Although one can find Indian dishes that are vegan, a good amount of them contain ghee (clarified butter)and other covert ingredients. Its hard to decipher exactly what each dish contains in a restaurant setting so naturally the best way to be assured of good ingredients is to cook at home. I have always been intimidated with the idea of preparing this type of cuisine. The spices and flavors are so entangled that I figured it truly took a native cook to navigate. I went about it the best way I know how- researching spice combinations,perusing recipes, and lastly… exploring how to vegan-ize it without compromising the flavors I worked so hard to capture.

Turns out it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be and everything came out really well. The meal hit the spot where my Indian craving had been nagging and pushed me past my intimidation of a whole category of food. I made naan bread, creamy chickpeas, a simple curry and a side of oven roasted seasoned potatoes. The naan turned out exactly as I had tasted in restaurants- soft and airy with the subtle note of garlic I had added to the dough. The chickpeas tasted piquant and nutty-the fenugreek and peanut butter made the dish fantastically rich. The curry added a nice show of vegetables and the roasted potatoes brought texture to the presentation.

Naan Bread (makes 5)

7 fl. oz. water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. active dry yeast
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white self rising flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1. Put water in a small pan and heat until hot to the touch. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Sprinkle in the yeast slowly (you don’t want it to clump up). Put the pan aside in a warm place and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes until you see some bubbles coming up on the surface. If you don’t see any bubbles- your yeast is dead..start over.
2. Mix the two flours, salt and the garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle in the lemon juice, then add the yeast mixture. Add more water if needed so that the dough is pliable and not too sticky. Knead about 100 strokes. Leave the dough in the bowl and cover it- place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. You need to cook it just before you serve it so plan accordingly. Take out of the refrigerator and knead it about 60 more strokes then cut dough into 5 pieces. Form these into balls then flatten them out into an oval shape. Now, roll them out as thin as possible- about a quarter of an inch thick at most.
4. Preheat broiler and place rack on top rung. Flour a baking sheet just under where you will place the naan dough- if any flour is on the baking sheet exposed it will just burn. Place the dough on the oval of flour and put on oven rack. Cook on both sides until puffed and golden. This will only take a couple minutes so keep a close eye on it otherwise you will overcook the bread. After removing from the oven, brush the bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Best eaten hot out of the oven.

Fenugreek Chickpeas

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek
2 cans chickpeas (3 1/2 cups)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 1/2 tsp peanut butter
3 Tbsp tomato paste

Saute onion and garlic until golden. Add all spices and cook only 30 sec or until fragrant over med heat. Add chickpeas and half their liquid from the can. Add lemon juice and tomato paste. Stir. Add peanut butter and simmer for 5 minutes or so. Salt and pepper to taste.

Vegetable Curry

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
2 tsp coriander
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup broth
any assortment of vegetables (peas, broccoli, cauliflower etc)
1/4 cup soy milk
2 Tbsp Bragg’s

1. Chop veggies into small pieces.
2. Heat broth in saucepan. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and ginger- cook for a couple minutes.
3. Add spices, stir and let simmer for a minute. Add in the tomato paste and Braggs. Bring to a boil then stir in veggies and soymilk, lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook until all vegetables are tender.

Roasted Spiced Potatoes

1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound potatoes (I used sweet potatoes but you can use whichever type you like) cut into wedges, skins on & washed
Cilantro, roughly cut (for garnish)

1. Oven @ 425. Whisk together all ingredients except for the potatoes and cilantro. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, toss the potatoes with the spice mixture.
2. Roast about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.