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    Home » Vegetables

    Published: Jun 30, 2022 · Modified: Jul 20, 2022 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    11 Healthy South Asian vegetarian recipes

    Sharing food makes everyone happy! :)

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    11 of the Best Healthy South Asian vegetarian recipes for dinner (or lunch!) that make for a delicious and nutritious meal.

    Close-up of a pot of yellow aloo gobi curry.
    Jump to:
    • What is South Asia?
    • Typical Ingredients in the cuisine
    • Tips
    • FAQ
    • Pickles
    • Curries
    • Rice

    What is South Asia?

    South Asia is a group of countries located in- you guessed it!- the South of the Asian continent, consisting of: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The land area of these countries is actually bigger than the EU and contains 1.75 billion people.

    South Asians have a long history of eating lots of vegetables so there are many naturally vegan or vegetarian South Asian dishes- these are usually eaten with breads such as naan, chapatti and paratha. (Due to religious reasons, some South Asians (usually Hindus) don't eat beef whilst others (usually Muslims) don't eat pork.)

    A typical South Asian meal can consist of many little dishes such as dal and chutney- click here for recipes of some common Indian side dishes or here if you're looking for South East Asian vegetarian recipes.

    Typical Ingredients in the cuisine

    1. South Asian food is well-seasoned with lots of spices such as chili, curry leaves, turmeric, cloves etc, making it super delicious!
    2. Lentils are also a very common ingredient in South Asian cooking- think dal/ Dahl/ daal and fritters.
      • If you need an Indian dipping sauce for fritters, click here.
    3. Dairy products such as ghee and curds

    Tips

    1. South Asians traditionally eat with their hands (eating is considered a very sensual and sensory experience) but please remember to only use your right, and never your left!
    2. In South Asia, Sri Lanka and countries such as Singapore which have a large Indian population, it is common to see food served on banana plates (very fragrant and great for the environment!) After eating, do remember to fold the leaf towards yourself- folding it outwards is reserved for funerals!

    FAQ

    What are some must try Indian dishes?

    The 1st dish that comes to mind when you say Indian food is usually biryani, so if you haven't tried it yet, you should! It is a mixed rice dish which can range from vegetarian ingredients to meats such as mutton and lamb.

    What are some famous Sri Lankan foods?

    When I visited 1 of my best friends who was born and breed in Sri Lanka, the first meal she took me to try was Kottu, which is somewhat similar to the Singaporean India dish roti prata (but cut up into smaller pieces.) We also ate lots of hoppers and jackfruit curry!

    Pickles

    Andhra pachi tomato pachadi (green tomato pickle)
    A spicy tangy South Indian pickle made with fresh green tomatoes, chili and groundnuts that goes well with dosas, crepes, idlis.
    Click here for the pickle recipe.
    A bowl of curry leaf tomato chutney and rice

    Curries

    Close-up of vegan lentil curry

    Lentils & Butternut squash Curry

    Vegan lentil & butternut squash curry
    A wholesome 5-star curry that is simmered in coconut milk and only requires 10 ingredients.
    Click here for the lentil recipe.
    Close-up of vegan lentil curry

    Black Eye Peas Curry

    Vegan Black Eye Peas Curry
    South Asians have been eating a vegetable-heavy diet for centuries, and make some of the best vegan food around!
    Click here for the black eye peas recipe.
    A bowl of vegan South Asian curry

    Aloo Matar

    Aloo Matar
    This potato (aloo), green pea (matar) and tomato stew is made in a pressure cooker.
    Click here for the potato recipe.
    A bowl of aloo matar next to a bowl of rice.

    Aloo Gobi

    Aloo Gobi (Instant Pot)
    This versatile cauliflower (Gobi) curry can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stove and is vegan and gluten-free. Serve with 1 of the breads below or rice!
    Click here for the South Asian Instant Pot recipe.
    Close-up of a pot of yellow aloo gobi curry.

    Moong bean curry

    A bowl of green mung bean curry.
    Mung bean curry
    This easy curry is made of green beans simmered in a coconut sauce and perfect with roti or rice.
    Click here for the bean curry.
    A bowl of green mung bean curry.

    Sweet potato curry

    Sweet potato & lentil curry
    Another lentil curry but this time made in an Instant Pot.
    Click here for the red curry recipe.
    A plate of red lentil curry with rice.

    Vindaloo

    Vegan vindaloo curry
    Vindaloo is a notoriously spicy curry and this recipe uses a Scotch Bonnet chilli, so be warned!
    Click here for the vindaloo recipe.
    A bowl of red vegan vindaloo curry.

    Rice

    Curry fried rice

    A colourful plate of curry fried rice.
    20-minute Curry fried rice (Instant pot)
    This easy, 1-pot recipe is not only vegan but also gluten-free and full of flavour.
    Click here to learn how to make this colourful fried rice.
    A colourful plate of curry fried rice.

    Lemon rice

    Lemon rice
    This easy Indian rice dish is full-flavoured and, can be on the table in 15 minutes if you have leftover rice on hand.
    Click here for the yellow rice recipe.
    Yellow lemon rice on a white plate.

    Tomato rice

    A side view of an Indian tomato rice dish.
    Tomato rice (Instant Pot)
    This South Indian dish is simple but flavourful and can be made on the stove or Instant Pot!
    Click here for the Instant Pot rice recipe.
    A side view of an Indian tomato rice dish.

    What are your favourite healthy South Asian vegetarian recipes? Let me know in the comments and, if you've found this recipe round-up useful, do share it on your social media!

    I have other recipes you may like here! :)

    • 8 Best Calamansi Substitutes
    • Starbucks Iced Guava Black Tea Copycat
    • Easy Calamansi Dessert Recipes
    • Easy 5-ingredient gochujang butternut squash

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl says

      July 01, 2022 at 3:40 pm

      love the bean curry recipes- always mean to eat more of them but no clue how to cook!

      Reply
      • Zen says

        July 18, 2022 at 3:42 am

        Same here, Cheryl! You've reminded me to make more vegetarian bean meals for this week! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Erica says

      July 01, 2022 at 1:42 am

      LoveVindaloo! having it for lunch today will have to try your recipe one day

      Reply

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    Greedygirlgourmet eating 2 sandwiches in Scotland

    Hi I'm Zhen also known as GGG! I couldn't boil water till I was 18 but after living abroad (in St. Andrews then London) for 11 years and having to cook for myself, I now love having friends and families over, and cooking for them. I tend to be slightly obsessive-compulsive, so I like to try many different versions of a recipe before coming up with a "Best" version.

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