This is my easy and super delicious indo-Chinese Schezwan tofu! Indo-Chinese cuisine is a sub cuisine of Indian cuisine. It is adapted from both Chinese and Indian cuisines and has its own dishes and sauces. Many of the dishes are similar to Chinese dishes but have added spices and flavors and often have a slightly different name- like this schezwan tofu, which is different from Chinese Szechuan tofu. This Indochinese version usually uses Indian paneer cheese. I am using tofu for the recipe. You can use other plant based proteins as well.

To make this simple dish, you crisp up the tofu and stir fry it with store-bought Schezwan sauce and some veggies, thicken with a little bit of cornstarch, and it’s done. 

You can use Schezwan sauce or use the Schezwan chutney that you can find in Indian stores or online or use the Chinese sauce. The indo chinese chutney or sauce is more flavorful and more garlic-y than the conventional store ones.

You can also make your own Schezwan sauce from scratch at home with some garlic and dried chilies( milk chilies like Kashmiri chilies). See recipe notes for a quick version. Serve it over plain or schezwan rice, quinoa or Hakka noodles.

Why You’ll Love Schezwan Tofu

• easy, 30-minute, one-pan meal
• restaurant style that you can make at home!
• lots of crunchy veggies in sticky-sweet-mildly spicy Schezwan sauce
• gluten-free and nut-free with a soy-free option

Continue reading: Schezwan Tofu (Indo-Chinese 1 pan 30 minutes)

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You guys love my baked jackfruit biryani, so I decided to make another baked biryani for you. Biryani is a Rice dish often with added meats. Many regional cuisines of India have their own variations of this rice dish. They can vary significantly, some just a few spice differences while other with the processes and methods as well. Today we are making a royal biryani from Awadhi (Lucknowi) cuisine.

Lucknowi cuisine (north-central Indian cuisine) has influence from Mughal, nawabi, and Punjabi cuisines with its own dishes. Lucknowi Biryani is usually made with meat, like lamb. I’m using tofu here as the protein, I’m using the same spices that make that biryani ultra delicious and special. Come along with me on my mission to explore regional Indian cuisine as well as make vegan versions of meat heavy Indian recipes!

Biryani is a rice dish, which usually has a really flavorful protein added to it. Everything is layered in a pot to get all of the flavors infused into the rice, and it’s served either as-is or with some yogurt dip raita or as a side dish. The traditional cooking requires many pans and multiple steps to get all the flavor in the protein and the rice which is then layered and slow cooked in a covered/sealed container. I simplify that whole process by baking the Biryani so you need just 1 baking dish and a few minutes of active time in the kitchen!

I’m using very specific spices in this recipe for that particular authentic flavor. If you don’t have all of the spices, use whichever spices you have and add in some extra garam masala, or you can use the spices from my jackfruit biryani.

Why You’ll Love Lucknowi Biryani

• Crisp spiced tofu and rice flavored with a mix of whole and ground spices
• same incredible, layered, complex flavors baked in a single pan in the oven
• only 15 minutes of active time and the rest hour is baking in the oven
• naturally gluten-free with easy nut-free, soy-free, and oil-free options

Continue reading: Lucknowi Biryani (North Indian Spiced Tofu Rice Bake)

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The other day, I was wondering why some vegetable-based Indian dishes use fewer spices than meat-based ones. There are several reasons for this. Veggie dishes, like saag aloo, are more homestyle recipes meant to celebrate the flavors of the veggies. Others like Chana masala also are often homestyle recipes. But why shouldn’t veggies be packed with flavor?

What is Saag Aloo?

Saag Aloo is spiced Greens with Potato. It can be a wet curry style dish or a simple stir fry kind of dish. Greens can be spinach, mustard, amaranth or other local greens. The homestyle aloo saag is usually dryish. This is a restaurant style saag aloo that uses all of the incredible spices from chicken saag style recipes, but without the meat. To make this into a meal, you can add cooked chickpeas into the saag or serve it along with my Punjabi chole chickpea curry, dal, or tofu curry on the side. You can also substitute half of the potatoes with some crispy tofu to make it into a tofu and potato spinach curry. 

