Name: Calcutta Lobster in Spinach and Yogurt Sauce
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds uncooked lobster tails, thawed if frozen; 1 bunch spinach; 1 medium onion; 4 large garlic cloves; 1 small fresh serrano chile; a 1-inch piece fresh gingerroot; 1/2 teaspoon brown or black mustard seeds; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (see note, beginning of recipe); 2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds; 1 cup plain yogurt; 1 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste; Accompaniment: cooked white or brown basmati rice

Image may contain Dish Food Meal and Plant

Calcutta Lobster in Spinach and Yogurt SauceGourmet Studios

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Calcutta, former seat of the British Empire and today capital of West Bengal, sits just above the Ganges delta. Fish is cooked here in harmonious combinations with root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens, incorporating Bengali seasonings such as pungent kalonji seeds and ground mustard seeds. In the following recipe, for a truly authentic taste use mustard oil instead of vegetable oil. Be sure, though, to heat the mustard oil to the smoking point and let it smoke for 3 to 5 seconds. This tempers its pungency.

Recipe notes

Béchamel Sauce

This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Crème Anglaise

The silky French vanilla sauce that goes with everything.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Mascarpone Cheesecake

An extra-silky filling (no water bath needed!) and a smooth sour cream topping make this the ultimate cheesecake.

Vodka Gochujang Pasta

This pasta has some really big energy about it. It’s so extra, it’s the type of thing you should be eating in your bikini while drinking a magnum of rosé, not in Hebden Bridge (or wherever you live), but on a beach on Mykonos.

Okonomiyaki Tater Tots

Crispy tots topped with savory-sweet sauce, mayonnaise, furikake, scallion, and katsuobushi.