It’s easy to get into a rut at mealtime, rotating between the same recipes that everyone in your family has had enough of.

“There are many dehydrated and frozen Indian curries available in the U.S., but no freeze-dried options,” Das explained.

It is certainly not true that all Indian food is highly spiced and red hot with chilies (which didn’t even reach India from the Americas until the 16 th century). But many dishes are built around ...