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The best vegetarian Indian cookbooks

by Genevieve Halbert

published on 2 January 2024

India has the world’s largest vegetarian population so it’s little surprise that it leads the world in veg-focussed cuisine that’s so packed with flavour it’s hard to miss the meat or fish. These cookbooks put flavour-packed veg at the centre of the plate, with curries, rice dishes, sides, salads, pickles and soups from Madhur Jaffrey, Meera Sodha, and more.

Fresh India

Food writer and author of the best-selling cookbooks Made in India and EAST (see below), and Guardian column, The New Vegan, Meera Sodha has become known for her vibrant, fresh and simple Indian dishes. Fresh India is no exception. This vegetarian cookbook spans dals, curries and pickles, with a focus on seasonal British ingredients. Expect everyday recipes, from spinach, tomato & chickpea curry to savoy cabbage, black kale and potato subji and weekend showstoppers, like vegetable biryani and cauliflower korma.

Curry Easy Vegetarian

“Indian vegetarian food is perhaps the most flavourful, the most nutritionally balanced, and the most varied in the entire world”, so begins Madhur Jaffrey’s vegetarian follow-up to her bestselling cookbook, Curry Easy. An adventurous ride through India, you’ll find both familiar and lesser known dishes from whole red lentils with cumin & shallots sabut Masoor to chana dal with spinach and tomato.  

EAST

While this isn’t an exclusively Indian recipe book, you’ll certainly find a healthy dose of Indian dishes in this celebration of vegan and vegetarian recipes from across the Asian continent. From best-selling author of Made in India and Fresh India, Meera Sodha certainly knows a thing or two about fresh Indian curries and rice dishes as well as salads, sides and sweets. Get a taster with this Sri Lankan-style beetroot curry or this tomato curry

SpiceBox

by Grace Regan

From popular street food-turned-vegan curry house, SpiceBox, comes this new cookbook packed with 100 fresh, vegan curry house favourites. Expect vibrant, colourful dinners, light bites and all of the most popular SpiceBox dishes.

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