Vegetables

Since a good percentage of Indians are vegetarian, this cuisine has taken vegetable dishes to new heights. Many meat-lovers from the famous (Anthony Bourdain) to my husband (not so famous) have eaten such soul-satisfying vegetarian meals that they've declared they didn’t miss the meat.

Have fun exploring how the spices vary from region to region. Palak paneer is widely popular in North India, and South Indian vegetables (green beans and potato curry) often get the coconut, mustard seed, curry leaf treatment. Here are some other favorite Indian vegetable dishes: potato cauliflower curry (aloo gobi) from North India, and a South Indian cabbage stir-fry (Kerala thoran).