Indian cuisine is among the best in the world for vegetarian food. The sheer variety of spices, sauces, staple ingredients and regional dishes are solid proof that you can easily enjoy a meatless diet without compromising on flavour or impact.
From fuss-free midweek curry ideas, to snacks and sides worthy of a fakeaway feast, we’ve rounded up some of the best veggie Indian dishes you can easily make at home.
Vegetarian curry recipes
Easy Mushroom and Yoghurt Curry
This super-simple curry comprising a delicious blend of spices comes together in just 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner.
From the book
India Express: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
75 recipes inspired by the vibrant flavours of South India and Bengal
Speedy and fuss-free recipes for maximum flavour in return for minimum effort
Trademark traybakes, as well as stir-fries, snacks, weeknight curries, and simple desserts
Buy From
All-in-One Aubergine, Tomato and Nigella Seed Curry
This one-tin traybake takes inspiration from a classic recipe by famed Indian cookery expert Madhur Jaffrey, with small tweaks to the cooking method making it the ultimate quick and easy dinner.
Chechki: One-Tin Spiced Cauliflower and Potato Curry with Peas
This oven-baked version of a Bengali classic is flavoured with panch phoron, a five-spice blend that you can easily recreate at home with staple dried spices.
Chana Batata, Chickpea and Potato Masala
Ideal for feeding a hungry crowd, this one-pot curry combines potatoes, chickpeas and sweetcorn in a mouth-watering spiced tomato sauce.
Masoor Dal
We’d be remiss not to include a dal in our round-up of ultimate veggie Indian dishes. This recipe by Madhur Jaffrey is the perfect version to make for a midweek dinner, with only seven ingredients needed.
Spinach with Fresh Indian Cheese (Saag Paneer)
Another veg curry classic, this Punjabi curry features cubes of paneer simmered in a rich and savoury spinach and tomato sauce.
Vegetarian Indian starters, snacks, and sides
Asma Khan’s Pyaz ke Pakora: Onion Fritters
Golden, crispy, and perfectly seasoned, these moreish onion pakoras will pair perfectly with your favourite chutney or dip.
Meera Sodha’s Blackened Sweetcorn Chaat
This popular Indian street food snack is fresh, zingy and packs a punch.
Nadiya Hussain’s From-scratch Samosas
Also known as shinghara, these spiced potato- and onion-filled pastries are fun and easy to make at home.
Meera Sodha’s Grand Vegetable Biryani
Perfect for any special occasion, this biryani recipe features paneer, beetroot, chickpeas, coconut and more to create a rainbow of flavours.
