21 - Sep - 2021

The options available within the confines of Indian vegetarian cuisine are so vast that ordering food at any typical Indian eatery can easily become an intricate task for a first-timer. If the thought of trying Indian vegan food has been on your mind for a while now, but you are completely perplexed about what to try, here is a brief rundown of items along with descriptions that will help steer you in the right direction:

Appetizers

Usually the best Indian vegetarian restaurants in Singapore serve a range of popular street foods as appetizers to their patrons. These are the most commonly ordered options -

  • Samosa - Flaky & crispy, deep fried, pocket sized snacks with spicy filling of potato and veggies.
  • Pakoras - Dollops of savory chickpea batter deep fried to deliciously crispy perfection and served with chutney.
  • Vada pav - Flattened deep fried potato patty and condiments sandwiched within two halves of a small bun bread.


Breads

Most of the breads from the Indian cuisine are flatbreads, and are named after the way they are baked or the kind of flour used. Given below are the most popular choices -

  • Roti - Prepared from whole wheat flour that has been kneaded to form a soft dough.
  • Naan - A popular flatbread at the best Indian vegetarian restaurants in Singapore, naan is prepared by being raised with yeast or by mixing the dough with yoghurt, and then baking it inside a tandoor oven.
  • Paratha - Pan fried and layer flatbread made with wheat flour and oil or ghee, sometimes containing spicy fillings of cauliflower, potato or other veggies.

Main courses

Indian vegetarian main courses feature a variety of delicious, savoury and spicy curry recipes that are usually eaten with rice or flatbreads. Here are some of the tastiest ones -

  • Chana masala - Chickpeas mixed and cooked with ginger, onion and garlic paste. Usually served with flaky, soft bhature breads or pillowy kulcha breads.
  • Vegetarian korma - Protein cooked with yoghurt sauce, garlic, ginger and fried onion.
  • Saag paneer - Delicious curry dish containing cubes of paneer cooked with spinach and spices. Also known by the name of palak paneer.
  • Dal makhani - Beans/lentils cooked with butter or cream and spices.
  • Tadka dal - Lentils prepared using a mild tempering of spices such as mustard seeds, cumin powder and so on.

Drinks & beverages

  • Chai - Traditional Indian tea made by mixing black tea, milk and sugar in specific proportions.
  • Lassi - Sweetened yoghurt drink prepared with thinned yoghurt, water, milk and cream. The drink is often garnished with fruits like strawberries, mangoes, etc.

Desserts

Finally, for some much needed sweet tooth, these are some of the tastiest options you can try:

  • Halwa - A type of pudding generally made using different varieties of flour such as wheat flour, semolina, root vegetables or chickpea flour, and cooked with ghee, water, sugar & milk.
  • Barfi - Solidified pieces of milk pudding prepared from a sweetened batter that has been cooled and cut into small pieces.
  • Gulab jamun - Probably the king of Indian desserts, gulab jamuns are deep fried small balls of milk-based dough, dunked in sugar syrup.

So next time you visit an Indian vegetarian restaurant, consider this guide in order to make an informed decision. Keep watching our blog space for more such interesting posts.


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