Indian food is one of the easiest to make vegan, as it uses cheap easy-to-find natural ingredients (vegetables, grains and lentils) plus spices and no fake meats or cheeses. Flavours vary but don’t worry, not all Indian food is very very spicy, if you prefer milder tastes! Here are some of the best recipe books to have fun with.
Before cooking, read up on food safety for people & pets (avoid eating cooked rice after 24 hours, and keep garlic, onion and spices away from pets). Just bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, leeks, scallions, chives) as like citrus and rhubarb scraps, acids could harm compost creatures.
Plant-Based India is a wonderful book by Dr Sheil Shukla who learned to cook traditional Indian food from his grandmother over summers in Mumbai, and now combines his talents with medical knowledge to produce healthier plant-based versions reinvented for the modern age, to manage chronic illness. The 100 recipes include shak (spiced vegetable dishes), dal (legume stews), rotli (flatbreads), bhat (rice). enjoy:
- Palak Tofu
- Vegan Nan
- Festive Navratan Rice
- Dal Makhan
- Chocolate Chai Mousse with Berries
Dr Sheil Shukla is an internal medicine physician and food artist, who is passionate about both. He loves exploring food cultures and his culinary creations have over 60,000 followers on Instagram.
Vegan Treasures of India is a highly-reviewed book of 60 delicious unique recipes. Linger over hearty vegetable Ishtoo or share the iconic Vada Pav with loved ones. Spice up weeknights with robust Kadala curry or indulging in a treat like cooling kesar kulfi.
The Essential Vegan Indian Cookbook offers tips on traditional cooking techniques along with a shopping guide, before learning how to cook regional favourite and traditional dishes. Recipes include:
- Aubergine Lentil Curry
- Tofu Saag
- Cauliflower Tikka Massala
Priya Lakshminarayan is from Mumbai, and lives in Florida, USA. She is the creator of an award-winning recipe blog and enjoys creating recipes from scratch using fresh ingredients, whilst listening to Bollywood music!
