Indian culture and traditions are often the talk of the town. Not just that, the country is also known across the world for its wide spread of curries. From the spicy non-veg curries to the delectably sweeter veg curries, the options are quite diverse. But, if you are living outside India and your vocabulary for Indian curries starts and stops at “Tikka masala”, you need to know more.
But, with so many curries available, we thought we’d share the recipes to some amazing vegan curries from India that you possibly didn’t even know were vegan.
1. Vegan Dal Makhani
Dal Makhani is one of the most popular vegetarian dishes in India. In case you have been on the lookout for a good quality vegan alternative for the same, the vegan dal makhani is likely one of the best options. The creamy consistency of the lentils pairs amazingly with the flatbreads and the steamed rice.
Ingredients
• Whole Urad Dal – 1 cup
• Kidney beans – ½ cup
• Vegan butter or coconut oil – 3-4 tbsp
• Green chillies – 2 tsp
• Small onion – 1 chopped
• Tomato puree – 1 cup pureed
• Salt – 1 to 2 tsp
• Spices – Cumin, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper
• Tempering – cumin seeds, bay leaf,
• Ginger and garlic – chopped
• Coconut milk – 1/4th cup
• Kasoori methi – 1 tsp
• Fresh coriander – finely chopped
Procedure
• Start by soaking the urad dal for 4 hours and then allow for it to soak for 6 hours
• Place the saucepan on the stove with the dal and bring it to boil and then simmer
• Make sure that you cook it for 30-40 minutes till the lentils have cooked through and become soft
• Once cooked, turn off the stove and then strain the lentils till they are cold
• Set that aside and then heat the oil or the butter in the saucepan till it melts completely
• Once it heats up, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf and leave it to crackle and become fragrant
• Once done, add the chillies, garlic and ginger to the hot oil and then let it cook for 30 seconds
• The moment it starts changing colour, add the onions and then fry again
• Fry the onions till then become translucent and cooked and then add the tomato puree or the chopped tomatoes
• Add all the spices as per your liking and then mix everything through. Add the salt as per your taste and taste it once if needed
• Simmer the mixture for 3-4 minutes on low flame
• Add the urad dal and the kidney beans in the mixture and mix everything through and then simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Add a little water if needed and mix again
• Add the coconut cream to the mixture just before you are about to take it off the heat
• Add the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala and take it off the stove
2. Jackfruit Curry
Kathal or Jackfruit is one of the most popular “meat” like vegetable in India. If you didn’t know what it is or how it tastes, you are most definitely missing out. If you do like pulled pork and the kind of taste that it has, it is likely that you will like this dish. It is quite easy to make, and let me tell you, it tastes nothing short of amazing.
It is best eaten with steamed rice.
Ingredients
• Cubed jackfruit – 2 cups
• Onion – 1 chopped
• Ginger and ginger – 1 tbsp
• Chillies – 1 tbsp chopped
• Tomatoes – 1 cup chopped
• Spices – Cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder
• Salt – 1 tbsp
• Tempering – Cumin, Mustard
• Water – 1 to 2 cups
Procedure
• Start by putting the jackfruit in the pressure cooker and pressure cook it for 10-15 minutes till it is cooked
• Once it has been boiled and cooked thoroughly, drain the jackfruit and keep it aside
• Heat up a pan and add some oil to it and let it heat up completely
• To that, add the tempering of cumin and mustard seeds and allow them to sizzle for some time
• Once its done, add the chopped onions, ginger and garlic and fry for some time
• Let it fry till it becomes translucent and fragrant
• Add the chopped tomatoes to the oil and let it sweat a little and soften as well
• Add all the spices and mix everything through and cover the pan for 3-4 minutes and let it simmer
• Once the oil separates from the pan, add the boiled jackfruit and mix everything again
• Cover the pan and let the water from the jackfruit release
• Add some water and let it boil on medium flame till everything is cooked and becomes saucy
• Add some chopped coriander and garam masala powder to it
3. Manchurian Veg Balls
All of us love eating the classic Indo-Chinese food, don’t we? In case you have been looking for a good vegan option that you can enjoy during those rainy and gloomy nights, the manchurian veg balls is likely the best option. This saucy and delectable dish not just tastes good but packs in a lot of veggies that are good for you to eat as well.
Ingredients
• Cabbage – 1 cup finely chopped
• Carrot – 1 cup finely chopped
• French beans – ½ cup finely chopped
• Spring onions – ½ cup finely chopped
• Refined flour – 1/4th cup
• Cornflour – 1/4th cup
• Sauces – Soya sauce, chilli sauce, tomato sauce
• Garlic – 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Green chillies – 1 tbsp
• Vegetable stock – 2 cups
Procedure
• For this, you need to start with making the Manchurian balls first
• Take a big bowl and add all the chopped vegetables except the garlic and chillies
• To that, add the refined flour and the cornflour to the mix
• Add salt, pepper and chilli powder, if you want
• Add some water to make a stiff paste and then make balls out of it
• Fry this Manchurian balls in the hot oil till they are cooked from all sides and have a brown colour to it
• For the sauce, start by heating the pan and add oil to it
• Once the oil heats up, add the garlic and chillies to it and fry for 30 seconds
• Add the sauces to the mix and adjust the salt and pepper to it and mix everything around
• Add the water to the sauces and taste the salt and the sauces. Adjust if required
• Mix the cornflour slurry to the gravy and then add the Manchurian balls once the gravy thickens
• Let everything boil for some time and then take it off the heat and add some fresh spring onions
4. Palak Tofu Curry
We all know the staple Palak Paneer curry that is popular in India. But, since we are talking about the vegan alternatives, it is not surprising that we do need to replace the paneer for tofu. The Palak Tofu curry is one of the best options that you can enjoy for a delectable meal during your lunch time. If asked, we would suggest you eat it with some steamed rice.
Ingredients
• Tofu – 1 cup cubed
• Spinach – 2 cups
• Cumin – 1 tsp
• Whole garam masala – for tempering
• Onions – 1 finely chopped
• Garlic – 1 tsp finely chopped
• Chillies – 2
• Spices – Cumin, Chilli powder, garam masala
• Coconut cream – ½ cup
Procedure
• Start by boiling some water in a pan and add the spinach leaves into it
• Cook till it wilts completely and then transfer the leaves to a bowl with iced water to stop the cooking
• In a mixer, add the boiled spinach and the chillies and make a smooth paste out of it and keep it aside
• In a pan, heat up some oil and then add the cumin seeds and the whole garam masala till it crackles and becomes aromatic
• Add the chopped onions and the garlic at this stage and fry it again till it becomes translucent
• Add the pureed spinach mixture and let it cook on medium heat till the oil separates
• To that, add some salt and sugar as per your taste along with some chilli powder
• Let it boil and cook and let the oil separate
• Add the cubed tofu pieces to the gravy and cook till everything is combined
• Cover the pan and simmer it for 5 minutes
• Add the coconut cream mixture and then let it cook for another 5 minutes
• Take it off the heat and add a sprinkling of kasoori methi if you want
If you have been craving some desi Indian curries but have not been able to eat them because you are vegan, we have got your back. Try out these amazing recipes during this period of quarantine and change your cooking game.
