15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (2024)

Padma Lakshmi never fails to impress us with the recipes she shares. From cookbook favorites to the household staples she shares on Instagram, we love the mix of savory and sweet flavors coming from Padma's kitchen. Recipes like Padma's Yogurt Rice and Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tamarind Glaze are delicious dishes we want to keep making over and over again.

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Yogurt Rice

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (1)

Savory, cool yogurt rice, or "curd rice," as it's referred to on the Indian subcontinent, is the ultimate comfort food. It's made from Indian household staples—it's really just yogurt, rice and salt, after all—with a variety of ingredients added as embellishments. This take on yogurt rice is seasoned with aromatic spices including asafetida powder, a pungent spice that comes from the roots of a plant that's a cousin to celery and takes on a flavor similar to onion when cooked. Read more about this recipe and what it means to Padma Lakshmi here.

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Chicken a la Nueces de la India (Chicken with Creamy Cashew Sauce)

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (2)

The recipes in Padma Lakshmi's Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet cookbook take inspiration from her life—from growing up in South India to moving to a predominantly immigrant community in New York City to her worldwide travels as a model and TV host. Each recipe is quick and simple, with flavors from around the world, like this chicken dish she learned from her friend Carmen, a Mexican writer. Cashews (called nueces de la India in Spanish) have a silky texture when ground, creating a sweet golden sauce that envelops the chicken and is luscious enough to lick right off the plate.

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Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tamarind Glaze

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (3)

Padma Lakshmi loves to make this roasted sweet potato recipe during Diwali, a festive time when her family often winds up eating a lot of fried treats. This gives them the feeling of eating chaat or Indian street and snack foods but without all the fuss. The tamarind sauce is a tangy counterpoint to the sweet potatoes, and the yogurt gives it a mellow creaminess without being too heavy.

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5-Ingredient Chickpea Salad

15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (4)

With just canned chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, chives, olive oil, lemons, baby spinach and a sprinkle of salt, you'll have all the supplies you need to copy Padma's simple recipe.

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Padma Lakshmi's Beef Shawarma with Beet Yogurt Sauce

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (5)

Beef shawarma is traditionally roasted on a spit and then sliced thin. This grilled version by Padma Lakshmi has similar vibes thanks to a highly seasoned marinade. This recipe makes extra beet yogurt sauce, so stick it in the fridge to have on hand for dolloping on grain bowls, salads and sandwiches.

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Peanut Butter & Pomegranate Toast

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (6)

For all the flavor of a classic PB&J without the added sugar, just reach for the real deal—fresh fruit. You still get a little natural sweetness and enough juiciness to combat peanut butter's stick-factor, plus some extra fiber. Padma Lakshmi—who shared this recipe when she guest-edited EatingWell Magazine—loves a combo of peanut butter and pomegranate arils (and her Instagram followers went crazy for it too), but you can replicate the formula with whatever nut butter and fruit you love.

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Padma Lakshmi's Chicken Stock

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (7)

"There's almost nothing that's more comforting and nourishing than homemade stock," Lakshmi says about her anti-inflammatory recipe.

Green Juice with Vodka

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (8)

Padma's simple cucumber-vodka drink will keep you refreshed.

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Baharat Spiced Eggplant

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (9)

Baharat means "spices" in Arabic—and this Middle Eastern seasoning is loaded with them. The specific ingredients vary by region and even from family to family, but the warm, aromatic blend always starts with plenty of finely ground black pepper and includes paprika, cumin, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and often cardamom. You can make your own Baharat Spice Blend or buy it ready-made. Here, yogurt and cherry tomatoes cool the heat from the baharat and serrano peppers.

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20-Minute Creamy Boursin Pasta

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (10)

This dish is a cacio e pepe-inspired pasta recipe that has eight ingredients, serves four and can be on your table in 20 minutes.

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Grilled Pineapple with Tajín

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (11)

This healthy 2-ingredient dessert reminds Padma Lakshmi of her childhood.

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Padma Lakshmi's Chipotle Coleslaw

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (12)

This copycat coleslaw is a taco night must-have.

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Indian Summer Masala

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15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (13)

This spice blend is Padma Lakshmi's riff on an Indian street-food blend called chaat masala. It adds instant umami and heat to dishes: mix it into plain yogurt for a quick dip or stir into lemonade for an Indian twist. She likes to sprinkle it on fresh fruit for a sweet-savory-spicy zing.

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Neela's Tomato Chutney

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This traditional Indian dish gets some kid-friendly adjustments for a family-friendly meal.

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3-Ingredient No-Bake Freezer Pie

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This easy and refreshing dessert is also great for breakfast, according to Padma.

