I tend to avoid prepackaged food but prepackaged Indian foods sold in Indian and Asian grocers tend to be reasonably good. Far better quality than prepackaged American foods. Mixing in prepared foods with your home cooked food can help lighten the workload for a meal.
yeah, i used to eat the sachet curries a lot, especially before indian food entered the mainstream, like early 2000s. not sure if its mentioined here or not, but indian desserts are also great and a fun thing to try if one hasn’t ever before. burfi/gulab jamun etc
i seem to have slowly developed a serious stomach intolerance to spicy food however over the years and i’ve stopped eating a lot of spicy food. i lived in korea for a long time and have eaten tons of whole, uncooked full-on chili peppers among countless other foods that would make 99% of people in the west just give up. i think i’ve just had my sufficient life-time proportion of spiciness and my body says no more.
so, i dont get curry too much anymore.
ok update, i think one secret weapon in the indian food you get from good restaurants could be tadka.
in short: oil simmered in a ton of spices and herbs, then added before serving to a dish to really introduce a huge flavour intensity. pretty good concept.
Here are a few recommendations for books that might be helpful for someone who is a beginner in Indian cooking and is looking for recipes that can be made in 30 min meals or less:
“30-Minute Indian: 100 Fast and Flavorful Recipes” by Rinku Bhattacharya
“Quick Fix Indian: Simple, Delicious Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less” by Raghavan Iyer
“Indian Cooking Unfolded: A Master Class in Indian Cooking, with 100 Easy Recipes Using 10 Ingredients or Less” by Raghavan Iyer
These books should provide a variety of recipes that are easy to follow and can be made quickly, so you can enjoy delicious Indian food at home even if you’re short on time.
Depends on the dish — it’s a widely varying cuisine.
The most famous curry dishes take about the same as other stew-like dishes.