe: Paneer Tikka Masala

    Indian Aloo TIkki

    Juicy aloo tikki burger with creamy sauce, lettuce, and tomato.
    Indian Aloo TIkki. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Crisp potato patties stay realistic on a short timeline with Indian Aloo Tikki, a 30-minute snack that makes 12 tikkis. Potatoes mix with ginger, green chili, garam masala, chili powder, chaat masala, amchur, cilantro, mint, cornstarch, and bread crumbs before shallow frying. The recipe fits the under-hour promise while still giving the table something crisp. Serve with ketchup, chutney, or a dip for a quick snack plate.
    Get the Recipe: Indian Aloo TIkki

    Bhindi Pakora

    Bhindi pakora on a white plate.
    Bhindi Pakora. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    When the list needs a fast fried snack, Bhindi Pakora uses okra, besan, rice flour, cilantro, curry leaves, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, hing, and hot oil in a 20-minute recipe. It serves 6 and uses the okra's own moisture to bind the batter before deep frying. That keeps the prep short and the ingredient list direct. Serve with mint chutney, sweet tamarind chutney, ketchup, or lemon wedges.
    Get the Recipe: Bhindi Pakora

    Black Chickpea Sundal,Kadlekalu Usli

    A bowl of Kadlekalu Usli salad garnished with coconut and cilantro, served on a green tablecloth.
    Black Chickpea Sundal,Kadlekalu Usli. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Made as a snack or side, Black Chickpea Sundal serves 4 and takes 40 minutes after the chickpeas are soaked and cooked. The recipe uses black chickpeas, oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chiles, hing, curry leaves, ginger, grated coconut, cilantro, and lemon or lime. It fits the under-hour theme once the chickpeas are ready, making it useful for meal prep. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
    Get the Recipe: Black Chickpea Sundal,Kadlekalu Usli

    Cabbage Palya

    A bowl of indian Cabbage Palya garnished with herbs.
    Cabbage Palya. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Finely shredded cabbage turns into a 40-minute side in Cabbage Palya, which serves 6 with green moong, coconut oil, mustard seeds, dry red chile, cumin, urad dal, chana dal, hing, ginger paste, curry leaves, green chili, turmeric, coconut, cilantro, and lemon. The recipe cooks in a frying pan until the moisture dries out. It works when a quick Indian plate needs a dry vegetable dish. Serve with rice or roti.
    Get the Recipe: Cabbage Palya

    Cabbage Rice

    A clay bowl filled with Cabbage Rice garnished with nuts and herbs on a grey surface with scattered lentils.
    Cabbage Rice. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    One pot keeps the timing under control in Cabbage Rice, a 30-minute Instant Pot pulao that serves 8. Shredded cabbage, basmati rice, oil, mustard seeds, cumin, hing, cashews, curry leaves, ginger, green chiles, turmeric, peas, lemon, coconut, and cilantro cook together with water. It fits the under-hour theme because the rice and vegetables finish in the same pot. Serve with raita, dal, kadhi, or plain yogurt.
    Get the Recipe: Cabbage Rice

    Chana Chaat

    A bowl of chickpea salad garnished with shredded cheese and herbs, featuring diced vegetables such as tomatoes and possibly potatoes, in a blue and white bowl.
    Chana Chaat. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    No cooking is needed for Chana Chaat, a 15-minute chickpea salad that serves 3. Canned chickpeas combine with optional potato, onion, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, sweet chutney, green chutney, chaat masala, chili powder, lemon juice, and sev or boondi. It fits the quick Indian theme as a snack, lunch, or side that can be assembled right before serving. Add the crunchy topping at the end so it stays crisp.
    Get the Recipe: Chana Chaat

    Corn Chaat

    A close-up of a bowl filled with corn salad, featuring yellow corn kernels mixed with diced red bell peppers, onions, and herbs.
    Corn Chaat. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Sweet corn turns into a 15-minute snack with Corn Chaat, which serves 6 using corn kernels, turmeric, salt, onion, tomato, bell pepper, cilantro, green chili, lemon, butter, chaat masala, black salt, and roasted cumin powder. The corn boils for just a few minutes before everything gets mixed. It gives the roundup another fast chaat option with more crunch than a curry. Serve it as an appetizer, picnic side, or quick afternoon snack.
    Get the Recipe: Corn Chaat

    Egg Curry

    Bowl of indian Egg Curry with visible herbs, reflecting a vibrant, spicy dish.
    Egg Curry. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Using the Instant Pot's pot-in-pot method, Egg Curry serves 4 and takes 30 minutes with eggs, oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, onion, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, coconut milk, garam masala, cilantro, and lemon juice. The eggs cook while the curry base pressure cooks. It fits the under-hour plan as a one-pot main with protein. Serve hot with rice or roti.
    Get the Recipe: Egg Curry

    Goat Soup

    A blue bowl filled with broth, garnished with chopped herbs.
    Goat Soup. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    For a meat soup that still fits the title, Goat Soup uses the Instant Pot to finish in 50 minutes and serves 4. Bone-in goat meat cooks with shallots, garlic, ginger, green chiles, curry leaves, cumin seeds, bay leaf, black pepper, star anise, cinnamon, salt, and water. The broth is strained for a clear soup after pressure cooking. Serve it warm with cilantro when you want something lighter than a thick curry.
    Get the Recipe: Goat Soup

    Bottle Gourd Curry Instant Pot

    A bowl of Bottle Gourd Curry garnished with fresh cilantro.
    Bottle Gourd Curry Instant Pot. Photo credit: Easy Indian Cookbook.

    Made in the Instant Pot, Bottle Gourd Curry Instant Pot serves 6 and takes 35 minutes with bottle gourd, chana dal, cumin seeds, bay leaves, onion, ginger, garlic, green chili, tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, cilantro, and lemon. The dal is soaked first, then pressure cooked with the vegetable. It fits the under-hour list as a light curry with enough body for rice or roti.
    Get the Recipe: Bottle Gourd Curry Instant Pot

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