A vegetarian tradition
A large share of Indians eat little or no meat, so Indian cooking has some of the world’s richest vegetarian dishes. Paneer, fresh cheese that doesn’t melt, is the star of North Indian restaurant menus.
Paneer dishes
- Paneer butter masala: silky tomato and butter gravy, mild and rich.
- Palak paneer: bright green spinach with garlic.
- Kadai paneer: spicy and semi-dry, with peppers and crushed coriander seeds.
- Shahi paneer: pale, royal cashew and cream gravy.
- Malai kofta: paneer and potato dumplings in creamy gravy.
Vegetables and more
- Kashmiri dum aloo: baby potatoes in red yogurt gravy.
- Mirchi ka salan: Hyderabad’s green chillies in peanut-sesame gravy, served with biryani.
- Gatte ki sabzi: Rajasthan’s gram flour dumplings in yogurt curry.
- Avial: Kerala’s mixed vegetables in coconut and yogurt.
Paneer tips
Shop-bought paneer can be firm; soak cubes in hot salted water for 10 minutes to soften them. Homemade paneer is easy too: curdle hot full-fat milk with lemon juice, strain and press.
Shared with Pakistan
Many vegetable dishes are cooked on both sides of the border, such as aloo gobi, baingan bharta, bhindi masala and sarson ka saag.