Diwali, the festival of lights, is coming up on November 8. As the holiday approaches, it's a great opportunity to explore the flavors of Indian cuisine. We caught up with NYC-based chef, writer, and recipe developer Rachel Gurjar to get two Indian-inspired recipes from her new cookbook, East to East: Recipes and Stories from Mumbai to New York, which just dropped October 13.
“East to East is my debut cookbook, featuring 101 Indian-inspired recipes alongside personal essays about migration, memory, identity, and finding a sense of home between cultures,” Gurjar says. “Drawing on my journey from Mumbai to New York, the book explores how food connects us to our roots while making room for new traditions.”
Gurjar will bring her vibrant cooking style to life at a Related event on November 10. Below, explore two recipes from Gurjar’s new cookbook that she’ll demonstrate at the upcoming event, along with the inspiration behind each dish.
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RECIPE: Indian Fried Chicken with Curry Leaves and Creamy Green Chutney Sauce
“This crispy, bite-sized fried chicken is tossed with fragrant curry leaves and served with a creamy green chutney dipping sauce,” says Gurjar. “It brings together bold Indian flavors in a fun, shareable snack. I’ll be demonstrating this recipe at the Related event, giving guests a chance to cook alongside me and experience a recipe from East to East firsthand. With Diwali being a time for gathering, celebrating, and sharing delicious food, it feels like a fitting dish to bring people together around the table.”
Indian Fried Chicken with Curry Leaves
Serves 4
30 minutes, plus 2 hours to marinate chicken
Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2-in [5.08-cm] piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3 Thai green chilies or 1 serrano, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder or sweet Spanish/Hungarian paprika
1 cup [120 g] tapioca flour or sweet potato starch
20 curry leaves or 2 sprigs
3 cups [720 ml] vegetable oil or any neutral oil of your choice for frying
Chaat masala, for garnish
Directions:
Pound ginger, garlic, and green chilies in a mortar and pestle to make a coarse paste. Alternatively, you can use a food processor in a pinch.
Add chicken thighs to a medium bowl and season with ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, garam masala, cayenne if using, turmeric, black pepper, and yogurt. Mix until all the chicken pieces are coated in the spices. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and maintain the temperature to 350°F [177°C].
Wet your hands and add chicken in batches to flour and dredge until the tapioca flour looks like small beads and clings to the chicken. Shake off any excess flour and transfer to a plate. Do not add the chicken in the flour all at once as it will get gummy and coat unevenly. Adding a bit of moisture to your hand helps the tapioca flour create tiny beads that stick to the chicken, resulting in an extra-crispy texture. Cook the battered chicken in batches by carefully placing it into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the fried chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Fry curry leaves until translucent and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes, then scatter over the fried chicken. Sprinkle it with chaat masala and chili powder, then serve immediately.
Green Chutney
Yields 1½ cups
Ingredients:
2 bunches [160 g] cilantro leaves and stems, rinsed, plus more for garnish
1 bunch [60 g] mint leaves and tender stems, rinsed, plus more for garnish
6 green Thai or 2 serrano chiles (more if you want it spicier)
½ cup [120 ml] lime juice (about 5 limes)
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 ½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp chaat masala
Directions:
Place cilantro, mint, chilies, lime juice, cumin, salt, sugar, and chaat masala in a blender or food processor. Pulse for a few seconds in intervals until the ingredients are pulverized into a smooth paste. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. This stays good for about a week in the fridge and one month in the freezer.
To make green creamy sauce: Add 1 cup of whole-milk Greek yogurt, 2 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp fine sea salt, and add ¾ cup of green chutney and whisk to combine. Serve as spread for sandwiches or a dipping sauce for pakoras or crudite. Add more chutney if you want the sauce to be more intensely flavored.
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RECIPE: Masala Popcorn
“Popcorn gets an Indian-inspired makeover with a blend of warming spices, making it an easy, flavorful snack to share,” Gurjar says. “I love how a familiar, everyday food can become something unexpected with the addition of Indian spices. It reflects the spirit of East to East, where I bring Indian flavors into dishes inspired by my experiences and the foods I love. It’s also perfect for the festive spirit of Diwali, when snacks and treats are shared with family and friends. Guests will get to enjoy this at the Related event alongside the cooking demonstration.”
Serves 2
10 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp powdered turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fine sea salt
1⁄2 tsp cayenne powder (more if you want it spicier)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil or any neutral oil of your choice, except canola
3 Tbsp salted or unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup dry popcorn kernels
Directions:
Grind nutritional yeast, chaat masala, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, cumin seeds, salt, and cayenne to a super fine powder in a spice grinder or blender. Transfer to an airtight container.
Heat oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Add 4 to 5 popcorn kernels and stir gently to coat. As soon as kernels begin to pop, add remaining popcorn kernels. Cover the pot with a large splatter screen or lid, leaving it slightly open, and cook, shaking often, until most of the kernels have popped, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit until popping has stopped. Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl big enough to toss the popcorn.
Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of masala blend over popcorn. Cover bowl and shake until all of the popcorn is well coated. This step is necessary or else the powder does not fully stick to the kernels and causes you to cough sometimes! Taste and add more according to personal preference. Let the popcorn cool to room temperature before serving. Taste for seasoning and adjust masala as needed. Save remaining spice blend for more batches of popcorn. Save dressed popcorn for later in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
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