Christmas & Holiday Menu Ideas

Chicken Cafreal

Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell. In the days leading up to my first Christmas in America, I felt a bit lost and alone. It was 2002, and earlier that summer, I’d packed my belongings in Mumbai and flown across the world to attend graduate school in Ohio. This would

Roasted Maple Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Brussels sprouts shine marvelously when charred because they take on a smoky flavor and, combined with the savory salty flavor of pancetta, fragrant spices, fresh lime, and maple syrup, give it a whole new depth of flavor. This is a good dish that can be prepped a day ahead of time; toss all the ingredients together in the roasting dish, wrap with clingfilm tightly, leave in the refrigerator overnight, and cook it when you’re ready to roast.

Brussels Sprouts With Pickled Shallots and Labneh

Pickled onions and labneh lend brightness to this brussels sprouts dish full of flavors and textures, making it a show-stopping addition to the Thanksgiving table. (But why limit yourself there?) This recipe calls for date syrup, available at Middle Eastern grocery stores or online, or pekmez, a type of molasses made from grapes (and sometimes

White bean-garlic soup with miso and mushrooms

Photograph: Ola O Smit/The Guardian. Food styling: Sam Dixon. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. For a chilly night, the white bean-garlic soup is infused with white miso that packs a salty–sweet–savoury punch along with the nutty fragrance of sesame. Warm, buttered toast is the vehicle of choice here, to wipe those bowls clean. To make this

Harissa Shrimp and Dill Yogurt Dip

One of the snacks I’ve made (for Michael to make on Sunday) for the Super Bowl this year is this wonderfully easy harissa shrimp recipe that comes together very quickly and is lip and finger-smacking good. There’s a yogurt-based dip that utilizes fresh dill and garlic for flavor. If you aren’t familiar with harissa, it’s a condiment made from hot chillies and caraway (harissa occupies a permanent position in my kitchen, I think at present, I’ve got six different varieties) that originated in North Africa. In grocery stores, you’ll find several different types of harissa, some hotter than others, some flavored with rose, and others with lemon.

Spicy Shrimp Roast

This is an easy Spicy Shrimp Roast with potatoes and bell peppers. It’s a quick and satisfying dish that is hot and vinegary, and those familiar with Goan cuisine will notice some of those flavors. My grandmother made a shrimp dish like this, but she packed the heat so much that I remember my ears would ring

Mushrooms with roasted chickpea sauce

Nik Sharma’s mushrooms with roasted chickpea sauce. Photograph: Issy Croker/The Guardian. Food styling: Sam Dixon. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Roasting the chickpea flour builds a smoky aroma for the sauce in which the sauteed mushrooms bathe. Serve this as a side, and if you do end up with leftovers, they make a good topping for crostini,

Orange and piquillo pepper salad

Photograph: Lizzie Mayson/The Guardian. Food styling: Ellie Mulligan. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food assistant: Toni Musgrave Winter is a wonderful time to celebrate citrus in its full glory, and this salad is based on that premise. While this recipe uses an orange, grapefruit and blood oranges, also work magically here. Serve it with the Chicken

Potato and onion tart with mint chutney

Photograph: Lizzie Mayson/The Guardian. Food styling: Tamara Vos. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. A simple yet delightful warm potato and onion tart paired with curry leaves, the crunchy, nutty texture of mustard seeds, creamy, salty feta and a soothing herb chutney. To make this recipe, please visit my column at The Guardian.

Baked Onions with Lentils

Photograph: Rita Platts/The Guardian. Food styling: Ellie Mulligan. Prop styling: Rachel Vere. Food assistant: Amy Louth. The idea of stuffing vegetables isn’t new, but it’s a practice I cherish. Defined by the size and dynamics of vegetable architecture, you could potentially stuff anything: aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, okra … the list goes on. This week,

Veg-Table/Royal Cauliflower Roast with Almond Cream

This is an elegant entrée based on the creamy shahi (which means “royal”) dishes of the Moghul empire. It commands attention on a swanky dinner table. Bring it out after all the guests are seated, and use your best serving platter to present it as dramatically as possible.

The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table

cauliflower gratin

The bitter cold of a Cincinnati winter brought me to cauliflower gratin. It was my first year away from home; unlike the warm winters I was accustomed to in India, I was in the Midwest, coping with ear-biting windchills and snowy days. I often sought comfort and warmth in libraries and bookstores, and it was

Roast cauliflower with Black Garlic Yogurt

Photograph: Rita Platts/The Guardian. Food styling: Ellie Mulligan. Prop styling: Rachel Vere. Food assistant: Amy Louth. This smoky, roast cauliflower, which is one of those vegetables that greatly benefits from caramelising in a hot oven. Not only does it take on a bittersweet taste, but it also acquires a crisp texture, to both of which

Sweet Potato Kale Caesar Salad

After reading this book (Veg-Table), you might conclude that I really like Caesar salad dressing anyway. It’s true. This version is the classic upon which Avocado Caesar Dressing (page 120) is based. Roasted sweet potatoes, tender massaged kale, and crispy chickpeas with delicious umami and salty notes are mingled with luscious creaminess.

The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table

Italian Soppressata Salad

It’s been brutally hot; the temperatures were in the late 90s all week, and I fell into the comforting pavilion of the world of cold salads. It’s also tomato season, meaning tomatoes play a prominent role in my cooking, and you might see them pop up often here for the next couple of weeks. We’ve

Potato and Anchovy Salad

A simple herb-loaded potato salad inspired by France’s love for anchovies. This salad is lovely in summer and great with grilled meat and fish. I’ve included vegan options in the note section. This recipe is available to paid subscribers of my newsletter, The Flavor Files. Get the recipe here.

