Healthy Indian Vegetable Recipes

Find healthy, delicious Indian vegetable recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Chickpea Curry (Chhole)

Rating: Unrated
31
Made with convenient canned beans, this quick and healthy Indian recipe is an authentic chickpea curry that you can make in minutes. If you want an additional vegetable, stir in some roasted cauliflower florets. Serve with brown basmati rice or warm naan.
By Shefaly Ravula & Amee Meghani

Squash & Red Lentil Curry

Rating: Unrated
18
This healthy red lentil curry recipe has a rich flavor and complexity that tastes like it takes hours to prepare. Butternut squash and coconut milk combine with the lentils to make a hearty vegetarian dish. Serve with brown rice or naan bread.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetarian Tikka Masala

Rating: Unrated
6
In this vegetarian tikka masala recipe, we combine crisp tofu pieces and vegetables in a spiced tomato sauce to make a healthy and flavorful dish. If you like spicy food, increase the amount of crushed red pepper. Serve with steamed brown rice for a healthier take on a classic takeout dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Slow-Cooker Dal Makhani

Rating: Unrated
4
Using a slow cooker for this dal curry recipe is brilliant--the lentils cook until they're perfectly tender. For the creamiest results, use whole urad dal (versus split), which you can get online or at Indian markets. This particular bean breaks down beautifully, giving the dish its rich, creamy texture. For a stovetop variation, see below. Serve it over rice with Indian-style green chutney and a side of plain yogurt.
By Shefaly Ravula & Amee Meghani

Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

Rating: Unrated
13
One of the most popular Indian dishes in the U.S. and the U.K., chicken tikka masala usually involves several steps including marinating and grilling the chicken before simmering in a curried tomato cream sauce. We've simplified it to a one-skillet dish and lightened it by increasing the vegetables, omitting the butter and using less cream. Serve with brown basmati rice and, for dessert, dates.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Basmati Rice & Curry Casserole (Chana aur Sarson ka Saag Biryani)

Rating: Unrated
2
Biryanis are rice-based casseroles that combine a saucy meat, vegetable or legume curry with basmati rice, whole spices, nuts and raisins. This particular dish is a nutritional powerhouse, thanks to the mustard greens and chickpeas. Look for the specialty spices--cardamom pods, saffron and garam masala--in the spice section of well-stocked supermarkets or online at penzeys.com.
By Raghavan Iyer

Indian-Spiced Eggplant & Cauliflower Stew

Rating: Unrated
18
Eggplant, cauliflower, chickpeas and tomatoes are the basis for this rich Indian-spiced curry. Make it a meal: Serve with brown basmati rice or whole-wheat couscous.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chickpea & Potato Hash

Rating: Unrated
6
The eggs cook right on top of this chickpea and potato hash--cook them a few extra minutes if you prefer hard-set eggs. Serve with warm pita bread and a cucumber salad with mint and yogurt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Curried Red Lentil Soup

Rating: Unrated
10
This curried red lentil soup is inspired by the Indian side dish dal; the Hindi word means “split” and refers to the split peas or lentils used in its preparation. Fragrant ginger, curry, cinnamon and cumin add lots of rich flavor. Look for lentils and spices in bulk--you'll often get a better deal and you can buy just the amount you need.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Winter Vegetable Dal

Rating: Unrated
4
This southern-Indian-inspired vegetable dal recipe is rich and creamy thanks to light coconut milk and gets exotic flavor from spice-infused coconut oil. Serve with flatbread or naan.
By Ivy Manning

Indian-Spiced Kale & Chickpeas

Rating: Unrated
7
Chickpeas make this exotic dish a terrific player in any vegetarian menu.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Indian-Spiced Chicken Pitas

Rating: Unrated
8
Make a perfect summer supper: grill spice-rubbed chicken breasts and tuck them into whole-wheat pitas along with fresh vegetables and a tangy yogurt sauce. Serve with: Grilled vegetables and a pilsner.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Inspiration and Ideas

Cilantro Chutney (Kothmiri Chatni)

Cilantro Chutney (Kothmiri Chatni)

Rating: Unrated
1
Indian chutneys (or chatnis) are savory, vibrant and exploding with flavor, with a thin, saucy consistency. In this green chutney recipe, cilantro creates the basic sauce that serves as a condiment for many Indian snacks, street foods and sandwiches. The serrano chile gives it quite a blast of heat, so use less if you like a tamer sauce. Try this chutney in place of your favorite hot sauce.
Curried Carrot Soup

