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Vegan Indian recipes

Indian dishes with no dairy, ghee, eggs or meat. (551 recipes)

ChorchoriMixed vegetable stir-fry

Chorchori is the thrifty everyday dish of Kolkata kitchens, where whatever vegetables are in the basket, pumpkin, potato, aubergine, radish, beans, are cut into sticks and cooked down slowly with panch phoron and mustard oil until the pan is dry and the bottom catches a little. Bengalis love that slightly caramelised scrape at the bottom of the pan. It is eaten with rice and dal at lunch. A portion is about 150 kcal. The usual mistake is stirring too much, which breaks the vegetables into mush; once the lid is on, leave it and just shake the pan. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of mustard paste or a pinch of sugar at the end, as many Bengali homes do; it rounds out the flavour.

30 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

UlavacharuHorse gram soup

Horse gram (ulavalu) was once the grain fed to horses and the poorest farmers in the dry Rayalaseema and Krishna districts; today ulavacharu is a prized dish in Vijayawada restaurants, served with hot rice, a dot of ghee for those who eat it and fresh cream in the fancier places. The beans are boiled for a long time, and their dark, earthy cooking liquid is simmered down with tamarind, jaggery and spices into a thick, glossy, sweet-sour soup. A portion is about 210 kcal. The beans need soaking overnight first. The most common mistake is throwing away the cooking water: it is the soup. Chef's tip: let ulavacharu reduce slowly until it coats a spoon like thin gravy; that thick, almost syrupy finish is what separates it from rasam.

90 minIndianSoupsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

KachumberCucumber tomato onion salad

No North Indian or Gujarati thali is complete without a little heap of kachumber, the chopped salad that cuts through rich dal makhani, biryani or chhole in homes and dhabas from Delhi to Ahmedabad. Cucumber, tomato and onion are diced small and dressed only with lemon juice, salt, chilli and roasted cumin, so it stays crisp and sharp. A portion is about 40 kcal. The most common mistake is salting it too early; salt draws the water out of the cucumber and tomato and leaves a soggy puddle, so dress it just before serving. Chef's tip: soak the chopped onion in iced water for 5 minutes and drain; it loses its harsh bite and stays crunchy.

10 minIndianSaladsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Milagu rasamPepper rasam

In Tamil homes from Madurai to Chennai, milagu rasam is the medicine of the kitchen, made when someone has a cold, the weather turns wet, or the family just wants a light dinner of rasam and rice. Unlike tomato rasam it needs no dal: tamarind water is simmered with a freshly ground paste of black pepper, cumin and garlic and tempered with ghee or oil, giving a thin, sharp, warming broth that clears the head. It is poured over rice or sipped from a cup. A portion is about 55 kcal. The common mistake is letting it boil hard after the spice paste goes in, which makes it bitter; once it froths up, turn off the heat. Chef's tip: dry-roast the pepper and cumin for a minute before grinding; it turns the heat round and deep instead of harsh.

20 minIndianSoupsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Thinai upmaFoxtail millet upma

Foxtail millet, thinai, was the grain of the Tamil hills long before rice took over, and in Coimbatore and Madurai it has come back into home kitchens as a lighter breakfast for diabetics and anyone watching their rice. Here it is cooked like a vegetable upma: a tempering of mustard seeds, urad and chana dal, then onion, carrot, beans and peas, and the rinsed millet simmered until each grain is fluffy and separate. A portion is about 250 kcal. The common mistake is too much water, which makes it gluey; use two and a half times the millet's volume and leave it covered off the heat to finish. Chef's tip: toast the rinsed millet in the pan for three minutes before the water goes in; it stays separate and tastes nuttier.

28 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Mooli ki sabziRadish stir-fry

In Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, radishes are bought with their leafy tops in the winter months, and nothing is wasted: the root is grated and the greens chopped, and both are cooked down with ajwain and green chilli into a soft, slightly sweet sabzi. It is eaten with makki or wheat roti and a spoon of white butter for those who are not counting, and it is very light without it. A portion is about 80 kcal. The usual mistake is skipping the squeeze: grated radish holds a lot of sharp-tasting water, so press it out first, or the sabzi turns soupy and bitter. Chef's tip: ajwain is the classic partner for radish; it softens the pungency and helps digestion, so don't leave it out.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Gajar matarCarrot and pea stir-fry

