Vegan Indian Recipes (simple ideas and good books)

Learning to cook your own food is empowering. Because with a few simple ingredients, you can knock up tastier, cheaper and more nutritious meals than store-bought (and nobody can afford to eat out all the time).

We all like a good curry (and apparently it’s now England’s favourite meal, surpassing the roast dinner). So here are a few simple tips and recipes to start you off.

This creamy parsnip curry with lentils (The Veg Space) uses the natural sweetness of root vegetables, for a delicious evening meal. And the lentils add extra taste and a protein punch.

Never eat cooked rice after 24 hours.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (many foods are unsafe near animal friends). Bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives) and citrus/tomato/rhubarb scraps, as acids could harm compost creatures. It’s okay to put them in food waste bins (made into biogas).

For tinned foods, fully remove lids (put inside) or pop ring-pulls back over holes (and pinch tops closed) before recycling, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.

Indian vegan pantry ingredients

Indian food is very cheap to make, as the ingredients are nearly always natural (lentils over fake meats, and fresh produce).

• The only ‘expensive ingredient’ is likely coconut milk, so ensure you choose brands that are monkey-friendly (harvested by humans).
• Not all Indian food is spicy, but it does of course spices. Choose zero-waste brands (in glass jars) and only buy what you need (say in zero waste shops) to avoid a cupboard full of old spices that have no taste.
• The best alternative to ghee (clarified butter) is simply vegan butters with no palm oil (Flora and Lurpak are good brands).
• Indian food tends to use rice over pasta, so cook it properly, and don’t eat leftovers after 24 hours (a food poison hazard). Some brands (like Biona) are now sold in paper (not plastic) packaging, look for them in health stores.
• Tempeh is a high-protein Indonesian food that’s sold everywhere. Look in stores for good brands like Tiba and Better Nature that are pre-flavoured with curry spices. This makes it really easy to knock up a tasty Indian feast!

Chickpea tikka masala

Curries come in all types, from mild korma to spicy tikka masala. Just adjust the seasoning as you like, and try one of these simple recipes:

Chickpea Tikka Masala (The Simple Veganista) is made with chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk and aromatic spices. It’s also easy, as after putting the ingredients in the pan, you just leave it to simmer.

Spicy lentil dal

Spicy Lentil Dal (The Simple Veganista) uses a few ingredients, but they are all cheap and easy to find (vegetables, lentils, spices etc). Once you make this healthy tasty homemade version, you’ll never go back to ready-made.

Homemade naan bread

Most naan bread in shops contains dairy and/or palm oil, and is wrapped in plastic packaging. This homemade naan bread (The Simple Veganista) is easy to make, and you can also use it to soak up soups and stews, or use as a base for mini-pizzas and wraps.

To avoid plastic wrap when waiting for dough to rise, you can just use a cotton tea towel. Keep fresh bread dough away from children and pets. 

Vegan India (a book of simple recipes)

Vegan Indian Food is a book of almost 90 plant-based Indian recipes, including breads, curries, rice dishes and desserts. The book draws on the author’s experience of wanting to make some of her favourite dishes vegan-friendly, but still respecting the history and authenticity of her heritage.

Make It Plant-Based India is a book of simple 50 recipes, with lovely pictures. Find easy versions of beloved dishes using store-bought pantry staples and fresh produce. Recipes include:

• Chile ‘cheese’ lentil pancakes
• Tofu tikka
• Fluffy onion-stuffed flatbread
• Oat milk chai
• Roasted strawberry-almond milk rice pudding

Kari is a book of re-imagined plant-based Indian recipes, using affordable ingredients that you can find in any store. Featuring creative curries, sauces and rice dishes, for anyone who likes Indian food!

This book explores what ‘curry’ actually is, infused with flavours and techniques from Asia to America. England loves a curry (the Balti curry was born in Birmingham) and apparently has taken over the Sunday roast as Britain’s favourite dish.

So it pays to learn how to make a few classic dishes, for more taste, better nutrition and less cost. So learn from an expert, who infuses fusion influences from Thailand and Korea, to Japan and even Italy.

Each sauce recipe includes two variations to make your most of time in the kitchen, and there are also recipes for grains and stews, plus breads, drinks and desserts – for a complete Indian feast.

Recipes include:

• Makhani Sauce
• Tofu Katsu Makhani
• Makhani Nachos
• Fluffy Basmati Rice
• French Lentils with Lemon Rosemary Tadka

Sheil Shukla is a board-certified internal medicine physician who lives near Chicago, and is also a recipe developer and food photographer. His debut book Plant-Based India was nominated for a James Beard Award.