Curried Carrot Soup

Rating: Unrated
5
If you like a bit of heat, use hot Madras curry powder in this recipe. Serve as a light lunch or as an appetizer before supper.
Spicy Roasted Indian Eggplant (Bhartha)

Spicy Roasted Indian Eggplant (Bhartha)

Rating: Unrated
3
Shrimp with Mango & Basil

Shrimp with Mango & Basil

Rating: Unrated
5
Curried Potato Salad

Curried Potato Salad

Scrambled Egg Curry

Scrambled Egg Curry

Rating: Unrated
1

Salmon & Eggplant Curry

Rating: Unrated
3

Salmon and eggplant team up in this one-skillet curry flavored with coconut milk, basil and lime. We love the flavor of Thai yellow curry paste in this dish, but any type of curry paste can be used--be sure to taste as you go because curry blends vary in flavor and heat. If you don't have curry paste, curry powder works well here. Serve with fragrant brown rice, such as basmati or jasmine.

All Healthy Indian Vegetable Recipes

Lemon Rice (Chitrannam)

Use up leftover rice and make it into something delicious with this healthy Indian recipe. Because cooked rice refrigerated overnight dries out a little, it's better suited to absorb all the flavors in this dish without getting sticky or mushy. In a pinch, use frozen or shelf-stable precooked basmati rice, available in many stores. Urad dal and roasted chana dal add texture and authenticity to the rice--look for both types of dal in Indian markets or online.
By Shefaly Ravula & Amee Meghani

Tandoori Chicken Kebabs

In this Indian-inspired healthy dinner recipe, tandoori-spiced yogurt does double duty as a marinade and dipping sauce for these chicken kebabs. Serve with brown basmati rice and a spinach salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash

Rating: Unrated
4
In this stuffed squash recipe, a spicy red lentil curry stew fills acorn squash. If you find them at your market use tasty jarred piquillo peppers in this.
By Bruce Aidells

Goat Curry

In this simple goat curry recipe, lean and healthy goat meat becomes tender from simmering with tomatoes and traditional Indian spices. Look for goat at ethnic markets or ask your butcher to order it for you. Serve with brown basmati rice and a dollop of yogurt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tandoori Chicken with Tomato-Cucumber Raita

Associated with India, tandoori cooking, a high-heat process, is actually a Middle Eastern invention, originally done in ceramic ovens, which have been unearthed at Babylonian archeological digs. In 1948, a fashionable, jet-setter restaurant in New Delhi installed a tandoori oven, the media picked up the story, and the craze went around the world so fast that tandoori cooking is now almost exclusively associated with India. Here, a hot grill produces similar results.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Quick Chicken Tikka Masala for Two

Rating: Unrated
7
One of the most popular Indian dishes in the U.S. and the U.K., chicken tikka masala usually involves several steps including marinating and grilling the chicken before simmering in a curried tomato cream sauce. We've simplified it to a one-skillet dish for two and lightened it by increasing the vegetables, omitting the butter and using less cream. Serve with brown basmati rice and, for dessert, dates.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Indian-Spiced Grilled Chicken

Rating: Unrated
1
This tangy marinade, spiked with the Indian spice blend garam masala, is a terrific way to enliven grilled chicken. Try it on tofu or pork chops.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken & Celery Root Tikka Masala

In this 5-ingredient healthy recipe, celery root replaces traditional potatoes for an easy Indian-inspired chicken dinner with a creamy spiced tomato sauce. Pick your favorite jarred Tikka Masala sauce. Serve over brown basmati rice or with warm naan and steamed green beans.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Kadhai Murghi (Wok-Seared Chicken & Vegetables )

Rating: Unrated
6
This stir-fry is typical of Northern Indian cuisine, with its emphasis on fresh vegetables. Because the cooking happens quickly it's a good idea to measure out and prepare all the ingredients in this recipe before you fire up the wok.
By Raghavan Iyer

Curried Whole Cauliflower

Rating: Unrated
1
In this quick three-ingredient recipe you coat a whole head of cauliflower with mayonnaise and curry paste, then cover and cook it in the microwave. The results are amazing! Try it with any type of curry paste.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Ginger, Split Pea & Vegetable Curry (Subzi dalcha)