Come December, the carts in Delhi and Lucknow are full of long red Delhi carrots and pods of fresh peas, and gajar matar becomes the everyday sabzi of the season, packed into tiffins with paratha or eaten with dal and rice. Diced carrot and peas are cooked with cumin, a little ginger and dry spices until just tender and sweet. Children tend to like it for its colour and mild taste. A portion is about 120 kcal. The usual mistake is cutting the carrot too big, so the peas go wrinkly before the carrot is cooked; dice it to the size of a pea. Chef's tip: if you can find the red winter carrots, use them; they are sweeter and juicier than orange ones, so you need no sugar at all.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Sukhe kale chaneDry black chickpeas

On Ashtami, the eighth day of Navratri, homes in Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh invite young girls for kanjak puja and feed them puri, sooji halwa and these dry black chickpeas, cooked without onion or garlic. The kala chana are boiled until tender and then tossed in a hot, dry masala of cumin, coriander, amchur and green chilli until every chickpea is coated and the edges catch slightly. Outside festivals they make a protein-rich side or a snack with a squeeze of lemon. A portion is about 240 kcal. Soak the chickpeas overnight first. The common mistake is undercooking them: black chickpeas need longer than white, and should squash easily between two fingers. Chef's tip: keep 3 tablespoons of the cooking water and add it with the spices; it helps the masala cling to each chickpea.

45 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Moong dal chillaMoong dal pancakes

In Jaipur and Lucknow, a stack of chilla is what a careful mother makes on a weekday morning when she wants the family to eat protein before school: soaked yellow moong dal is ground with ginger and chilli into a pale batter and spread thin on a hot tawa. They come off golden at the edges and soft in the middle, and are eaten with green chutney or rolled around a spoon of grated paneer for those who want more. Two chillas make a portion of about 205 kcal. The dal needs 3 hours of soaking first (or overnight), which is not counted in the times. The most common mistake is a batter that is too thick: it should pour like single cream, or the chilla turns stodgy and cracks when you flip it. Chef's tip: wipe the tawa with a halved onion dipped in oil between chillas; it greases the pan lightly and stops sticking without extra oil.

25 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Paruppu usiliGreen beans with crumbled lentils

Paruppu usili is a Tamil Brahmin speciality, the dry dish that sits beside more kuzhambu or rasam on a Thanjavur lunch leaf at weddings and at home: chana and toor dal are soaked, ground coarsely with red chilli, steamed into a cake, crumbled, then fried with finely chopped green beans until the crumbs turn golden and crisp in places. The result is nutty, spicy and full of protein. A portion is about 220 kcal. The dals soak for 1 hour first (not counted in the times). The mistake most people make is grinding the dal to a smooth paste; it should be coarse like semolina, or the usili turns into lumps instead of crumbs. Chef's tip: steam the ground dal before frying, rather than frying it raw; it crumbles perfectly and needs far less oil.

40 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Beans foogathGreen beans with coconut

Foogath is the everyday vegetable of Goan Catholic homes in Margao and Panjim, a dry stir-fry of finely chopped beans, cabbage or gourd with onion, green chilli and plenty of freshly scraped coconut, eaten on the side of fish curry rice at Sunday lunch or with plain rice and dal at a weekday supper. It is mild, sweet and fresh-tasting. A portion is about 120 kcal. The common mistake is cooking the beans too long in a covered pan, which turns them khaki; cook them quickly and keep them bright green. Chef's tip: chop the beans very fine, almost into small rounds; that is the Goan way, and it lets them cook in a few minutes.

20 minIndianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Aloo gobi

In winter, when the Punjab markets are piled with tight white cauliflowers, aloo gobi is on the table in Amritsar and Ludhiana homes several times a week, folded into hot phulkas for lunch boxes or eaten with dal and rice at night. This is the dry home version, not the oily dhaba one: florets and potato cubes cooked covered in their own steam with cumin, ginger, turmeric and green chilli, then uncovered so the edges brown a little. A portion is about 175 kcal. The most common mistake is adding water, which boils the cauliflower to mush; the lid and a low heat do the work. Chef's tip: cut the potatoes smaller than the florets so they cook in the same time, and don't stir too often, or the florets break.

30 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Matki usalSprouted moth bean curry

Every Marathi kitchen from Pune to Kolhapur keeps a jar of matki, the small brown moth beans, sprouting on the counter, and a bowl of usal is what turns up with chapati or bhakri at a weekday lunch, or topped with farsan as misal on Sundays. The sprouts stay slightly firm in a thin, spicy gravy flavoured with goda masala, the sweet-smoky spice mix of Maharashtra, and a little fresh coconut. A portion is about 230 kcal. Sprouting takes 2 days (soak overnight, then leave wrapped in a cloth for 24–36 hours), which is not counted in the times. The common mistake is overcooking the sprouts until they split and go mushy; they should hold their shape and still have a slight bite. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of jaggery and a few kokum petals at the end; the gentle sweet-sour balance is what makes usal taste Maharashtrian.

