Best Indian Restaurant Vegetarian and Vegan Options

Vegetarians have it easy at an Indian restaurant. A third of our menu never sees meat, and none of it is a substitute or an afterthought — these are dishes people have eaten as the main event for centuries.

Best vegetarian dishes

• Palak paneer — spinach cooked down with cubes of fresh cheese. Mild, rich, the most-ordered vegetarian dish we make.
• Dal makhani — black lentils simmered for hours with butter and cream. Deeply savory.
• Paneer tikka — cheese marinated and charred in the tandoor. The vegetarian answer to chicken tikka.
• Malai kofta / paneer korma — sweet, creamy, nut-based gravies.
• Vegetable biryani — layered basmati with whole spices.

Best vegan dishes

These are vegan as we cook them, no swaps needed:

• Chana masala — chickpeas in a tomato-onion masala.
• Aloo gobi — potato and cauliflower, dry-cooked with turmeric and cumin.
• Baingan bharta — smoked eggplant mashed with tomato and onion.
• Dal tadka (ask for oil, not ghee) — yellow lentils with a tempered spice finish.
• Bhindi masala — okra, dry and spiced.
• Vegetable samosas and pakoras — fried in oil, no dairy.

The two questions vegans should always ask

1. Is the bread made with dairy? Naan dough often contains yogurt or milk, and it's brushed with butter. Ask for roti or tandoori roti instead, and ask them to skip the butter.
2. Ghee or oil? Many lentil and vegetable dishes get a finishing spoon of ghee. Any real kitchen can use oil instead if you say so when ordering.

Also worth knowing: raita and lassi are yogurt, and korma-style gravies usually contain cream or cashew paste.

Ordering for a mixed table

This is where Indian food shines. Order two vegetarian dishes and one meat dish and nobody feels catered to as an exception. We do this constantly for catering orders — a vegan tray, a vegetarian tray, and a tandoori tray keeps every guest fed.

Just tell us when you order. Note it on your online order or call the restaurant and we'll adjust in the kitchen.