15 Padma Lakshmi Recipes We Can't Stop Making (2024)

FAQs

How much is Padma paid for Top Chef? ›

How much does Padma make per episode? Padma Lakshmi reportedly made $50,000 per episode for hosting Top Chef.

Why did Padma quit Top Chef? ›

“And I was looking at edits of one show while on the set of another show. It was just exhausting and untenable for me to continue that way.” Lakshmi went on to say that her busy schedule also wasn't leaving her much time for dating.

What is Lakshmi famous food? ›

Varamahalakshmi: The favourite Dishes of The Goddess of...
  • Murukku. Murukku is a traditional recipe and also one of the best foods that goddess Lakshmi likes, as per mythology. ...
  • Badusha. ...
  • Kodubale. ...
  • Mango Lemon Rice. ...
  • Kajjaya. ...
  • Tilkut Or Sesame Sweet. ...
  • Ambode or Masala Vade.
Oct 23, 2018

What is Padma's diet? ›

Padma too eats a nutritionally sound diet, "I cut out as much fat and sugar as possible and eat only complex carbohydrates and lean protein. I try to eat as many fruits and veggies as I can per day, plus at least 2 to 3 liters of water," she explains.

What does Padma Lakshmi have on her arm? ›

Two days after her discharge from the hospital, she was injured in a car accident in Malibu, California, which left her with a fractured right hip and a shattered right upper arm. The arm injury required surgery, from which she retained a seven-inch scar between her elbow and shoulder.

Are Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi friends? ›

Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio's friendship seems to have only deepened over the years. "I think 14 years is a really good amount of time to see how a person evolves," Lakshmi told Vice in a 2021 interview about Colicchio. She says Colicchio has softened over time.

Who is Padma's baby daddy? ›

Liz McNeil is an Editor at Large at PEOPLE, where she's worked for over 30 years. The identity of Padma Lakshmi's daughter has finally been revealed: Adam Dell, a venture capitalist who splits his time between Austin and New York City, fathered baby Krishna, a source confirms to PEOPLE.

Who is replacing Padma on Top Chef? ›

Top Chef has found its new host — former champion Kristen Kish — after Padma Lakshmi exited the series after 20 seasons.

Is Tom Colicchio's wife? ›

He lives in the West Village with his wife, Lori Silverbush, and three sons.

Who is Top Chef Padma married to? ›

In 2004 she married acclaimed author Salman Rushdie; the couple divorced in 2007. Lakshmi became the host and judge of Top Chef in 2006, joining the cast of the reality competition program in its second season.

Did Padma go to culinary school? ›

"I went to college not for anything having to do with food," she said. "I was a theater student. I studied theater and American literature and I was studying abroad in Spain.

Which fruit does Lakshmi like? ›

Adoration of the goddess is done by offering fruits, coconut, banana, doob-grass, amla, curd, turmeric, flowers, incense etc. It is customary to read out the Odia text Lakshmi Purana while performing the puja.

What is Lakshmi's favorite fruit? ›

AMLA – LORD VISHNU AND GODDESS LAKSHMI'S FAVORITE FRUIT | ARTHA | AMAZING FACTS Amla – Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi's favorite fruit The Indian gooseberry which is locally known as Amla, truly deserves its status.

What is Lakshmi's Favourite fruit? ›

It is not only our favorite because of its health and curative properties, but also because of the fact that it is close to Laksmi and Narayan. Get to know why Amla fruit is dear to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.

How old was Padma Lakshmi when she gave birth? ›

India-born TV chef has become a mommy. The 39-year-old had branded the pregnancy a 'medical miracle' after years of struggling with endometriosis. Lakshmi has refused to name the father, but reports suggest... Indian-born TV chef Padma Lakshmi has become a proud mother of a baby girl, say sources.

Why is Lakshmi called Padma? ›

incarnation of Lakshmi

lotus and was known as Padma, or Kamala, both of which mean “Lotus”; when he was the ax-wielding Parashurama, the destroyer of the warrior class, she was his wife Dharani; when he was King Rama, she was his queen Sita.

Does Padma Lakshmi have a child? ›

“Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi and her daughter, Krishna Thea, made a joint appearance at the Emmys on Monday night. The two walked the red carpet together, with Lakshmi in bright green Marchesa gown and her daughter in a black dress with a feather trim. Krishna, who is 13, is Lakshmi's only child.

Is Padma Lakshmi a single mom? ›

Ultimately, Lakshmi describes herself as a single mom. "Krishna's father is very involved in her life, so he is a co-parent, but it's different if you're married and living with the child's other parent," she explains.

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