Iceberg Salad with Tomatoes, Pancetta, Pork Floss, and Yogurt Dressing

While I’m usually a fan of bold greens like arugula and kale, there’s something about the crisp, refreshing crunch of iceberg lettuce that hits just right—especially in the heat of summer. This salad delivers precisely what you want when craving something light but still satisfying, with its juicy, crunchy texture that feels like a cool

Veg-Table/Acorn Squash, Kale + Chilli Miso Sauce

I used to avoid winter squashes because I found them too sweet. But after years of staying away, I realized the problem. Every time I tried them in restaurants, they were dressed in a cloyingly sweet sauce that could have been passed off as dessert. My palate reached peak sweet + squash fatigue. It was only after I started cooking squash on my own that I really began to understand what worked for me. This acorn squash is a good example of why I’ve changed my ways. The chilli miso sauce slathered over roasted crescents of acorn squash with hints of vinegar is a perfect combination, balancing the sweetness of the squash itself.

The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table

Nargisi Koftas

Nargisi koftas are named after the nargis or daffodil/narcissus flower because the kofta’s bright yellow and white rings resemble the flower when sliced through. This dish is also the origin of the Scotch eggs that soldiers brought back to the U.K. during India’s colonization. I love to serve these koftas on holidays and special occasions whole over warm rice or with bread like naan or parathas. It’s a special treat for people who slice the koftas open to see the egg hidden inside.

herbed lamb pilaf

Pilafs or pulaos, whatever you might refer to them as, are the best one-pot meals. You can serve this herbed lamb pilaf for a special occasion or as an everyday meal.

grilled lamb chops with asparagus and green beans

American lamb chops are a quick and easy cut of meat to season and cook. Typically, I’ll season the meat in a marinade for a short time and then cook them over heat till they develop a nice crust to the desired degree of doneness and then serve it with a salad or some sort of vegetable. I’m taking advantage of spring produce – asparagus and green beans. Try to use young asparagus and green beans, so the final texture is tender and not chewy. The older these vegetables, their more fibrous and chewy their texture. The addition of pumpkin seeds adds a pop of crunchiness to the vegetables while the lemon juice helps pop the flavors out and the fish sauce adds a note of savoriness.

Lamb Do-Piaza

This is an elegant yet simple way to cook lamb. Lamb do-piaza (sometimes also written as do-pyaza) involves braising onions and lamb slowly over low heat until the onions turn brown and fall apart and the meat turns tender. The words do-piaza or do-pyaza are translated to “twice the onions” and refer to the use of a large number of onions and also the addition of the onions at two stages of cooking.

lamb biryani

A bit of exciting news, some of you might have noticed that I’ve been writing a lot more at Serious Eats, well I’m happy to share that it’s now officially a regular monthly column on food science. This month, I’m exploring the science behind yogurt based marinades and to kick it off I’m sharing my lamb biryani recipe. Get the recipe at Serious Eats.

Lamb Chops with Cucumber Mint Salad and Sweet and Smoky Tahini

This satisfying dinner can be put together quickly on a busy weeknight. Succulent American lamb loin chops are served with a sweet and smoky tahini dressing alongside a quick salad of fresh cucumber, crushed smoked almonds, and mint. Be generous with the tahini dressing; it makes this dish.

Goan Lamb Curry

A simple yet soothing lamb curry from Goa that is rich with the aroma of coconut and spices. Oven-roasted potatoes and tender, succulent pieces of lamb are put together in this luscious coconut-based stew. I prefer to eat it with plain rice or bread to enjoy every drop of that flavorful liquid.

Sweet and Sticky Sambal Chicken

A roast chicken is rewarding, in that it can feed several at once. Leftovers can find alternate lives and bones can make stocks but today, I don’t really don’t want to focus on what might happen down the road but rather on what is on hand. What I do want to chat about is this glistening roast chicken slathered with several strokes of a chilli sauce made from the Indonesian fermented chilli paste, sambal oelek. Honey, vinegar, and soy sauce form the glue that holds it all together.

Chicken pulao with cranberries

Nik Sharma’s roast chicken pulao with cranberries Photograph: Lizzie Mayson/The Guardian. Food styling: Ellie Mulligan. Prop styling: Louie Waller. Food assistant: Toni Musgrave The simplicity and elegance of pulaos, combined with their ability to moonlight as a one-pot meal, stole my heart long ago. Pulaos saved my mother and grandmother hours in the kitchen; they’d make

Saffron Chicken Fricassée

Imagine the warmth of a classic French chicken fricassée but with a tantalizing twist—a subtle infusion of Indian spices that transforms this beloved dish into something extraordinary. In my version, saffron and coriander gently coax the flavors to new heights, while Aleppo pepper adds just the right amount of heat without overpowering the dish. And

Roast Lemon Garlic Chicken

Garlic and lemon with roast chicken is a classic for many reasons; the fragrance and taste capture my attention every time. This is one of my go-to methods for roasting chicken, and it replicates how steam ovens work. This method ensures that all the lemon and garlic flavors permeate through the basting liquid at the bottom, which helps flavor the chicken more uniformly. The liquid also protects the chicken from drying out during cooking and creates a juicier bird.

Chicken Vindaloo

Vindaloo is an iconic dish in Goan cuisine, often served on holidays, Christmas, Easter, and special occasions. The dish is famous for its bright red color, rich combination of aromatic spices, and generous use of vinegar. While pork is the traditional choice of meat used to make vindaloo, chicken also works well. In this version, I use bone-in chicken, but if preferred, you can also prepare this with boneless chicken. Unlike the pork version, this vindaloo does not need to sit in the refrigerator for several weeks and can be eaten the day it’s prepared. Personally, I prefer leaving it in the refrigerator for a day to help the flavors come together.