Prawn Masala: The Coastal Indian Curry Worth Learning
Prawn masala is bold, fast, and deeply rooted in India's coastal cooking. Here's what makes it work and how to nail it at home.
⏱ 7 min read
Essential Dishes
The dishes every curious cook should know — a starting point, not a complete list.
The Philosophy
In Indian cooking, the tempering (tadka or tarka) is where the flavour lives. Whole spices hit hot oil and bloom — in seconds, a dish changes completely. It's the step that can't be rushed and can't be faked.
Michelin Recognition
Where the guides point — and why these restaurants matter beyond the stars.
Indian Accent
⭐ 1 star
📍 New Delhi
Manish Mehrotra's modern Indian cuisine — treacle tart with mishti doi, pork ribs with kokum — Indian flavours reframed without losing their soul
Dum Pukht
📍 New Delhi
The finest dum cooking in India — slow-sealed pots, Awadhi technique, and a biryani that has no equal in the country (unstarred but unmissable)
Masque
📍 Mumbai
Prateek Sadhu's hyper-local Indian cuisine — ingredients from the Himalayas, the coast, and everywhere between (India's Michelin coverage is limited — these are the essential fine dining addresses)
Local Favorites
The places locals actually go — no guide required, just a willingness to queue.
Karim's
Mughal📍 Old Delhi
Since 1913, cooking the same Mughal recipes in the lanes of Old Delhi — the nihari and mutton burra are why people make special trips to the city
MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Rooms)
South Indian📍 Bangalore
South Indian tiffin since 1924 — the masala dosa here is the standard against which all others are measured
Britannia & Co.
Irani café📍 Mumbai
Parsi-Iranian café run by the Kohinoor family since 1923 — the berry pulao is the dish that makes people emotional
Chefs Worth Knowing
The people who shaped this cuisine — and continue to define it.
🫕
Manish Mehrotra
Executive chef of Indian Accent, pioneer of modern Indian cuisine
Has done more than anyone to show that Indian cuisine can be haute cuisine on its own terms — not by adopting French technique, but by deepening what was already there.
Find recipes & articles →🫕
Vineet Bhatia
First Indian chef to earn a Michelin star in the UK
Opened the door for modern Indian fine dining in Europe. His chocolate samosa became an iconic dish of the early 2000s.
Find recipes & articles →🫕
Gaggan Anand
Thai-based Indian chef (also in Thailand section) — included here for his Indian roots
His progressive Indian tasting menu in Bangkok has been named Asia's best restaurant four times — and his story begins in Kolkata.
Find recipes & articles →From the Cuvvo Kitchen
Recipes and techniques inspired by Indian cooking.
Chicken Tikka Masala: The Real Story and How to Make It
The disputed origin story of chicken tikka masala — and a proper recipe that actually tastes like the real thing, not a jar of sauce.
⏱ 8 min read
Indian Dal: Simple Lentils, Serious Depth
Forget everything you think you know about lentils. Dal is a technique, not a recipe — and once you understand how it works, you'll never need another lentil recipe.
⏱ 8 min read