To make a restaurant-style version, we add a lot more spices and some more fat added to the saag for a more flavorful, creamier experience. For a better texture of the spinach, I like to pulse the frozen spinach in a food processor for a fine chop like texture instead of too leafy or all pureed. I prefer that texture in saag aloo. If using fresh spinach, then finely chop and use. You can also use a combination of greens for this saag like mustard greens, chard, amaranth greens and other seasonal greens.

I also bake the potatoes ti so they are crispy and golden and serve them just lightly mixed in. Homestyle palak aloo has the potatoes cooked with the spinach for a softer potato dish. For a homestyle less spiced version try this palak aloo.

Why You’ll Love this Saag Aloo

• crispy, spiced potatoes over a creamy, super flavorful spinach curry
• easy to make into a meal by adding chickpeas or tofu!
• so versatile! Make with leafy greens of choice, like mustard greens, baby kale, amaranth greens, etc.
• restaurant-style meal at home in only 40 minutes
• gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Continue reading: Restaurant-Style Saag Aloo (Indian Potato Spinach curry)

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This is a hearty mutton (meat) recipe that I’ve adapted from Pahadi cuisine and converted to a vegan curry. Pahadi means mountains, and the mountainous regions in India have their own cuisine. There are many states in the region and this mountain cuisine varies based on the state and city cuisines.

Many of the recipes from the cuisine use lots of whole spices in the sauce. Like all of my other vegan Indian recipes, even you don’t have all of the whole spices, you can still make the recipe. It will still have enough flavor overall, but you definitely should try it with the listed spices at least once. 

I often also use these spices, like the Kashmiri chili powder and black cardamom, in other recipes, so if you get a bag, you’re going to keep using them. 

Get them from the Indian store, because you can get a smaller quantity for much cheaper than online. You can also order from Indian stores online, because they often deliver, as well. 

You can bake or pan-fry the tofu for this recipe. I’m pan frying in the video, but the recipe includes baking instructions, as well. You can also use other proteins like pumpkin seed tofu, seitan, tempeh, soycurls or chickpeas/beans! Come along with me on this journey to try out the various regional Indian cuisines, made easier!

Why You’ll Love Pahadi Tofu Curry

• rich, flavorful, tomato-yogurt curry sauce with lots of whole and ground spices
• tender, toothsome tofu pieces
• one-pan meal
• Indian regional cuisine recipe
• only 40 minutes to make it

More Indian Curry Recipes

• South Indian Eggplant Curry Casserole
• Malai Tofu Curry
• Aloo Matar – Indian Peas & Potato Curry
• Vegan Malabar Curry with Veggies & Beans

Continue reading: Pahadi Curry (1 Pan North Indian Mountain Tofu Cardamom Pepper Curry)

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Thecha is a green chili condiment often served alongside many Indian dishes. This green chili chutney from the Indian state of Maharashtra is the preferred side with flatbreads like Bhakri( millet or sorghum flatbread). It is a spicy, nutty mix of green chilies, garlic, and peanuts, lightly blistered and then ground up with a mortar and pestle into a coarse mixture.

We make the Thecha chutney from scratch. It is a delicious spicy garlic chili chutney! You can also serve it as a side, like a chutney, or add to sandwiches or to your Indian spread.

In this Lentil dal, Thecha, the roasted green chili, garlic, peanut condiment gets swirled into this dal for a complex flavor and comforting meal!

Use whichever lentils of choice and make double protein of Thecha to use later in sandwiches or on garlic bread!

Why You’ll Love Thecha Dal

• cozy Indian dal with flavorful garlic-chili-peanut topping
• easy, 30 minute meal
• naturally soy-free and gluten-free

More Vegan Dal Recipes

• Masoor Dal Tadka
• Dhaba-Style Butter Dal
• Punjabi Dal Fry
• Turmeric Spinach Golden Lentil Dal
• Mom’s Moong Dal

Continue reading: Thecha Dal – Red Lentil Dal with Blistered Chilies and Garlic(soy-free, gluten-free)

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Chole, is a traditional chickpea curry from different northern states of India. Punjabi chole comes from the state of Punjab and has this distinct flavor profile in the sauce. Caramelized onion, whole spices, melt in your mouth chickpeas, this chole feels like home. Once you make this restaurant style chickpea curry, you will make it again and again!

