Celebrate the No-Diet Day the Desi Way! International No-Diet Day is a way to remind yourself to ditch calorie counting, set aside the restrictive rules and indulge in deliciousness to satisfy your soul. 

Today, it is all about celebrating and having a plate full of happiness. So, what do you want? Self-love and a plate of rajma chawal? Foodism is here with more yumminess; explore the desi dishes to celebrate your day. 

1. Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g boneless chicken (preferably thighs)
• 3 tbsp butter (for butter chicken richness)
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ cup fresh cream (for creamy butter chicken)
• 2 tbsp cashew paste
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)
• Salt to taste

Marinade for Butter Chicken

• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

Ingredients for Garlic Naan

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp butter (for brushing garlic naan)

Method for Butter Chicken

To make butter chicken - 

• Marinate chicken in yoghurt, lemon juice, and spices for 2 hours.
• Grill or pan-fry chicken until cooked.
• In a pan, melt butter, and sauté onions until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste, sauté.
• Add tomato puree, cashew paste, and spices. Cook till the oil separates.
• Add grilled chicken to the butter chicken gravy.
• Stir in cream, kasuri methi, and simmer the butter chicken till thick and creamy.

Method for Garlic Naan

To make garlic naan - 

1. Mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add yoghurt and oil, and knead the soft dough.
2. Rest the dough for 2 hours.
3. Roll naan, sprinkle chopped garlic. Cook on a hot tawa till puffed.
4. Brush garlic naan with butter.

Pro Tip

Serve butter chicken with hot garlic naan and garnish butter chicken with fresh coriander and cream swirls.

2. Chole Bhature Recipe

Ingredients for Chole

• 1 cup chickpeas (soaked overnight)
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 2 tomatoes (pureed)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp chole masala
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for Bhature

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp semolina (optional)
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Water to knead
• Oil (for deep frying)

Method for Chole Bhature

To make chhole bhature - 

• Pressure cook chickpeas with salt until soft.
• Heat oil, add cumin. Sauté onions until golden.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, spices, and cook till the oil leaves.
• Add chickpeas with water. Simmer chole till thick.

Method for Bhature

To make bhature - 

• Mix flour, semolina, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
• Add yoghurt and knead the soft dough. Rest for 2 hours.
• Roll the bhature and deep fry till puffed and golden.

Pro Tip

Serve hot chole bhature with sliced onions, pickles, and lassi for the ultimate chole bhature meal.

3. Rajma Chawal

For Rajma (Kidney Bean Curry)

• 1 cup rajma (red kidney beans, soaked overnight)
• 2 large onions (finely chopped for rajma masala)
• 3 medium tomatoes (pureed for rich rajma gravy)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (essential for authentic rajma chawal taste)
• 2 green chillies (slit)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for bright rajma curry colour)
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee (for flavorful rajma)
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander (for garnishing rajma chawal)
• Salt to taste

For Chawal

• 1½ cups basmati rice (for fluffy chawal)
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ghee (optional, for fragrant chawal)

Method for Rajma Chawal

To make rajma chawal - 

• Wash and soak 1 cup rajma overnight (8 hours).
• Drain and pressure cook soaked rajma with 3 cups water and ½ tsp salt for 5-6 whistles or until rajma is soft and creamy (this is key for perfect rajma chawal texture).
• Heat 2 tbsp oil/ghee in a deep pan. Add cumin seeds.
• Sauté chopped onions till golden brown to form the flavorful rajma masala base.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies. Sauté till the raw aroma goes.
• Add tomato puree, turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, and salt.
• Cook till the rajma curry masala thickens and the oil separates.
• Add the boiled rajma (along with cooking water) into the masala.
• Simmer rajma curry for 20–25 mins on low flame, stirring occasionally. This step ensures that rajma absorbs all spices and gives you a luscious rajma chawal curry.
• Finish with 1 tsp garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.
• Wash and soak 1½ cups basmati rice for 20 minutes.
• In a large pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
• Add soaked rice, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp ghee.
• Cook rice uncovered till done, then drain excess water. Fluffy chawal is ready to pair with rajma!

Pro tip 

Simmer the rajma curry on a low flame for deeper flavours. Slow cooking is the secret to delicious rajma chawal.

4. Hyderabadi Biryani Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g basmati rice (soaked)
• 500g chicken or mutton
• 2 onions (sliced and fried golden)
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ¼ cup mint leaves
• ¼ cup coriander leaves
• 1 pinch saffron soaked in 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Salt to taste

Method for Hyderabadi Biryani

To make Hyderabadi biryani - 

• Marinate meat with yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, spices, and fried onions for 4 hours.
• Cook the soaked rice till 70% done.
• In a heavy pan, layer meat, mint, coriander, and rice alternately.
• Top Hyderabadi biryani with saffron milk, ghee, fried onions.
• Cover and cook Hyderabadi biryani on dum (slow heat) for 45 mins.
• Fluff and serve Hyderabadi biryani with raita.

Pro Tip

For perfect Hyderabadi biryani, seal the pot edges with dough.

5. Pav Bhaji Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes (boiled and mashed)
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 capsicum (chopped)
• 2 tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2 tbsp butter (for pav bhaji)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Method for Pav Bhaji

To make pav bhaji - 

1. Boil potatoes, cauliflower, and peas until soft. Mash.
2. Heat butter, sauté cumin, onions, and ginger-garlic paste.
3. Add tomatoes, capsicum, and spices. Cook until mushy.
4. Add mashed veggies, adjust salt and pav bhaji masala.
5. Mash well and simmer the pav bhaji.
6. Toast pav buns with butter.

