37 Vegetarian Indian Recipes for Warming Dal, Creamy Paneer, and Crunchy Chaat
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Any list of vegetarian Indian recipes is clearly incomplete—we can barely begin to gather a small percentage of the classic vegetarian dishes from the many regional cuisines of India, plus new spins on those flavors. But below you’ll find a list of recipes we love to cook, including dals and sabzis, chaat, achar, and a few flatbreads. Save these dishes in the Epi app so you can work them into any meal plan, whether you’re eating meatless all the time or just hoping to add a few flavorful vegetarian dinners to your routine.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele1/37Quick Chana Masala
When you’re looking for cozy, comforting vegetarian Indian recipes to cook on a weeknight, we heartily recommend starting with Epi contributor Keya Wingfield’s chana masala. It’s made with canned chickpeas that are boiled with their liquid, giving them the luxurious texture of slower methods.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne3/37Dahi Dal
Swirl a little yogurt into this dal, which is blitzed with just-wilted fresh spinach. A hand blender might be the easiest move, but a standard blender or food processor will work too.
5/37Rajma
Make the smoky, gingery tomato-onion masala for this North Indian dish in advance, and then the rest will come together in just 15 minutes. Our recipe comes from Plant-Based India by Sheil Shukla, a great source for more vegan Indian cooking inspiration.
Photo by Nassima Rothacker6/37Chana Dal With Okra and Coconut
This recipe from Chetna’s Healthy Indian by Chetna Makan pairs split chickpeas with okra and chopped fresh coconut meat.
Photo by Nassima Rothacker7/37Butternut Squash With Red Lentils and Tamarind
Roasting the butternut squash before it’s added gives this masoor dal sweet, concentrated flavor to balance the tangy tamarind.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell8/37Paneer Butter Masala
This luxuriously creamy dish from Meera Sodha’s Fresh India is scented with cinnamon, clove, and fenugreek, and topped with toasted almonds.
Photograph by Jenny Huang, food styling by Tyna Hoang, prop styling by Sophie Strangio9/37Creamy Mushroom and Green Bean Masala
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton11/37Sour Cream Thepla
Thepla is a quintessential Gujarati flatbread that goes with anything—mango lassi, a cup of masala chai, or achar for dipping.
12/37Vegan Sunflower Saag With Black-Eyed Peas
Looking to add some easy vegan recipes to your week? This creamy and hearty saag gets its texture from sunflower seed cream, which mellows the bitter notes of the kale.
13/37Instant Pot Konkani Lobia
This tangy dish with black-eyed peas, zucchini, and butternut squash comes together quickly in your Instant Pot.
Photo by Laura Edwards14/37Til Wale Aloo
Turmeric gives these spicy sesame potatoes from Asma Khan’s cookbook Ammu their beautiful golden color.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton17/37Bombay Masala Chile Cheese Toasties
Is there a more epic vegetarian sandwich? This melty, crunchy, cheesy, spicy delight is an absolute must-make.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton18/37Chile-Garlic Kulcha
You don’t need a tandoor oven to make these crispy, buttery kulchas at home—just a clever method and a hot skillet.
19/37Ros Omelette
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca22/37Vada Pav With Dry Coconut-Garlic Chutney
Photography by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Cyd McDowell. Prop Styling by Paige Hicks23/37Eggplant Biryani
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Frances Boswell, prop styling by Sophie Strangio24/37Spring Vegetable Bhajia
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton25/37Khara Huggi or Pongal
This one-pot lentil and rice dish is pure comfort food.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou26/37Cheesy Samosa Puffs
Since these baked samosa puffs start with store-bought frozen puff pastry, they’re quite easy to make for a crowd—at Diwali or any time.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou27/37Hariali Paneer Tikka
These paneer skewers are great on the grill, but they can also be made in the oven if you can’t fire up the charcoal.
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Frances Boswell, prop styling by Sophie Strangio30/37Dahi Puri With Black Chickpeas
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton34/37Cabbage Stir-Fry With Coconut and Lemon
