Indian Vegan Recipes – We often associate vegan food with eating raw fruits and vegetables. However, there is a much greater variety in vegan cuisine than it initially seems. This holds even more true in Indian cuisine, where most dishes are inherently vegan or can be made so with simple substitutions.
What is a vegan?
Veganism is a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty be it for food, clothing or any other purpose.
Vegan recipes are a subclass of vegetarian food. Apart from the consumption of meat and fish excluded in vegetarian food, a vegan diet also excludes eating diary products, eggs etc.
Vegans avoid meat and animal agriculture products for many reasons.
- Foremost is because they believe in an animal’s freedom and equal right to life.
- Also many believe that a vegan diet improves health, prolongs life or helps to lose weight or lower disease risk.
- In addition to above many vegans believe that avoiding the consumption of animal products, will lead to a reduced environmental footprint.
What are some vegan dishes?
Indian cuisine consists of a wide variety of vegan dishes. Indian vegan recipes include a plethora of vegetable based curries, lentil dishes, flat breads like rotis & parathas etc, rice, salads & desserts. A majority of the recipes on this blog are in fact vegan.
Other cuisines also include a wide variety of vegan dishes like nachos with salsa and guacamole, veggie burgers, tomato onion capsicum pizzas, bean burritos, hummus veg wraps, veg sandwiches, vegan frito pie, vegetable hakka noodles, variety of soups etc. to name a few.
In general many vegan recipes lay emphasis on including a variety of whole grains as well as a wide range of fruits and vegetables from health point of view and vegan range of food is catching up with new recipes springing up fast.
Common vegan substitutes
Eating vegan food does not means munching only raw carrot sticks or salad. There are plenty of mouth watering dishes that can be made without use of any animal products.
While there are many delicious dishes which are inherently vegan, many other dishes can easily be made vegan by simple substitution of animal products with other items.
- Meat-based ingredients are generally swapped for plant based proteins like beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, seitan, tempeh, jackfruit etc. in vegan recipes.
- Similarly dairy products may be replaced with plant milks like soya milk, almond milk etc.
- Eggs can be substituted by tofu, flaxseeds or chia seeds depending on the recipes.
- Honey can be substituted by molasses, maple syrup etc.
Vegan substitutes for Indian ingredients
While many Indian recipes are already vegan, most of the other vegetarian recipes can be made vegan with very simple substitutions. Here is a list of vegan substitutes for commonly used ingredients in Indian vegetarian recipes.
- Paneer – Paneer is a very important part of Indian vegetarian cuisine, and is used for making various gravies & appetizers. You can use tofu as a vegan substitute for paneer in most dishes.
- Cream – A lot of Indian curries call for addition of cream to add richness to the gravy. Cashew cream is the best vegan substitute for cream. It can be made by soaking cashews in warm water and blending into a smooth paste. In some recipes, coconut cream can also be used, however that will slightly change the taste of the dish.
- Milk and yogurt – Milk can be easily replaced with soy milk or almond milk. Similarly any non-dairy yogurt made from soy, almond or coconut milk can be used in recipes.
- Ghee & butter – Butter & ghee can be replaced with vegetable oils, shortenings, vegan margarines or oil based butters.
Suggested recipe collections :
- Indian Curry Recipes | List of 36 Indian Vegetarian Gravies
- Indian Sabzi Recipes | 20 Dry Vegetables | Sookhi Sabji
- Rice Recipes | List of 19 Veg Rice Recipes
List of Indian Vegan Recipes
Here we cover some of the popular Indian vegan recipes, including a variety of delicious snacks, curries, rice, breads, salads and desserts. The post is divided in sections based on the type of dish.
Jump to section : Snacks | Dal & Curries | Rice | Indian Breads | Sides & Accompaniments | Desserts
Indian Vegan Snacks Recipes
Corn, Zucchini & Black Bean Tacos Recipe
Healthy Pav Bhaji Recipe
Roasted Sweet Potato, Poblano & Black Bean Tacos Recipe
Pani Puri Recipe | Golgappa | Puchka
Crispy Rice Paper Dumplings Recipe
Hummus Recipe | Chickpea Hummus With Tahini
Veg Fried Momos Recipe
Veg Momos Recipe
Onion Pakoda Recipe | Pyaz Ka Pakora
