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    Home » Vegetables

    Published: Oct 4, 2022 by Zen · This post may contain affiliate links.

    25 Healthy Indian Vegetarian Recipes

    Sharing food makes everyone happy! :)

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    25 of the Best Healthy Indian Vegetarian Recipes for dinner (or lunch!) that make for a delicious and nutritious meal. Full of rich flavor, they range from curry recipes to street food!

    Close-up of a pot of yellow aloo gobi curry.
    Jump to:
    • Vegetarian Cuisine in India
    • Typical Ingredients
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQs
    • Pickles
    • Curries
    • Side Dishes
    • Rice Dishes
    • Bread
    • Desserts & Drinks
    • 💬 Comments

    Vegetarian Cuisine in India

    Indians, especially South Indians, and other South Asians have a long history of eating lots of vegetables. There are thus many naturally vegan or vegetarian Indian dishes.

    These are usually eaten with Indian breads such as naan, chapatti and paratha. A typical Indian meal usually includes 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

    1. Indian food is well-seasoned with lots of aromatic spices such as chili, curry leaves, etc making it super delicious!
      • There are a group of 7 whole spices known as "the 7 Indian spices" because they're so commonly used: turmeric, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, coriander seeds, cumin and fenugreek!
      • Most of them are used in Garam Masala powder, as well as sometimes nutmeg, black pepper, mace etc.
      • A secret to successfully recreate the Indian flavors is to temper the spices in oil then pour it on your vegetarian food.
    2. Lentils are also a very common ingredient in Indian households. Think dal/ Dahl/ daal and fritters!
      • If you need an Indian dipping sauce for fritters, click here.
      • See below for Dal Makhani, an Indian lentil dish.
    3. Dairy products such as ghee and curds
    4. If you can't get ghee, the closest substitute is clarified butter. (They're not the same though.)

    Expert 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!

    FAQs

    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 paratha and the Singaporean India dish roti prata (but cut up into smaller pieces.) We also ate lots of hoppers and jackfruit curry!

    Pickles

    Achar, or Indian pickle, is a must-have at an Indian feast!

    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

    Chana Masala

    This chickpea (chana) masla (spice) curry come with a rich tomato gravy. You can adjust the amount of Kashmiri chili powder added to vary the spice level.

    Tip: Curry powder is a British invention. There's no such thing in Indian cuisine! For authentic flavors, use Garam Masala AND add extra whole spices to intensify the flavors.

    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.

    For an easy 3-ingredient Indian-inspired roast potato recipe, click here!

    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.

    Misal Pav

    This spicy curry from Maharashtra, India, has lots of protein and fiber. Unfortunately, this popular street food sometimes has lots of oil, so make it yourself with this healthy Indian recipe!

    FYI: Pav is actually an Indian dinner roll. If you can't get the Usal Sprouts, you can use Mung Bean Sprouts.

    Pav Bhaji

    If you're not a fan of sprouts, try this spiced veggie gravy and dinner roll dish which uses green peas and potatoes. Another popular street food (this time from Mumbai), the recipe shows you how to make it quickly in an Instant pot!

    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.

    Cashew Curry

    Cashew Nuts Curry is another favorite! In the photo below, I made it using Rishi Naleendra's recipe. (He's a Michelin-starred chef in Singapore.) You'll need pandan, lemongrass, turmeric and curry leaves.

    According to my South Asian friends, it tasted pretty authentic!

    Tip: If you only have light coconut milk, leave it in the fridge to harden and scrape off the hardened part at the top. That is the fatter part that you can use to substitute for coconut cream.

    A skillet full of yellow cashew curry, dried chillies and curry leaves.

    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.

    Side Dishes

    Masoor Dal

    This red lentils dish is by 1 of my favorite bloggers, Izzah of Tea for Turmeric! (Although she actually shares Pakistani not Indian recipes!)

    However, her stovetop and Instant Pot recipe is so good, I couldn't not include it in this list of healthy recipes!

    Best of all, it can be frozen for up to 3 months!

    Palak Paneer

    This Indian Cottage Cheese recipe is the perfect side dish in my opinion! It's also really easy to make paneer at home- you can make it every day and not just on special occasions! (Click through for an authentic Indian recipe!)

    Tip: you want to blanch the spinach leaves first. Also make sure to use young spinach leaves as old ones can be quite bitter!

    Kadai Paneer

    If you love paneer as much as I do, try this Punjabi-style dish!

    Tip: As with all spiced dishes, the key to the flavor is using fresh spices, and this recipe shows you how to make your own Kadai Masala powder!

    Bombay Potatoes

    These spiced potatoes are a vegan Indian recipe. They can be made on the stove or in an instant pot, and on the table in under 30 minutes!

    Tip: you want potatoes that don't break when cooked, such as baby potatoes or Yukon Gold.

    Dal Makhani

    Made using Urad Dal (Black Beans), butter and cream, this dish was invented by Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral- the Indian chefs behind Butter Chicken Curry- to complement it!

    Click here for the restaurant style Dal easy recipe.

    Rice Dishes

    For Indian food, remember to use long grain basmati rice and not jasmine rice or, worse, short grain Japonica or glutinous rice! If you want to be healthier, I guess you could use brown rice!

    Note: if you make too much, here are some ideas for leftover rice dishes!

    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.

    Bread

    Dosa

    These South Indian pancakes can be made with various fillings.

    Tip: To get crispy dosa, you can add some puffed rice. Also, don't grind your rice too finely! You also need to control the temperature of the tawa (large flat Indian pan) well- use medium heat only!

    Puri

    I used to make this with an Indian friend in London and it was great fun watching them puff up!

    You'd be surprised to hear that this Indian bread only requires 3 ingredients!

    Tip: vary the flours used to change up the taste and texture of the puri. (This will, however, impact the amount of water used- if you use the wrong amount, your dough will soak up the oil!)

    Desserts & Drinks

    Dirty Chai

    A coffee meets Masala Chai drink, this is made in seconds if you have Chai Syrup in the fridge!

    Dirty Chai Latte
    Dirty Chai Latte is sweet and spicy from the Chai but has a deep, roasted flavor from the coffee to make it more complex. Together with the frothy top, it's simply delicious! I show you how to make it in 3 ways: from scratch, using Chai Concentrate (along with a homemade recipe) and using tea bags!
    Click here for the chai coffee recipe.
    A glass of dirty chai latte with white and brown layers.

    Turmeric Tea

    Overhead shot of turmeric ginger cinnamon lemon honey tea.
    Turmeric ginger cinnamon lemon honey tea
    Easy, healthy, naturally golden and only requires 5 ingredients.
    Click here for the healthy turmeric drink recipe.
    Close-up of naturally golden turmeric, ginger and cinnamon tea.

    What are your favourite healthy Indian 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! :)

    • A jar of homemade pickled cucumbers with chilies and an onion next to it.
      Asian Quick Pickled Cucumbers (5-min)
    • Close-up of a spoonful of Asian quick pickled green chilies.
      Green Pickled Chilies (Quick Pickle)
    • Roasted potatoes which are beautifully golden thanks to turmeric on a white plate.
      14 Asian Potato Recipes
    • Someone holding a piece of peanut coated traditional muah chee.
      Muah Chee (Peanut Mochi) (5 Methods)

    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 cooking for friends and family. Learning to cook late, I make sure my recipes go into enough detail for those new to Asian cuisine or who love a test kitchen approach to cooking!

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