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Why give up a regal malai kofta or the creamy dal makhani just because you prefer a vegan diet? There are fun ways to recreate all your favourite desi comfort foods as per your dietary needs. A couple of basic switch-ups can help you veganise your favourite Indian dishes.
Choosing vegan alternatives is not always a cakewalk because taste, texture, density and portions always matter when changing a recipe. But stocking your pantry with a few vegan essentials can always help. For Indian vegan kitchens, chickpeas, tofu, coconut milk, cashew paste, nutritional yeast, almond milk and dried fruits can be quite important.
A stacked spice rack can also take you a long way; so make sure the desi favourites like pepper, salt, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, and mint etc are available in your kitchen. Shredded coconut, fresh almonds and cashew ricotta can also help you perfect many Indian vegan recipes. Here are five Indian veganised dairy-based recipes that are hearty and nutritious!
Coconut Milk Kadhi
Yoghurt is the main ingredient in Kadhi recipes, although some recipes call for buttermilk. If you're vegan it's easy to swap the dairy-based dahi for a vegan substitute. The best alternative for this is coconut milk which is denser and also mildly sweet. Mix in besan, turmeric and salt in a mid-sized bowl of coconut milk and keep aside. Once the veggies are sauteed, add the coconut milk mixture and simmer for 5-10 minutes with seasoning.
'Malai' Kofta
If you want an authentic Rajasthani malai kofta, but with a vegan spin, simply use tofu for the kofta and coconut-based alt dairy for the gravy. The best way is to mix in some crumbled tofu with potato shavings and cashew ricotta to make a luscious kofta and toss them in seasoned and flavourful coconut cream gravy. You can also use chickpeas or some dal to make the kofta more filling
Tofu 65
The popular chicken 65 usually contains curd, so the easiest way to make this dish dairy-free is to consider tofu (and not the dairy-based paneer). Since tofu absorbs flavours once it's cooked, this Chettinad recipe is a perfect one because it requires you to fry the tofu first. You just need to get the spice mix right and if you want you can also use vegan, cashew-based yoghurt for this recipe if you want to make it moister
Dal Makhani
Wondering how to veganise the buttery dal makhani? With coconut milk, of course! Coconut milk has the right thickness for this dish and it can also easily be mixed with a spoon of coconut milk for some added creaminess. For best results use both urad dal and rajma and if possible add some pumpkin seeds which are a flavourful thickener
Veg Makhanwala
This beloved Punjabi recipe already has cashews so substituting the butter with cashew paste and cashew butter is really easy and does not mess with the recipe. In a blender mix in chopped tomatoes, pre-soaked cashews, minced ginger, cloves and chopped garlic. Instead of normal butter, simply use cashew butter (or almond better which is a good nut-based option for Indian recipes) to sautee the veggies and mix them into the gravy.
