A Guide to Eating Vegan Dishes in India if you are a Traveler

It’s no secret that vegetarianism is popular in India. While being a vegan in India is a growing movement, but you might face some challenges. India is becoming vegan friendly, there are many dishes that you can eat if you are a vegan. In fact, you’ll find the world’s first vegetarian city in India, where it’s illegal to sell meat and eggs.

Indian food has been a major attraction for travelers around the world. Culinary adventures in India are one of the fond memories of your travels in the country. The food served in India is influenced by many cultures, civilizations and regions, there is a variety of mouthwatering cuisines.  If you are a vegan traveller in India, you need not be worried.The country offers you a multitude of vegan dishes for all foodies, after all, food is a way of life here.

The majority of the India’s population is vegetarian, therefore it shares common grounds with vegan philosophy. If you are not confident about the food you can always ask your host, restaurant or your travel planner, they can guide you better. Vegan Dishes in India are easily available in most of the Indian hotel, restaurant, or even street side stalls. However the best bet is to enter only those eating joints which have been labelled ‘Pure Vegetarian’ whenever you are venturing out.

We’ve created this guide for vegetarians and vegans in India to help you to find the best dishes that you can eat on your travels. Tucking into mouth-watering curries and delicious street food is half the fun of visiting this vibrant country, after all.

How is the vegan movement growing in India?

There are lot of people in India who have became vegan, espcially in the big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa and Pondicherry. Vegan start-ups have worked really hard, and ther are many hotels, restaurants who are catering vegan food. It’s really awesome to see India focused on dishes that are unique to its culture and traditions instead of only focusing on mock meats.
People started turning vegan seeing the health benefits. As a country with one of the highest rates of dairy consumption, Indians have started to realize that the dairy they are consuming is laced with chemicals and giving no health benefits..

Vegetarian meal and Vegan meal are often confused in India, so here are few things to keep in mind when it comes to eating vegan dishes in India.

• Indian food uses dairy products which as a vegan you need to avoid. Ask for all the ingredients of the food you eat. Regular milk can be replaced with soy milk.
• Ghee, clarified butter is a byproduct of milk and is often used in cooking. You can ask for the ghee to be substituted with vegetable oil.
• Vegans can eat all types of dal (lentils). But lentil generally served with tadka, which contains ghee or butter. Avoid the flavoring or request for vegetable oil.
• Yogurt, known as dahi in India is also a byproduct of milk, therefore you must avoid. Ask for the vegan varieties.
• Some breads like Bhature, Naan is likely be made with yogurt. You can opt for the plain bread varieties instead. Roti, rumali roti, tandoori roti, Puri are some breads you can eat.
• Indian food used a variety of spices. Spices are all vegan as they are totally plant based products. Vegans need not worry about the spices.
• Paneer is also a dairy product, therefore ask it can be substituted with Tofu.
• Desserts in India also generally comprise of dairy products like milk, panner and ghee , ask for ingredients befor tasting. Go for jaggery, chocolate, coconut and other flavorsome varieties.

Here are our recommended 10 Vegan dishes in India you should get your hands on

Samosa

This is one of the most popular Indian snack is shaped as a triangle. It is made of potato fillings and accompanied with a chutney of mint and coriander. Make sure that it is not stuffed with paneer.

Vegetable Biryani

India has had an old tradition of Biryani. There are many varieties of biryani available in India. Try out the vegetable one. Make a request for the biryani to be cooked in oil and not butter. The rice dish is absolutely divine. A huge mix of spices including pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, nutmeg, coriander and mint, is used, therefor it’s no wonder that this flavorful dish is a favorite for all travelers in India.

Aloo Puri

Puri refers to the delicious, whole-wheat, puffed bread. Aloo is a vegetable wildly and commonly used in the country. The potato comes in a delectable spicy tomato gravy and makes the perfect dipping sauce for the steamy puris. This is one of Indian favorite delicacy mainly eaten during breakfast and one of the delicious vegan dishes to try in the country.

Masala Dosa

South India’s most popular dish, Masala dosa is an international name. Vegans will especially love the scrumptious dish. It is typically served for breakfast or lunch and it is completely vegan as long as you confirm that ghee (clarified butter) is not used to fry it. The thin, crispy, savory pancake made from fermented rice and dal (lentil), wrapped around a mix of curried potatoes, onions and spices. The mixture is typically dipped in chutney and sambar or a side of curry gravy.

Dal Tadka/Channa Masala

This dish is sometimes garnished with ghee (clarified butter), so ask them not to do so. Dal Tadka is one of the best dishes to ever come out of Punjab. Known as “yellow dal“, the simplicity of the lentil curry is what makes it so delicious. Made from onion, ginger, garlic, tumeric and of course dal (lentils), this thick, steamy yellow curry is found in most thalis. The vegan delight is simple mouthwatering. The aroma and the flavors will surely make this one of the favorite Indian dishes. Similar to the tadka but quite unique, Channa Masala stands out from the crowd. The authentic Punjabi version has been passed down for generations.

Pani Puri

India’s beloved street snack, Pani Puri is one of the vegan delights. Also called golgappa, puchka, gupchup, the street snack is found in several regions of India. It consists of a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of flavored water (pani), tamarind chutney, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas.

Parathe

Indian dishes are incomplete without a mention of the variety of flatbreads, known as Parathas. They are flat breads made of flour, oozing with oil and bursting with local masalas. The taste of the dish depends on the stuffing and masala. For parathe, stuffing of potatoes, radish, onion, cauliflower, peas and various other varieties are available. This dish can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. India’s capital, Delhi has a street in old city specially dedicated for the delicious flatbreads. Give a try to this delight as long as you instruct them not to be cooked in clarified butter.

Misal Pav

One of India’s best known street food, Misal pav commonly found in Maharashtra is a vegan’s pleasure. Misal is feisty spicy curry made with sprouted moth beans also known as missal. Made with a melange of onion, hearty spices, ginger, garlic, and chillies. This spicy and lip-smacking dish is typically served for breakfast or as a snack which can be easily extended for lunch and dinner too. You can also savor Vada-Pav.

Khichdi

Khichdi is a south Asian cuisine made with lentils and rice. It is one of the dishes one can have anytime of the day. Khichadi is generally used as a detox dish to help with digestion. For Indians, there is nothing better than a portion of comfort food like Khichadi. This one pot meal can be enjoyed anytime with yogurt, pickle or even chutney. It has protein-rich quinoa for extra nutrition and flavor. If you are thinking of indulging in Ayurvedic treatments in India, this dish encourage your treatment.