Dinner Without Meat: Easy Vegetarian Dishes Everyone Should Try

Whether you are abstaining from meat for a month or 10 days, the meals don’t have to be boring. If you go touring India, you will come across lip-smacking delights boasting an array of flavours. From Bengali shukto to Kerala’s avial, check out the dishes that will help you add variety to the spread.

Vegetarian Indian dinners are anything but dull — they’re full of colour, flavour, and tradition. Each region adds its own flair, ranging from rich curries and nourishing dals to stuffed breads and scented rice dishes. Whether you’re a longtime vegetarian or just trying to bring more plant-based dinners into your week, Indian food has an infinite range that’s satisfying enough to make you forget the lack of meat. These recipes aren’t simply easy to prepare — they’re comfort food on a plate, full of nutrition and nostalgia. From the streets of Punjab to the coasts of Kerala, here are ten easy, regional vegetarian dinners you’ll love making again and again.

Gujarati Undhiyu

Hailing from Gujarat, undhiyu is a winter delicacy but can be enjoyed year-round with seasonal vegetables. This mixed vegetable medley is slow-cooked with fenugreek dumplings (muthiyas), potatoes, brinjals, and beans in a spiced coconut masala. Traditionally, upside-down cooked in buried earthen pots, the modern kitchen-friendly version can be prepared in a pressure cooker. Serve hot with puris or rotis. Not only colourful and tasty, but also a great means of recycling whatever fresh vegetables you happen to have available.

Bengali Shukto

A Bengali classic served as a starter for dinner, shukto is a light, bittersweet vegetable medley of bitter gourd, raw banana, drumsticks, and eggplant, sautéed in a mustard-poppy seed paste. Subtly spiced, the dish depends on karela’s bitterness to clear the palate from the heavier courses to come. Frequently enriched with milk, it’s a winning mix of flavours that is comforting and refreshing at the same time. Serve over plain steamed rice for a light but filling dinner. Shukto demonstrates that Indian vegetarian cuisine is not only about bold flavours but also understated, subtle balance.

Rajasthani Gatte Ki Sabzi

It was in Rajasthan’s dry climate, where vegetables used to be a rarity, that gram flour (besan) emerged as a hero ingredient. Gatte ki sabzi consists of gram flour dumplings cooked in a sour yoghurt-based curry flavoured with spices such as ajwain, hing, and turmeric. This recipe goes well with bajra roti or steamed rice. The best part? The dumplings can be made ahead and frozen for easy weeknight meals. Creamy and spiced, it’s a wonderful demonstration of the way Indian vegetarian cooking transforms ordinary pantry staples into flavour-filled meals.

Himachali Madra

Madra is a hearty yoghurt-based curry from the Himachal Pradesh hills made with chickpeas or kidney beans. Flavoured with cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves, Madra has a rich and sumptuous texture achieved by slow cooking the yoghurt base without curdling. Frequently included in traditional dham feasts, Madra goes well with steamed rice. It’s a dish as much about technique as flavour, providing a taste of the unhurried, thoughtful cooking of the mountains.

Maharashtrian Bharli Vangi

Stuffed brinjals take on a Maharashtrian flavour in this nutty, rich curry. Tiny purple brinjals are stuffed with a combination of ground peanuts, coconut, sesame seeds, and pungent spices and then slow-cooked until soft. The outcome is a rich, velvety gravy that goes extremely well with jowar or bajra bhakri. A touch of jaggery rounds off the heat, imparting the characteristic Maharashtrian sweet-savoury taste. This preparation transforms simple brinjals into a showstopper, and so it makes a great centrepiece for a no-meat dinner table.

Tamil Nadu Vatha Kuzhambu

A pungent tamarind curry from Tamil Nadu, vatha kuzhambu is traditionally made with dried turkey berries (sundakkai) or ladies’ fingers. It’s enriched by roasted spice powder, adding depth and complexity. Served over steamed rice and topped with a spoonful of ghee, it’s a comforting dish that’s spicy but reassuring. The fact that the tamarind-spice base has such a long shelf life means it’s an ideal make-ahead dinner on busy nights. It’s a clear demonstration of how southern Indian cooking transforms humble pantry ingredients into unforgettable meals.

Punjabi Chhole

A North Indian staple, Punjabi chhole is a hearty chickpea curry cooked in an onion-tomato mixture with a hint of fragrant chole masala spice blend. Usually paired with bhature or jeera rice, it’s a filling dinner that’s rich in plant protein. It can be prepared within 45 minutes using pre-cooked chickpeas, making it perfect for weeknights. A splash of lemon and ground coriander sprinkled at the end makes the dish sparkle. Serve with sliced onions and a green chilli for a complete dhaba experience.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

A star among Kashmiri Pandit dishes, dum aloo consists of baby potatoes cooked in a spiced yoghurt gravy. In contrast to restaurant interpretations, the traditional Kashmiri recipe does not include onions or garlic but uses fennel, ginger powder, and Kashmiri chilli for its deep red colour and complex flavour. Slow-cooked on dum, the dish is best served with hot phulkas or saffron rice. It’s evidence that veggie dinners can be decadent without recourse to meat or high-cream sauce.

Goan Tambdi Bhaji

An easy yet tasty stir-fry, tambdi bhaji consists of red amaranth leaves pan-fried with onions, green chillies, and shredded coconut. The earthy flavour of amaranth goes very well with the sweet coconut, and it is a light and healthy dinner accompaniment. Usually served with Goan rice and dal, it is a part of many Goan households. Nutrient-dense in iron and fibre, it’s ideal for someone seeking an easy, healthy veg meal.

Kerala Avial

One of Kerala’s traditional vegetarian dishes, avial is a rich curry composed of a combination of seasonal vegetables such as carrots, beans, yam, and drumsticks simmered in a base of coconut and yoghurt. Flavoured with curry leaves and coconut oil, the dish has a very distinctive coastal flavour. Light but filling, Avial is usually served along with a Sadya banquet, but also serves perfectly as an independent dinner with steamed rice or adai (lentil dosa). The cherry on the cake? It’s a one-pot dish ready in less than 30 minutes.