When people talk about being vegetarian, many often think that they do not have many dishes to choose from. They would think that being a vegetarian would only require them to eat bland tasting, raw or uncooked vegetables.
However, that is not the case for Indian vegetarian cooking. Vegetable lovers will find delight in Indian cooking without the need to endure the same old, dull and boring taste of typical vegetarian cooking day after day. Vegetarian Indian cooking boasts a mind boggling range of delicacies when it comes to tasty, nutritious and delicious dishes. Your meal can still be delicious even if there is no chicken, pork, or any kind of meat used in the recipes.
Generally, Hindus are vegetarian by nature. This is because they believe that by saving the lives of the animals, they will get to cleanse their souls. Therefore, they have ingeniously integrated methods and spices in their cooking such that every meal can still be healthy and yet tasty at the same time.
In vegetarian Indian cuisine, bread are often served. One of the most served foods is the Chapati. Chapati is a flat and baked wheat bread that is served with dahl or other curries of your choice. Other popular Indian breads are poori, naan, parantha, and dosa.
Most of the Indian recipes for the vegetarians not only have vegetables but lentils, fruits, legumes, beans, and sprouts as well. Indian vegetarians also use dairy products in their cooking such as yogurt or cheese. Cottage cheese or Paneer as it’s known in India is frequently used as a perfect alternative for vegetarians. Paneer can be homemade or bought from markets in big blocks. They are then cut into slices or cubes. It is a very versatile ingredient that easily absorbs and adapts to the flavors of other ingredients used in the dish. Some famous recipes that feature paneer are Mutter Paneer – cottage cheese cooked with green peas, tomatoes, spices and onions; Palak Paneer, a healthy North Indian dish made of spinach and cottage cheese that’s mildly flavoured; or Shahi Paneer – cottage cheese cooked in rich tomato gravy. Other hot favourites that use paneer are Matar Paneer, Kadhai Paneer, Paneer Kofta, Paneer Korma, Paneer Pasanada, Paneer Makhni, Paneer Pakora, Paneer Parantha and Paneer Tikka.
Potatoes or Aloo are used extensively in Indian vegetarian food. Some famous recipes that use potatoes are Dum Aloo – potatoes cooked in mildly spiced gravy, Aloo Gobi which is potato cooked with cauliflower in curry, Aloo Paratha – flatbread stuffed with potatoes and eaten with pickles or chutney. Other popular Aloo recipes are Baigan Aloo (aubergine and potatoes), Aloo Ki Sabji (boiled potatoes in spiced gravy), Aloo Dahi Wale (potatoes in creamy yogurt sauce), and Aloo Palak (chopped spinach and potatoes cooked in spicy curry).
Other famous Indian vegetarian dishes are Baigan Bharta which is made from mashed brinjal cooked with peas, tomatoes and spices; vegetables Jalfrezi – a vegetarian medley combining various vegetables such as beans, cauliflower, carrots and green pepper sautéed in ginger, garlic, spices and dry fruits; Dal Makhni – slow-cooked lentil gravy with garlic, onions, tomatoes, ginger and spices; Chana masala – spicy chickpeas curry served with bread; Dahi Baingan – Aubergine in seasoned yogurt and Malai Kofta – vegetables-balls in a thick sauce which is usually served during special occasions alternative to meatballs.
If you want a meal that is heavier for your stomach, then it is a must that you eat rice instead. The Griddle Fried Rice or Tava Pulao is the choice of many vegetarians in India who have a big appetite. This is considered as a hot favourite street food in the country and also served in fine-dining restaurants as well. There’s also vegetable Biryani which is rice cooked with a combination of spices and vegetables.
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