Palak Pakoda Recipe | Spinach Pakora
Aloo Chaat Recipe | Delhi Wali Aloo Chat
Vegetable Masala Maggi Recipe | Masala Maggi Noodles
Besan Cheela Recipe
Veg Chow Mein Recipe | Indian Chinese Style Chowmein
Methi Cheela Recipe | Besan Aur Methi Ka Cheela
Indori Poha Recipe
Corn Cutlet Recipe | Corn Kebab | Corn & Potato Cutlets
Hara Bhara Kabab Recipe | Spinach & Potato Cutlet
Gobi 65 Recipe | Cauliflower 65
Veggie Burger Recipe | Veg Aloo Tikki Burger
Bhel Puri Recipe | Mumbai Bhel Puri
Baby Corn Manchurian Dry Recipe (Indo-Chinese Recipe)
Bread Upma Recipe
Medu Vada Recipe | Sambar Vada
Rava Upma Recipe | Suji Upma
Tomato Cucumber Sandwich Recipe
Sabudana Khichdi Recipe | Sago Khichdi
Sabudana Vada Recipe | Crispy Sago Fritters
Bread Rolls Recipe | Stuffed Potato Bread Rolls
Samosa Recipe | Spicy Potato Samosa
Fried Idli Recipe | Masala Idli Fry | Leftover Idli Recipe
Besan Toast Recipe | Spicy Chickpea Flour & Bread Toast
Vada Pav Recipe | Mumbai Style Pav & Batata Vada
Makki Ka Dhokla Recipe | Steamed Savory Corn Cake
Idli Manchurian Recipe | Leftover Idli Recipes
Semiya Upma Recipe | Vermicelli Upma
Kachori Recipe | Kota Kachori | Urad Dal Kachori
Aloo Poha Recipe | Kanda Batata Poha | Potato Poha
Aloo Bread Pakora Recipe | Bread Pakora with Stuffed Potato
Batata Vada Recipe
Pav Bhaji Recipe
Veg Spring Rolls Recipe
Samosa Pinwheels | Aloo Bhakarwadi | Spiced Potato Pinwheels
Tomato & Basil Bruschetta Recipe
Potato Wedges Recipe | Oven Baked Potato Wedges
Gobi Manchurian Recipe | Dry Cauliflower Manchurian
Fruit Chaat Recipe | Sweet & Spicy Fruit Salad
Singhare Ke Pakore Recipe
Poha Recipe
Bread Poha Recipe | Bread Chivda
Veg Hakka Noodles Recipe
Veg Manchurian Recipe | Dry Mixed Vegetable Manchurian
Street Style Maggi Noodles Recipe
Quick Bhel Puri Recipe using Tomato Ketchup
Indian Vegan Curries & Dal (Lentil Dishes)
Lauki Chana Dal Recipe
Moong Dal Recipe | Moong Dal Tadka
Panchmel Dal Recipe | Rajasthani Pancharatna Dal
Sabut Masoor Dal Recipe | Whole Masoor Dal
Sorakkai Sambar Recipe | Lauki Sambar | Bottle Gourd Sambar
Dal Fry Recipe | Restaurant Style Dal Fry
Sookhe Kale Chane Recipe | Dry Black Chickpeas Curry
Dal Tadka Recipe | Punjabi Yellow Dal with Tadka
Kala Chana Masala Recipe | Black Chickpea Curry
Lobia Masala Recipe | Black Eyed Peas Curry
Chole Recipe | Punjabi Chana Masala
Brinjal Sambar Recipe | Kathirikai Sambar
Rajma Masala Recipe | Rajma Chawal
Dal Palak Recipe | Spinach Dal
Vegan Rice Recipes
Peas Pulao Recipe | Matar Pulao
Vegan Thai Basil Fried Rice Recipe
Tamarind Rice Recipe | Pulihora Recipe | Puliyogare
Tomato Rice Recipe | Thakkali Sadam
Schezwan Fried Rice Recipe
Palak Pulao Recipe | Spinach Rice | Palak Rice
Lemon Rice Recipe | South Indian Lemon Flavored Rice
Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe
Jeera Rice Recipe | Cumin Rice
Veg Pulao Recipe | Vegetable Pilaf
Veg Biryani Recipe | Hyderabadi Veg Dum Biryani
Tawa Pulao Recipe | Mumbai Tawa Pulao
Moong Dal Khichdi Recipe
Veg Fried Rice Recipe
Vegan Indian Breads
Moong Methi Masala Poori Recipe | Methi Dal Poori
Rava Dosa Recipe | Instant Suji Dosa
Methi Paratha Recipe | Methi Ka Paratha
Palak Paratha Recipe | Spinach Paratha
Gobi Paratha Recipe | Cauliflower Stuffed Paratha
Mooli Paratha Recipe | Spiced Radish Flatbread
Makki Mooli Methi Paratha Recipe
Palak Puri Recipe | Spinach Puri
Vegan Accompaniments – Salads, Chutneys, Dips & Pickles
Rajasthani Garlic Chutney Recipe | Lahsun Lal Mirch Ki Chutney
Fruit Guacamole Recipe
Mexican Salad Recipe
Hummus Recipe | Chickpea Hummus With Tahini
Mint Coriander Chutney Recipe
Tomato Garlic Chutney Recipe | Lahsun Tamatar Ki Chutney
Tomato Spinach Soup Recipe | Tamatar Palak Ka Soup
Mango Salsa Recipe
Ker Sangri Achaar Recipe | Ker Sangri Pickle
Kachumber Salad Recipe | Onion Tomato Cucumber Salad
Sprouted Moong Dal Salad Recipe
Coriander Tomato Chutney Recipe | Green Chutney
Mango Pickle Recipe | Aam Ka Achar
Mooli Ki Churi Recipe | Grated Radish & Tomato Salad
Thai Sweet Chili Sauce Recipe
Homemade Tomato Pizza Sauce Recipe
Tamarind Chutney Recipe | Imli ki Chutney
Fruit Chaat Recipe | Sweet & Spicy Fruit Salad
Guacamole Dip Recipe
Salsa Verde Recipe | Green Tomatillo Salsa
Pico De Gallo Recipe | Fresh Tomato Salsa
Tomato Salsa Recipe | Salsa Roja Asada
Dates Pickle Recipe | Khajur Ka Achar
Carrot Pickle Recipe | Gajar Ka Achar Recipe
Dry Garlic Chutney Recipe | Vada Pav Chutney
Vegan Desserts
Kaju Katli Recipe | Kaju Barfi
Malpua Recipe | Easy Homemade Malpua
Aamras Recipe | Sweet Pureed Mangoes
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