The sauce is made with lots of caramelized onions, black cardamom, ginger, garlic, and a chole masala blend that you can find in an Indian grocery store or online. If you can’t find chole masala, you can use garam masala instead.

The other feature of Punjabi chole is that you cook the chickpeas until they are super soft and melt in your mouth and the color of the chickpeas and the sauce becomes almost the same. That is why the pressure cooking time is much longer than what you would for chickpeas that are just about cooked for using in salads.

This is also applicable for a lot of other beans or legume-based Indian dishes. They are usually cooked for a longer time, like you’d cook a chili, so that everything caramelizes and becomes aromatic, and the beans almost begin to dissolve into the sauce, and all of the flavors of the sauce go into the beans. If you follow my recipe exactly, that’s the texture that you’ll get.

If you prefer a firmer chickpea texture, you can just cook it for about half the cooking time, and it will still work out well.

Instead of chickpeas, you can use other beans in this recipe, because the sauce is where all the flavor is at! 

Chole is the original Chana masala. Chana masala is a simpler chickpea curry and everyone has their own version, not necessarily authentic indian. For the real deal, try this chickpea curry and fall in love with chickpeas all over again.

Why You’ll Love Punjabi Chole

• melt-in-your-mouth chickpeas in a creamy, caramelized sauce thats packed with Indian spices!
• easy to make in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Continue reading: Punjabi Chole (North Indian Chickpea Curry) Instant pot. stovetop option.

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Barra is another absolutely delicious feature in some North Indian regional restaurants. Known for its thick and creamy sauce that is made with fried onion and cream and plethora of spices and herbs, it is a delectable must make. Continuing with my series where I veganize some fantastic sauces, this has been an instant fave!

Restaurant style Chicken Barra usually has many many steps, where you fry the onions, then you blend them to make the sauce and marinade, then make this separate marinade for the protein, and then make the sauce using some of the marinade. You also cook the protein and sauce separately, and so on.

I simplified the entire process to making just this one blended sauce which you use to marinate the tofu/protein and also cook up to make the sauce for the dish. I also pan crisp the onion over high heat instead of frying them. The onions will crisp up and scorch and get similar texture and flavor more quickly this way.

There is a creamy marinade for the tofu, and then you either grill or bake the tofu or crisp it in the pan. Then, the same marinade is the base for the sauce with some additional spices. 

Serve the tofu barra sauce along side the crisped tofu (kebab), or you can serve this as wraps by just putting the crisped up tofu in the wrap and using the sauce for drizzling all over along with some crunchy veggies, like lettuce, onion, and tomato. Or, you can serve it with rice, flatbread, or naan. 

If you don’t want to use tofu, you can replace it with vegetables, chickpea tofu, chickpeas or other beans, or use seitan or vegan chicken substitute or sautéed soy curls.

Why You’ll Love Tofu Barra

• creamy sauce with flavors of garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder, chaat masala, and cilantro
• versatile dish! If you don’t want to use tofu, use another vegan chicken substitute or veggies or beans instead.
• simplified recipe – the marinade is also the base for the sauce!
• gluten-free with nut-free and soy-free options

More North Indian Vegan Recipes

• Butter Tofu paneer
• Amritsari Tofu curry
• Aloo Gobi – spiced potato cauliflower
• Mutter Paneer – tofu and peas in tomato curry
• Rajma – kidney bean curry

Continue reading: Tofu Barra – North Indian Silky Onion Curry (Vegan Chicken Barra)

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This is a vegan version of South Indian mutton pepper fry, which is usually made with chicken or meat/mutton. The recipe varies based on the region(andhra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu) with one thing in common, generous amount of black pepper!

