fried eggplant curry
Eggplant curry with fried eggplant in a simple tomato masala, with a hint of tamarind. Kathrikkai kulambu is a vegetarian favourite.
vegetables
India has the world’s most developed vegetarian cuisine. Given that over 80% of their over one billon people are vegetarian, it is not surprising that this is the case.
These recipes feature vegetables and fruit, and range from simple to complex, and from mild to hot.
Many, but not all, of these recipes are suitable for vegan diets. Some contain ghee, yoghurt, or paneer.
These are some of our favourite vegetable recipes and are mainly from southern India.
vegetable korma
Not your normal mixed vegetable curry. This vegetable korma is an aromatic, flavourful dish from the kitchens of the Mughal emperor Akbar. This complex dish, shahi navratan korma, is a classic example of Mughlai cuisine.
mushroom dopiaza
Mushroom dopiaza, or khumb do pyaza features mushrooms, quickly cooked in a masala with tomatoes and a lot of onion. Despite having a Mughlai heritage, it is actually a very simple dish to prepare.
mushroom pepper fry
This mushroom pepper fry, or kalan milagu varuval, is a dry stir-fry strongly spiced with black pepper. This dish allows the bold mushroom flavour to stand out.
paneer jalfrezi
This dish, also known as kadai paneer, is a combination of paneer, capsicum, tomato, onion and spices cooked in ghee. Paneer jalfrezi is the Bengali way to prepare paneer.
paneer and peas
Paneer and peas, or matar paneer is a popular dish from the Punjab. It highlights the paneer, has a spicy tomato sauce and bursts of flavour from the just-cooked peas.
palak paneer
This palak paneer is the classic Punjabi dish of spinach studded with cubes of fried paneer cheese.
potato and cauliflower curry
A dry potato and cauliflower curry. This recipe for aloo gobi is a typical Bengali vegetable dish. It features crispy potato and just-cooked cauliflower.
Kashmiri potatoes
Kasmiri aloo dum is a recipe for potatoes in a spicy yoghurt sauce, This is the traditional way to serve potatoes in Kashmir.
potato and peas
This sukha aloo matar is a dry vegetable curry, featuring potato and peas This is a simple and popular family dish from New Delhi.
potato, pea and tomato
Alu matar tamatar might be the most popular vegetable curry in India. This potato and pea curry with tomatoes goes with just about everything.
saag
This is a common Punjabi dish, typically served in winter. This palak ka saag is a lightly spiced puree of spinach.