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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