For former MasterChef Australia contestant Justin Narayan, the best meals are often the simplest and least expensive to make.
“At its core, food has always been about bringing people together, nourishing your body and creating memories,” says Justin Narayan. “I wanted to make something that gives people the ideas, confidence and motivation to do that, to just get in the kitchen and cook.” These recipes from his new cookbook, Everything is Indian, offer precisely that.
“This is a quick weeknight dinner you can make with whatever you have in your pantry. No miso? Use chicken stock powder. And if you don’t have white wine vinegar, use another vinegar or fresh lemon.”
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
200g dried pasta
1 tbsp light olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp white wine vinegar
½ 400g can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tsp miso paste
200g peeled raw prawns (see tip)
15g unsalted butter
20g parmesan
1 small bunch of fresh flat‑leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil then add the pasta and cook for about two minutes less than packet instructions specify. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat then add the garlic, fresh chilli, chilli flakes and a few cracks of black pepper.
Once the edges of the garlic start to brown, about one to two minutes, add vinegar, tomatoes, miso and two tablespoons of water.
While the sauce comes to a simmer, roughly chop the prawns into one to two centimetre chunks. Add the prawns to the frying pan and cook for one to two minutes.
At this point the pasta should be just about done. Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water then drain the pasta and transfer it to the frying pan along with the reserved pasta water.
Add the butter and grate the parmesan into the sauce then mix until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste for salt and adjust if need be. Mix in the parsley and serve.
If you dice them while frozen, they will thaw and cook at the same time. It’s no different to using fresh prawns in this recipe.
“I didn’t grow up eating mussel curry but I love mussels. They’re delicious and, for seafood, they’re very affordable and sustainable. We should be eating more of them. You know that spicy tomato mussel dish you get in Italian restaurants? This is the curry version of that. It’s best eaten out of a big communal bowl or pot with your hands.”
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
1kg mussels, shells on
1 tbsp light olive oil
1 French shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
15g fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, sliced
¼ tsp each of cumin seeds and black mustard seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp Fiji masala powder or garam masala
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
200ml coconut cream
2 tsp lime juice (about ½ lime)
TO SERVE
1 small bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked
Crusty baguette or rice
Wash the mussels and remove the beards. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat then add the shallot, garlic, ginger, fresh chilli and whole spices.
Cook until the shallot starts to turn golden brown, about two to three minutes. Add the powdered spices and toast for 30 seconds.
Add the coconut cream, bring to a simmer then add the mussels. Cover and cook until all the mussels open, about six minutes.
Taste and season with the lime juice and salt. Pour everything into a large serving bowl, garnish with the fresh coriander and serve with crusty baguette or rice.
Then when you’re ready to eat, just reheat the sauce, add the mussels, cover and cook until they open.
“Dhal is one of those dishes every family and culture makes a little differently so in a way it’s a form of expression. It’s also cheap, nourishing and full of flavour. I cook it for the same reasons. It gives you incredible value, it’s endlessly comforting and it always reminds me of home.”
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
½ cup red lentils
½ cup yellow lentils
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 small eggplant, peeled and finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 tsp lemon juice (about ¼ lemon)
TEMPER
2 tbsp ghee
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bird’s eye chilli, halved lengthways (use ½ or ¼ if you want less heat)
¼ tsp each of cumin seeds and black mustard seeds
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds
TO SERVE
Roti
Chilli chutney
Wash the lentils and place in a saucepan with five cups of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring after five minutes. Skim and discard white foam that comes to the surface.
Stir in the turmeric and salt until combined then add carrot, eggplant and tomato. Simmer until the lentils are soft (you should be able to easily crush one between your fingers), about 10-15 minutes.
Using a potato masher, give the dhal a rough mash to thicken.
To make the temper, heat the ghee in a frying pan over medium-high heat then add the onion, garlic, chilli and whole spices and cook until the onion is golden brown. Add the temper to the dhal and mix in then season with the lemon juice and more salt to taste.
A little seasoning, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar and pinch of salt can transform a dish.
“This salad is super filling, hearty, interesting and fairly easy and inexpensive to make. It’s great as a meal on its own or as a side and it’s one of my wife, Esther’s, most requested dishes.”
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8
400g roasted or barbecued veg (see tip)
400g raw veg (see tip)
20-30g roasted nuts (I like almonds, macadamias and peanuts), roughly chopped
DRESSING
½ avocado
2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
¼ bunch of fresh coriander, leaves and stems roughly chopped
¼ bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems roughly chopped
1 green chilli
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
To make the dressing, blend all dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. (You want a thick, creamy consistency. Add a little water if you need to thin the dressing.) Season with salt and pepper and set aside in the fridge.
Chop the roasted or barbecued veg into random bite-sized pieces. Cut the raw veg into whatever shape you like. (I do a rough chop if it’s something like a cucumber. If it’s a long snow pea shape, I’ll finely slice or julienne.)
Combine all the veg in a big bowl and dress it with the creamy green dressing. Top with the nuts and serve.
”Really, any vegetables will work. It just won’t look as aesthetic if they’re not green. For the roast veg, I like zucchini and broccolini because you can get a good char on them. For raw, I like snow peas and cucumber for texture. If you want to add leafy greens you can.”
This is an edited extract from Everything Is Indian by Justin Narayan (Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99).
Find more flavour-packed, budget-friendly meal ideas on our recipes hub.
Published: 27 March 2026
An earlier version of this article was published in Brighter magazine.
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