40 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Parwal ki sabziPointed gourd and potato curry

Parwal, the small striped pointed gourd, is the summer vegetable of Patna, Varanasi and the Bhojpuri belt, and parwal-aloo is what fills the plate beside dal, rice and roti through the monsoon months. Lightly scraped gourds are halved and cooked with potato, onion, turmeric and a little garam masala until tender and golden in spots. A portion is about 140 kcal. The common mistake is peeling the parwal completely; just scrape off the rough outer skin so the halves keep their green colour and do not fall apart. Chef's tip: choose firm, bright green parwal with soft seeds; if the seeds are hard and red, scoop them out before cooking.

30 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Patta gobhi matarCabbage and pea stir-fry

This is one of the plainest and most loved dishes of North Indian home cooking, made in Kanpur, Dehradun and Delhi on any weeknight when the fridge holds half a cabbage: finely shredded cabbage and green peas cooked fast with cumin, green chilli and turmeric until just wilted, still with some crunch. It goes into lunch boxes with ajwain parathas or onto the dinner thali with dal. A portion is about 110 kcal. The most common mistake is covering it for too long, which makes the cabbage watery and gives it a sulphur smell; cook it mostly uncovered on a fairly high heat. Chef's tip: shred the cabbage as finely as you can with a sharp knife; thin ribbons cook in five minutes and soak up the spices evenly.

25 minIndianVegetarianVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ragi dosaFinger millet dosa

Around Mysuru and the farming villages of south Karnataka, ragi is the everyday grain, and this no-ferment dosa is how many homes use it at breakfast when there is no idli batter in the fridge. Finger-millet flour is whisked with a little rice flour, onion and green chilli into a thin batter that is poured, not spread, so it sets into a lacy, crisp, dark brown crepe. Serve with coconut chutney or sambar. Two dosas are about 210 kcal. The usual mistake is spreading the batter like a normal dosa; ragi batter is too thin, so pour it from a height in a circle and fill the gaps. Chef's tip: let the batter rest for 10 minutes before cooking; the flour drinks up water and the dosas hold together better.

25 minIndianBreakfast & BrunchVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chana sundalChickpea coconut stir-fry

On the sand of Chennai's Marina Beach, vendors sell sundal in paper cones at sunset, and during the nine nights of Navaratri every Tamil home makes a different sundal to offer at the golu doll display and hand out to visiting neighbours. This one is chickpeas tossed in a hot tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal, dried chilli and curry leaves, finished with fresh coconut and a squeeze of lime. A portion is about 190 kcal. Using cooked or tinned chickpeas keeps it under 20 minutes; if you start from dried, soak 120 g overnight and pressure-cook them until soft. The common mistake is wet, mushy chickpeas, which make the coconut clump; drain them well and let them steam dry for a few minutes. Chef's tip: add the coconut off the heat; cooked coconut loses its fresh, milky sweetness.

17 minIndianSnacks & StartersVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kokum sharbatKokum cordial

Along the Konkan coast, from Ratnagiri down to Goa, the purple kokum fruit is split and dried in the sun every summer, and the leathery rinds go into curries, sol kadhi and this sharbat. Unlike sol kadhi, there is no coconut milk here: just a clear, deep-red syrup that is fruity, tart and faintly salty, diluted with cold water and drunk after a fish lunch or on a hot afternoon to cool the stomach. Families in Malvan and Sawantwadi still make the concentrate by layering fresh fruit with sugar in jars; this quicker version uses the dried rinds you can buy anywhere. The common mistake is boiling the kokum hard for a long time, which makes the syrup taste stewed and murky; simmer gently just until the colour floods out. Chef's tip: a pinch of roasted cumin and black salt in the glass turns a simple sweet drink into the proper coastal version.

15 minIndianDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Panch phoronFive-seed spice mix

Every Bengali and Odia kitchen keeps a jar of panch phoron within reach of the stove, because so much of the cooking begins with a teaspoon of it crackling in hot mustard oil. The five seeds, in equal measure, are left whole and never roasted or ground ahead: bitter fenugreek, oniony nigella (kalonji), earthy cumin, sharp black mustard and sweet fennel. Together they give a layered, slightly bittersweet aroma that is the signature of tomato chutney, cholar dal, labra, chorchori and the sweet-sour vegetable dishes of a Bengali lunch. In some traditional homes radhuni, a wild celery seed, replaces the mustard. Common mistake: tempering over a high flame. The fenugreek blackens in seconds and the whole dish tastes bitter. Chef's tip: let the oil heat until it just shimmers, add the panch phoron, and the moment the mustard starts popping and the fenugreek is reddish brown, add the vegetables or dal.