And as with many meat based curries, it’s all in the sauce. This sauce has a caramelized onion that is usually built up with spices and pepper. The meats usually cook in the sauce but I use tofu which gets crisped up separately. This version is adapted from Chef Ranveer Brar’s mutton pepper fry(he mentions that he slightly added his north Indian touch, hence the black cardamom).

Explore regional Indian cuisine with me and do try this pepper fry! It is incredibly delicious, and of course a bit hot with all of that black pepper. You can pair the sauce with chickpeas or beans, or roasted veggies or vegan chicken for variation and to make tofu-free.

Serve it with some thick flatbread, like naan or pita bread, or over rice, which will dampen the heat a little bit. You can also adjust the heat by reducing the black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder. 

Why You’ll Love this Pepper Fry

• crispy tofu in caramelized onion sauce made spicy with lots of fragrant black pepper
• protein-rich, one-pan entree
• ready in just 35 minutes!
• gluten-free and nut-free with a soy-free option

More Vegan Indian Dishes

• Vegan Adraki Ginger Chicken
• Kerala White Bean Stew
• Vegan Lasooni Chicken Curry
• Vegan Coconut Curry Chicken Soy Curls

Continue reading: Pepper Fry with Tofu (South Indian onion black pepper curry)

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This is a super quick, dump-and-done casserole dish. The technique is similar to my rice and chickpea casserole (baked chana pulau), but we make this dish with quinoa instead of rice and a different flavor profile.

It needs 1 baking dish, and just 1 step. No need to stand around to sauté each step and to keep an eye on the veggies and quinoa.

You can change the spices to your preference, add a different protein like white beans, other beans, tofu, vegan chicken or other! .

If you want to mix up the spices, try a cajun spice blend or just curry powder or Ethiopian Berbere other spices instead of the Indian spices in this recipe. It will still turn out really great! 

We just add all of the aromatics at the bottom with the spices and the sauces and then top it with the quinoa and chickpeas and some broth. Cover with parchment and bake. That’s it!

The baking cooks the aromatics at the bottom of the pan, and it will turn out really deliciously. They kind of get roasted slowly, and everything starts to boil and cook in the oven, and the quinoa gets evenly cooked, as well.

Take the dish out, and you can mix in some finely chopped broccoli at this point. If you want a creamier version, then also add in a little bit of non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy cream and mix in.

Top this with some lime juice, chopped onion, or other crunchy veggies and herbs, like green onion or cilantro, and serve.

Why You’ll Love this Quinoa Casserole

• dump-and-done one step baking process
• packed with flavor, fluffy quinoa, veggies, and chickpeas
• easy, one-pan meal
• customizable! Use your favorite spices to make it your own.
• Gluten-free and nutfree. easily made soy-free

Continue reading: Spicy Quinoa Casserole (nut-free, gluten-free)

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This recipe is based on South Indian Andhra-style green chili chicken curry which has this amazing cilantro-mint sauce flavored with curry leaves, cumin seeds, and caramelized onions. The sauce has complex flavor and also is a great change from the tomato based sauces! I use chickpeas and mushrooms for this vegan version.

I use Serrano or Indian green chilies in the curry. Indian chilies are not very hot and add amazing flavor and subtle heat. Since the chilies are used twice, once with the spices and second portion is blended into the green sauce, you want to use chilies based on your heat preference. Opt for milder chilies for managing the heat.

This quick curry comes together in just half an hour making it a great weeknight meal that’s also a show-stopper at dinner parties! Don’t like chickpeas? Use white beans or vegan chicken substitutes or use tofu. Crisp up the tofu before adding to the curry.

This green chili chickpea stew is hearty and perfect with sourdough, dosa, or rice or Naan or flatbread of choice.

Why You’ll Love Green Chili Chickpeas

• tender chickpeas and mushrooms in an amazing cilantro-mint curry sauce
• 30-minute, one-pan meal
• Naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free with a coconut-free option.

More Vegan Green Chili Recipes

• Green Chili Enchilada Soup
• Chili Chicken Soycurls
• Jalapeno Chili Cornbread Casserole
• Honey Chilli Tofu
• Lentil Sambusa Pie

Continue reading: Andhra-Style Green Chili Chickpeas – 30 minutes

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