Cooking Vegetarian Indian Food

By Author: Silvia Blach
Total Articles: 19
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When people talk about being vegetarian, many usually think that they do not have a lot of recipes to choose from. People would think that being a vegetarian would only require them to eat bland tasting, raw or uncooked vegetables.

However, that is not the case for Indian vegetarian cooking. Vegetable lovers will find delight in Indian cooking without the need to endure the same old, boring, and dull taste of typical vegetarian cooking meal after meal. Vegetarian Indian recipe has a big variety of choices when it comes to tasty, nutritious and delicious dishes. Your meal can still be delicious even if there is no beef, mutton, or any kind of meat used in the recipes.

Generally, Hindus are vegetarian by nature. This is because Hinduism believe that by saving the lives of the animals, they will get to gain good karmic merits. Because of this, they have ingeniously integrated methods and spices in their cooking such that every meal can still be healthy and yet tasty at the same time.

In vegetarian Indian cuisine, bread are often served. One of the most served foods is the Capati. Capati is a flat and baked ...
... wheat bread that is served with dahl or other curries of your choice. Other popular Indian breads are puri, parantha, naan, and dhosai.

Most of the Indian cooking recipes for the vegetarians not only have vegetables but lentils, fruits, beans, legumes, and sprouts as well. Indian vegetarians also incorporate dairy items in their cooking such as yogurt or cheese. Cottage cheese or Paneer as it's known in India is widely used as a perfect alternative for vegetarians. Paneer can be homemade or bought from markets in big blocks. They are then cut into cubes or slices. It is a very versatile ingredient that easily absorbs and adapts to the flavors of other ingredients used in the dish. Some popular recipes that utilize paneer are Mutter Paneer - cottage cheese cooked with green peas, tomatoes, onions and spices; Palak Paneer, a healthy North Indian dish made of spinach and cottage cheese that's mildly flavoured; or Shahi Paneer - cottage cheese cooked in rich tomato gravy. Other hot favourites that involve paneer are Kadhai Paneer, Matar Paneer, Paneer Korma, Paneer Kofta, Paneer Makhani, Paneer Pasanda, Paneer Pakora, Paneer Tikka and Paneer Parantha.

Potatoes or Aloo are used extensively in Indian vegetarian cuisine. Some famous recipes that involve potatoes are Dum Aloo - potatoes cooked in mildly spiced gravy, Aloo Gobi which is potato cooked with cauliflower in curry, Aloo Paratha - flatbread stuffed with potatoes and eaten with pickles or chutney. Other popular Aloo recipes are Baigan Aloo (brinjal and potatoes), Aloo Ki Sabji (boiled potatoes in spiced gravy), Aloo Palak (chopped spinach and potatoes cooked in spicy curry) and Aloo Dahi Wale (potatoes in creamy yogurt sauce).

Other famous Indian vegetarian food are vegetables Jalfrezi - a vegetarian delight combining assorted vegetables such as beans, cauliflower, green pepper and carrots sautéed in garlic, ginger, dry fruits and spices; Baigan Bharta which is made from mashed aubergine cooked with tomatoes, peas and spices; Chana masala - spicy chickpeas curry served with bread; Dal Makhani - slow-cooked lentil gravy with garlic, onions, tomatoes, ginger and spices; Malai Kofta - vegetables-balls in a thick sauce which is usually served during special occasions alternative to meatballs and Dahi Baingan - Aubergine in seasoned yogurt.

If you want a dish that is heavier for your stomach, then you could include rice in your meal. The Tava Pulao or the Griddle Fried Rice is the choice of many vegetarians in India who have a big appetite. This is considered as a very popular street food in the country and also served in fine-dining restaurants as well. There's also vegetable Biryani which is rice cooked with a medley of vegetables and spices.
Indian Food Recipes is an online Indian cooking website offering a collection of free Indian recipes and cooking tips.