Vegan in India
The easiest large country in the world for plant-based eating: an enormous vegetarian tradition, pulses at the centre of most meals, and regional cuisines that were dairy-free long before the word vegan existed. The one thing to watch is ghee and paneer, which appear in restaurant cooking far more than in home food.
Plant-based friendliness
Dishes that are already plant-based
Chana masala
Chickpeas in tomato and onion masala — usually oil-cooked, ask for no butter.
Idli & sambar
Fermented rice-lentil cakes with a tamarind dal broth. Naturally vegan.
Masala dosa
Ask for oil instead of ghee on the griddle.
Chole bhature
Fried bread with chickpeas; check the dough for yoghurt.
Baingan bharta
Smoked aubergine mash; commonly finished with cream in restaurants.
Market staples
Phrases to use
- Ghee nahi, tel se banana
- No ghee, please cook it in oil.
- Doodh, dahi, paneer nahi
- No milk, yoghurt or paneer.
- Shuddh shakahari, bina dairy
- Strictly vegetarian, without dairy.
Watch out for
- Ghee used as the default cooking fat in North Indian restaurants
- Curd (dahi) folded into marinades and raitas
- Cream finishing on 'butter' and 'makhani' style gravies
- Naan dough often contains milk or yoghurt — roti is the safer choice
Local groups and resources
- Sharan India
- Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations
Questions people ask
Is Indian vegetarian food automatically vegan?
No. Indian vegetarian cooking uses a lot of dairy — ghee, paneer, curd and cream. Ask for oil-cooked dishes and skip paneer.
Which region of India is easiest?
South India and coastal Kerala and Tamil Nadu, where coconut replaces dairy and rice-lentil breakfasts are the norm.