Rating: Unrated
4
Protein-rich yellow split peas combined with fresh vegetables yields a hearty, stewlike curry--perfect for a cold winter night by the fireplace, with a loaf of crusty bread. Try any combination of vegetables--sweet potatoes, winter squash and spinach create a sweeter offering. Don't be alarmed by the number of chiles--the vegetables and split peas bring the heat level down to make each bite addictive without being excessively hot.
By Raghavan Iyer

Indian-Spiced Chicken & Asparagus

Rating: Unrated
5
This easy chicken-and-asparagus sauté is boldly seasoned with aromatic cumin and fennel; the seeds are toasted in a skillet before grinding to bring out the most flavor. If you don't want to buy a whole jar of the spices, look for them in the bulk spice section in natural-foods stores and buy just what you need for this recipe. Serve over brown rice, millet or quinoa.
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Cashew Butter Chicken Masala

Rating: Unrated
2
Butter or even heavy cream usually gives butter chicken its rich, satisfying quality. In this healthy version of a butter chicken recipe, cashew butter creates an equally luxurious texture. Chickpea flour thickens the sauce, but is optional if you don't have it on hand. For weeknight speed, marinate the chicken ahead of time and you can have this dish on the table in about 30 minutes. Serve with steamed spinach and basmati rice.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chicken Curry Soup

Rating: Unrated
2
Curry powder, fresh ginger and garlic infuse this chicken soup with lots of flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Indian-Spiced Stuffed Eggplant

Rating: Unrated
1
Lots of Indian spices flavor these stuffed eggplants. They can be a complete meal, but if you are feeling extra energetic, make this dish part of a multicourse Indian feast along with curried vegetables, basmati rice, yogurt salad and some Indian breads. As a side dish, plan on one-quarter of an eggplant per person.
By Bruce Aidells

Chicken Mulligatawny

Rating: Unrated
3
Mulligatawny, which literally means “pepper water,” is an English interpretation of an Indian dish. It has seemingly limitless versions, but most have curry and a bit of chicken. We've added tart Granny Smith apples, plenty of spice and a touch of coconut milk.
By Jessie Price

Sugar Snap Pea & Shrimp Curry

Rating: Unrated
3
This dish is best done at the last minute so the snap peas keep their crisp texture. The pink of the shrimp and the green peas make it as pretty as it is tasty.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Indian-Spiced Marinade

Rating: Unrated
2
This tangy marinade, spiked with the Indian spice blend garam masala, is a terrific way to enliven chicken, tofu or pork chops.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Saag Tofu

Rating: Unrated
9
Also known as palak paneer, saag paneer is an Indian classic composed mostly of spinach and paneer--a cow's-milk cheese that is curdled then pressed until firm. Here, we substitute tofu for the cheese and incorporate low-fat yogurt and sliced onions for a healthier version that retains its authenticity.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Curried Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower

Rating: Unrated
5
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, with a little help from the well-seasoned yogurt marinade, remain moist and tender when oven-roasted. Hint: Soaking the prepared vegetables in ice water for 15 minutes before roasting will hydrate them, making them more moist and tender when cooked.
By Marie Simmons

Ginger-Coconut Chicken

Rating: Unrated
1
The wonderful flavors of southern India--coconut milk, dried Thai chiles and coriander seed--provide a pleasant punch to a basic chicken breast. Although the ingredients look exotic, this is a deceptively easy dish you'll be proud to serve to guests. Feel free to use different cuts of chicken, bone-in or boneless; just adjust the cooking time accordingly. You can also grill the chicken.
By Raghavan Iyer

Griddle-Cooked Corn Flatbread (Makkai ki roti)

This flatbread (classically not flavored) from Punjab, deemed peasant food, often accompanies a puree of mustard greens and garlic drizzled with ghee (clarified butter). This version incorporates vibrant flavors that can easily accompany any meal or even be served with a dip for an appetizer.
By Raghavan Iyer

Curried Cashew Burgers

Rating: Unrated
10
If you're looking for a veggie burger with a great “meaty” feel, these are the ones to try. The secret is toasted cashews, which give them amazing flavor as well as texture. The red lentils cook surprisingly fast, keeping the active time brief.
By Ken Haedrich

Cucumber Raita

Rating: Unrated
1
Raita is cucumber-yogurt sauce used in Indian cuisine as a cooling balance for spicy dishes. Try it with curries or as a condiment for grilled meat or poultry.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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