5 minIndianBasicsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Bel sharbatWood apple drink

Bael trees grow beside temples across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and in May the hard golden fruits are cracked open on the doorstep with a pestle. The orange pulp smells of tamarind, marmalade and rose, and mashed into water it makes a thick, pulpy sharbat that people in Patna, Prayagraj and Gorakhpur drink mid-morning to keep the heat at bay; it is also famously kind to the stomach. Rickshaw stalls sell it from big steel pots. Ripe fruit is essential: it should sound hollow when tapped and smell sweet. The common mistake is blending the pulp in a mixer, which crushes the seeds and sticky fibres and makes the drink bitter and gluey; soak it and mash by hand instead. Chef's tip: let the pulp soak a full 15 minutes before mashing, and it practically falls off the fibres.

20 minIndianDrinksVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Thengai sadamCoconut rice

Thengai sadam is one of the 'variety rice' dishes that fill Tamil lunchboxes and temple prasadam lines, alongside lemon and tamarind rice. It is made for Aadi Perukku and Varalakshmi Vratam, packed for train journeys to Madurai, and turned out on busy weekdays from leftover rice. Fresh coconut, lightly toasted in coconut oil, clings to every grain; crunchy urad and chana dal, cashews and curry leaves give bite, and a dry red chilli a gentle heat. It tastes mild, sweet from the coconut and very fragrant. Serve it with potato roast, appalam or a spoon of mor kuzhambu. A common mistake is browning the coconut; it should only lose its raw smell and stay snowy white. Chef's tip: spread the rice on a plate to cool fully; warm, freshly cooked rice breaks and turns pasty when tossed.

25 minIndianRice & GrainsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chora nu shaakBlack-eyed pea curry

Chora nu shaak is a Sunday favourite in Surat and Baroda homes and one of the pulse shaaks that rotate through a Jain kitchen in place of onion-based gravies. Black-eyed peas are cooked soft, then simmered in a thin tomato gravy built on a vaghar of mustard seed, cumin, hing, cloves and dry red chilli, sweetened with jaggery and sharpened with lemon in true Gujarati style. Dry ginger powder replaces fresh ginger, and there is no onion or garlic. The gravy should be loose enough to soak into rotli or rice, with a few beans mashed to give it body. A common mistake is adding tomato and jaggery before the beans are fully soft; acid and sugar keep them hard however long you cook them. Chef's tip: let the shaak rest for 10 minutes before serving; the chora drink up the gravy and the flavours round out.

45 minIndianCurriesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Malvani masalaKonkan spice blend

Head down the coast to Malvan, Vengurla or Devgad and every family has its own masala tin, ground in summer when the chillies are crisp and dry. Malvani masala is hotter and more aromatic than goda masala and uses no coconut: it is mostly Bedgi chillies (for a deep red colour and moderate heat) with a handful of fiery Sankeshwari, roasted with coriander and about fifteen whole spices including fennel, star anise, mace, nutmeg and stone flower. Fried in oil with coconut and onion, it becomes the base of kombdi vade (chicken curry with puris), bangda and surmai curries, prawn sukka, and vegetarian dishes like kala vatana usal and Malvani batata bhaji. The blend itself is vegan. Common mistake: leaving the stalks on the chillies; they grind into hard, woody bits and dull the colour. Chef's tip: dry the chillies in the sun or in a barely warm pan first, then roast them separately on low until they crackle, so they grind to a fine, bright powder.

30 minIndianBasicsVeganGluten freeSpicy
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kashmiri ver masalaKashmiri spice cakes

In Srinagar's old city, ver is still made at the end of summer and strung up to dry in kitchens: flat, ring-shaped cakes of ground spices bound with shallot paste and pungent mustard oil, dark red and rock hard. It was a way to store flavour for the long winter, when fresh ingredients were scarce. A piece grated into the pot gives Kashmiri food its typical deep red colour and its warm, sweet-hot fennel and dry ginger flavour, without tomatoes or onions: think dum aloo, nadru yakhni (lotus stem), haak (collard greens), chaman (paneer) and rogan josh. Kashmiri Muslim kitchens often add garlic; Pandit homes may leave the shallots out altogether. Common mistake: drying the cakes in a damp or closed spot; they stay soft inside and grow mould. Chef's tip: heat the mustard oil until it smokes and then cool it before mixing, to take away its raw, sharp bite.

50 minIndianBasicsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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