Vegan Indian Dishes: 5 Plant-Based Recipes That Don’t Compromise On Flavour

Imbuing taste into plant-based recipes can feel like a challenge for the fellow health conscious millennial. However, there are some recipes within Indian cuisine which in fact uphold the no-meat, no-dairy construct to produce rather complex and deep flavours. These are recipes that never compromise on their deliciousness, and neither on their nourishing vegan-hood.

Those familiar with Indian cuisine would know that this is a culinary space where vegetables, lentils, spices, millets and grains are not only used widely but are also celebrated for the flavours they produce. In fact, for a millennial conscious about their health and nutrition, Indian food is paradise indeed: it offers so much diversity in flavour, texture, depth and nourishment that there never really remains any inhibition in terms of cooking without meat or dairy. Delicious curries, vegetable recipes and lentil soups abound within Indian culinary cultures which fit the roster of a vegan menu. And what’s more, each of these dishes is infused with the flavours and fragrances of so many masalas and whole spices that they never end up compromising on taste. These plant-based recipes are a must-try for the millennial who enjoys layered, complex flavours in every day recipes.

Chole Masala – And Its Many Variants

One of the most popular and favoured recipes from the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent, chole or chickpeas can be prepared in various ways. There are the Punjabi chole, cooked in a thick tomato and onion curry. The Pindi chole known for their rich, dark colour and slightly tangy taste are just as popular, and then there is the Amritsari chole preparation, well-known for its fiery spice. Each of these recipes carry the aromas of whole spices, chilli powder and hints of garam masala that build taste into the chole gravy. Prepare whichever type of chole you prefer in a large casserole or a handi that will hold the chickpeas and onion-tomato gravy and infuse it with the flavours of varied whole spices such as bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon, cumin, cloves and black pepper. Boldly layered and wonderfully vibrant, warm chole served with puris or kulchas are a lipsmacking, vegan-friendly meal that is an absolute can’t miss.

Avial 

Avial can be found within the cuisine of the coastal regions of Kerala, a staple curry-like recipe often served with rice. This dish is made without the addition of cream, rather it is the sweetness and creamy essence of rich, freshly squeezed coconut milk which imbues flavour into the local delight. Avail is a sheer treasure for the vegan and vegetarian both. It celebrates vegetables to a great degree because preparing this curry means adding every local, seasonal produce including winter melons, raw bananas, yam variants, drumsticks, carrots, green beans, pumpkins, cluster beans and more into the recipe. This Kerala-style curry can be prepared in a heavy-bottomed kadai so all the vegetables cook evenly. Avial is traditionally prepared in a coconut-heavy masala flavoured with the mild spice of green chillies, the umami and savoury notes of cumin and turmeric and the aromatic nuance of curry leaves.

Baingan Bharta

A vegetable staple made across the Indian subcontinent, yet quite popular for the smoky tinge it acquires when prepared in the northern Indian style, the baingan bharta made from fresh eggplant carries a rich flavour and a smooth texture. Roasting the eggplant on an open flame or on the stove over a roasting rack introduces a characteristic smoky depth into this dish. What builds more flavour is lightly tossing finely chopped onions in a tempering of red chilli powder, turmeric, hing and mustard before adding the peeled and smashed eggplant to this recipe. Traditionally, the nourishing baingan bharta is cooked in mustard oil and spiced with green chillies to lend it a savoury and spicy flavour. Served with warm rotis, baigan bharta can be a flavourful go-to meal for the fellow vegan.

Masala Dosa And Coconut Chutney

Southern Indian preparations are favoured as breakfast dishes which bring health, flavour and sumptuousness into the morning meal. One such breakfast staple that can be prepared as a nourishing vegan-friendly meal is the masala dosa. Fermented dosa batter is lathered onto a flat pan and smeared with smashed potato sabzi to make the masala dosa. Packing spicy and umami flavours is this masala sabzi which is prepared by infusing it with chilli powder, turmeric, onions and ginger-garlic paste. Serve the warm masala dosa with white butter or ghee and pair it with coconut chutney, made that much more aromatic when layered with a tempering of red chillies, mustard, cumin, curry leaves and hing. This spicy, tangy, sweet and savoury combination of flavours is absolute paradise at a family-style, vegan breakfast meal. 

Vegetable Sambar

What is generally an accompaniment with dosas, idlis and uttapams as well as with warm, steamed rice, sambar is a comforting lentil soup known for its spicy flavour and the savoury taste it acquires as a result of the different vegetables that go into its making. Traditional sambar is prepared in a tomato base, with the addition of veggies like pumpkins, drumsticks, eggplant and onions. A tempering of mustard, red chilli powder, turmeric and sambar masala builds flavour into the lentil soup creating a perfect balance of spicy and savoury flavours. Warm sambar simmering in a large kadai or pot releases a very fragrant aroma that is arresting and quite attractive. Serve it with rice or with homemade southern Indian pancakes like dosas or even with the medu vada as a vegan lentil recipe that carries a lot of flavour depth. Preparing the sambar in a customary sesame or coconut oil brings another layer into the dish that builds into its overall complexity.