Healthy Indian Vegetable Recipes

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.

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.

Sweet sautéed onions and a rich mixture of spices create a complex, flavorful base for this extraordinary vegetarian stew.

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.

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.

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.

This one-pan stir-fry is an Indian feast of sweet shrimp, perfumy mangoes and spicy basil. It's guaranteed to evoke dinnertime oohs and ahhs. Carbs are a time-tested way to take the pop out of the heat, so make sure you have plenty of aromatic jasmine rice to go with this fiery dish. Use prepeeled shrimp to make preparation a breeze.

Fresh ginger and pungent curry add big flavor to this one-pot meal.

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.

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.

Curry powder, fresh ginger and garlic infuse this chicken soup with lots of flavor.

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.

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.

This bunless quinoa burger recipe with an easy yogurt sauce is a staff favorite. Experiment with different seasonings in place of the ginger and garam masala‚ such as garlic and cumin for Middle Eastern flair or garlic and chili powder for a Southwestern spin. Serve with a spinach salad and naan or chapati bread.

Fresh and dried cranberries, tomatoes, mustard seeds and fragrant curry spices brighten this zesty Indian-spiced chicken stew. The dish is excellent prepared ahead and reheated, so it is a convenient entree for casual entertaining. Serve with brown basmati rice. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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.

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.

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.

Paneer, a fresh cheese that tastes like a cross between mozzarella and feta, is a common ingredient in vegetarian Indian recipes. To make this healthy Indian spinach recipe vegan, substitute tofu for the paneer and use “lite” coconut milk instead of yogurt.

In this easy vegetable side dish, okra stays crisp--not slimy--when sautéed quickly with a blend of Indian spices. Serve with curry-grilled chicken or fish and a yogurt sauce.

This healthy appetizer recipe features tons of dark leafy greens cooked with chile, ginger and turmeric and topped with the Indian cheese, paneer. If you want to serve it like a flatbread, brush whole naan lightly with olive oil and toast on a grill pan until lightly charred on both sides. Top with greens and cheese.

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.

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.

The addition of apricot preserves makes this chicken curry taste faintly of chutney. Serve it with brown rice seasoned with curry powder.