Best Indian Vegetarian

Puliyogare, also known as Puliyodarai, is a traditional South Indian rice dish prepared by mixing cooked rice with a spiced tamarind paste. The tangy base is typically tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried chilies, asafoetida, and roasted peanuts or chana dal for texture. It is a staple o...

Chennai is a major port city in South India offering a rich cultural experience. It’s notable for its longstanding traditions of vegetarian cuisine and diverse seafood offerings reflecting centuries of trade and influence. The city attracts travelers interested in exploring South Asian history, samp...

Paneer Tikka is an Indian vegetarian dish consisting of cubes of paneer, a firm Indian cheese, marinated in spiced yogurt seasoned with turmeric, garam masala, and other spices, then grilled in a tandoor oven. It is typically served with chutney and sliced onions and functions as a popular appetizer...

Chitranna is a traditional seasoned rice dish originating from the state of Karnataka in South India. It is prepared by mixing cooked rice with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, peanuts, and dried red chilies, while turmeric imparts a distinct yellow color. The signature flavor comes from...

Sabut Masoor Dal is a whole red lentil curry widely cooked across the Indian subcontinent, valued for retaining more fiber and nutrients than split lentils and requiring no pre-soaking before cooking.

Dal Fry is a widely popular Indian lentil preparation made primarily from pigeon peas, commonly known as toor dal. The lentils are cooked until soft and tender, then mixed with a broth or water to achieve a liquid consistency. The defining characteristic of the dish is the "tadka," or tempering meth...

Besan ki Sabzi is a traditional vegetarian dish from the Rajasthan region of India, utilizing chickpea flour as its primary ingredient. The recipe involves creating a dough from the flour, which is then formed into dumplings—often known as gatte—before being boiled or fried. These dumplings are subs...

Panchmel dal is a Rajasthani lentil preparation whose name refers to its combination of five pulses. The mixture varies, but commonly includes lentils or split pulses such as mung, chana, urad, masoor, and toor dal, cooked until soft and seasoned with a tempering of ghee or oil, cumin, chiles, and o...

Valor Papdi nu Shaak is a traditional dry vegetable curry originating from the Gujarat region of India. The dish features valor papdi, a type of broad flat bean, which is typically cooked alongside potatoes and peanuts. It is distinguished by its complex flavor profile that balances sweet, sour, and...

Kathal Ki Sabzi is a North Indian vegetarian curry made from unripe (green) jackfruit, prepared by peeling and cutting the fruit before simmering it in a spiced onion-tomato gravy. Jackfruit is highly valued across India as a meat substitute due to its dense, fibrous texture that absorbs flavors eff...

Aloo Saag is a North Indian dish consisting of potatoes cooked with spiced spinach or mustard greens. It is a staple of everyday South Asian vegetarian cooking, particularly popular in the Punjab region. The greens are typically blanched, pureed, and simmered with spices like cumin, turmeric, and gi...

Palak dal is an Indian dish combining lentils or split pulses with spinach. The cooked dal is seasoned with ingredients that may include cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger, onion, and chile, often through a separately heated tempering added before serving. Recipes vary by region and household, but the...

Sem phali, also known as sem ki sabzi, is a traditional Indian dry stir-fry made using flat green beans or hyacinth beans. The vegetable is typically sautéed or pressure-cooked with onions, tomatoes, and a blend of spices such as cumin, turmeric, and coriander. It serves as a standard vegetarian dis...

"Fresh India" is a 2016 vegetarian cookbook by Meera Sodha that focuses on modern, plant-based Indian cuisine tailored for home cooks. The book features over 130 recipes that utilize readily available supermarket ingredients rather than requiring specialized trips to ethnic markets. Sodha draws from...

Chickpea curry is a plant-based dish consisting primarily of chickpeas simmered in a spiced sauce that often features a base of coconut milk, tomatoes, onions, and aromatics like garlic and ginger. The flavor profile relies heavily on warming Indian spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, and gar...

Dal Palak is a common Indian preparation combining cooked lentils with spinach and spices into a thick curry or stew. Various lentils are used depending on region and preference, including toor dal, moong dal, or masoor dal, each producing a slightly different texture and flavor. The dish is tempere...

Potato bhaji, also known as aloo bhaji, is a traditional Indian dish featuring boiled potatoes cooked in a spiced tempering of mustard seeds, turmeric, and green chilies. Depending on the region, curry leaves, cumin, and asafoetida may also be added to the base. The potatoes are typically mashed or...

Saag aloo is a traditional North Indian vegetarian dish made by cooking diced potatoes in a thick paste of leafy green vegetables, most commonly spinach. The ingredients are seasoned with a blend of aromatic spices such as cumin, turmeric, ginger, and garam masala. It serves as a staple in Indian cu...

Batata poha is a western Indian breakfast dish in which batata, the Marathi word for potato, is combined with poha, or flattened rice. The potatoes and soaked rice are commonly cooked with mustard seeds, turmeric, green chili, onion, and curry leaves, then finished with fresh herbs or lemon in some...

Aloo posto is a Bengali potato dish in which potato pieces are cooked with a paste made from poppy seeds. Green chili is commonly used for heat, and the dish is often prepared with mustard oil and served with rice. It is a familiar vegetarian preparation in Bengali cuisine, especially in West Bengal...

Jeera aloo is a North Indian potato dish whose name refers to the combination of aloo, potato, and jeera, cumin. Boiled or par-cooked potatoes are cut into pieces and sautéed with cumin seeds and other spices, producing a dry preparation rather than a sauce-based curry. It is commonly served as a ve...

Sorshe aloo is a Bengali potato preparation in which potatoes are cooked with a pungent mustard-based paste. The sauce may include mustard seeds or ground mustard, green chilies, turmeric, and other regional seasonings, producing a sharp, earthy flavor. It is a vegetarian dish associated with Bengal...

Dal shorba, also written dal ka shorba, is a light Indian lentil soup rather than a thick lentil preparation served as a main dal. Lentils such as yellow moong dal, red lentils, or pigeon peas are simmered with water or stock and spices, commonly including cumin and turmeric, then often blended or m...