Pro Tip

Top pav bhaji with extra butter and chopped onions before serving pav bhaji.

6. Malai Kulfi with Falooda Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 litre full-cream milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup condensed milk (optional, for richer malai kulfi)
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Few saffron strands (for authentic malai kulfi flavour)

Ingredients for Falooda

• ¼ cup falooda sev (thin vermicelli)
• 1 tbsp soaked sabja seeds (basil seeds)
• 2 tbsp rose syrup
• Chopped nuts (optional)

Method for Malai Kulfi

To make malai kulfi - 

• Boil milk and simmer till reduced by half, stirring frequently, for creamy malai kulfi.
• Add sugar, condensed milk, nuts, cardamom, and saffron. Cook till thick.
• Cool and pour into kulfi moulds. Freeze overnight for solid malai kulfi.

Method for Falooda

To make falooda - 

• Boil the falooda until soft. Drain and chill.
• Soak sabja seeds in water till swollen.
• To serve malai kulfi with falooda: unmould kulfi, top with falooda sev, sabja seeds, and rose syrup.

Pro Tip

Garnish malai kulfi with falooda generously with chopped nuts for extra crunch!

7. Jalebi Rabri Recipe

Ingredients for Jalebi

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp yoghurt
• 1 pinch baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• Few saffron strands (for aromatic jalebi)
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Ghee/oil (for frying jalebi)

Ingredients for Rabri

• 1 litre full-cream milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp chopped pistachios
• ¼ tsp cardamom powder
• Few saffron strands (for flavourful rabri)

Method for Jalebi

To make jalebi - 

• Mix flour, corn flour, yoghurt, soda, and water into a smooth batter. Ferment overnight.
• Boil sugar, water, saffron, and cardamom for sugar syrup.
• Pipe batter in hot ghee in spiral shapes. Fry jalebi till golden.
• Dip jalebi in warm sugar syrup. 

Method for Rabri

1. Boil milk and simmer till thick and reduced to ⅓ quantity.
2. Stir in sugar, saffron, nuts, and cardamom. Chill rabri.

Pro Tip

Serve hot jalebi over chilled rabri for ultimate jalebi rabri indulgence.

8. Mutton Rogan Josh Recipe

Ingredients

• 500g mutton (bone-in for flavourful mutton rogan josh)
• 2 onions (sliced)
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (for rich rogan josh colour)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 cloves
• 1-inch cinnamon
• ½ cup mustard oil
• Salt to taste

Method for Mutton Rogan Josh

To make mutton rogan josh - 

• Heat mustard oil till smoking, add whole spices.
• Sauté onions until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste.
• Add mutton, sear till browned.
• Whisk the yoghurt with spices and add to the mutton rogan josh.
• Cook on a low flame till the oil separates and the mutton rogan josh thickens.
• Add water and slow cook till the mutton is tender and the rogan josh gravy is rich.

Pro Tip

Mutton Rogan Josh tastes best after resting overnight — flavours deepen beautifully!

9. Mishti Doi and Rasgulla Recipe

Ingredients for Mishti Doi

• 1 litre full-cream milk
• ½ cup jaggery (or caramelised sugar for authentic mishti doi)
• 2 tbsp yoghurt (starter)

Ingredients for Rasgulla

• 1 litre of milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups water
• A few cardamom pods

Method for Mishti Doi

To make mishti doi - 

• Boil milk and reduce slightly. Cool till lukewarm.
• Melt jaggery and mix into milk.
• Add yoghurt starter, pour into clay pots.
• Set mishti doi overnight in a warm place. Chill before serving.

Method for Rasgulla

To make rasgulla - 

• Boil milk, curdle with lemon juice. Drain the paneer and knead it smooth.
• Roll rasgulla balls.
• Boil sugar, water, and cardamom into a syrup. Add rasgulla balls and cook for 15 minutes.
• Chill rasgulla before serving with mishti doi.

Pro Tip

Pair chilled mishti doi with spongy rasgulla for authentic Bengali sweetness.

10. Ghee Roast Dosa with Coconut Chutney Recipe

Ingredients for Ghee Roast Dosa Batter

• 2 cups rice
• ½ cup urad dal
• 2 tbsp chana dal
• 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
• Salt to taste

Ingredients for Ghee Roast Masala

• 2 large potatoes (boiled and mashed)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 green chilli
• Curry leaves
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Salt and turmeric

Ingredients for Coconut Chutney

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 2 tbsp roasted chana dal
• 1 green chilli
• ½ inch ginger
• Salt
• Water (for grinding)

Tempering for Chutney

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• 1 dry red chilli
• 1 tsp oil

Method for Ghee Roast Dosa

To make ghee roast dosa - 

• Soak rice, dals, and fenugreek overnight. Grind smooth, ferment for 8 hours.
• Heat the tawa, pour batter thinly, and drizzle generous ghee for crisp ghee roast dosa.
• For masala: sauté mustard, urad dal, onions, chillies, curry leaves in ghee. Add mashed potatoes, spices.
• For chutney: grind coconut, dal, chilli, ginger. Temper and pour over chutney.

Pro Tip

Serve hot ghee roast dosa with dollops of ghee and chilled coconut chutney.

If you have your joyous dish that you enjoy guilt-free, then share it with our vibrant food community by downloading Foodism today.