20 Mouth Watering Vegetarian Punjabi Dishes!

The buttery and tasty Punjabi dishes are so heavenly that nobody can resist getting away from it. But for Vegetarians, it becomes a bit difficult to try this food. But no more control yourself because here are 20 famous and tasty dishes which you are definitely going to try!

1. Rajma

Talking about Punjabi food and not talking about Rajma is like removing salt from food. Because Rajma stands as one of the most famous Punjabi dishes.

Ingredients:

• Rajma seeds (kidney beans) – 150 grams
• Red gravy– 1 ½ cup (recipe of red gravy is in dish no.2)
• Cream for topping.

Steps:

1. Let the Rajma soak in water for 5 to 6 hours and then boil them.
2. Mash a little amount of boiled Rajma.
3. Make Red gravy and add boiled, mashed Rajma in it. Mix well.
4. Serve it with toppings of cream

2. Red Gravy

Imagine a Punjabi dish without that yummiest Red Gravy! It’s impossible for a Punjabi dish to be tasty without using Red Gravy in it. So let’s see how it’s made.

Ingredients:

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Grated Ginger – 20 gram
• Red chili – 5 pieces
• Garlic Paste – 10 cloves (make it’s paste )
• Cloves (long ) – 3
• Dalchini Powder (Cinnamon) – ½ tbsp
• Coriander Powder – ¼ Tsp
• Onion paste – 100 gram
• Gram Marsala –2 tsp
• Cumin Powder –1 tsp
• Butter – 50 gram
• Turmeric – ¼ tsp
• Tomato Puree–100 gram
• Cashew nuts and Watermelon Seeds paste – 100 gram
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Red food color to taste

Steps:

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame and add grated Ginger, Garlic Paste, Red chili, cloves, cinnamon powder and coriander powder in it and mix well for 5 minutes.
2. Then add Onion paste and mix well for another 2 minutes until it becomes light brown.
3. Now add butter, Cashew nuts, and Watermelon seeds paste in it. Add tomato puree and a little water to it and mix well. Let it be on low or medium flame for 10 minutes.
4. Mix Red food color in it.
5. Delicious Red gravy is ready to be used in another gravy curry.

3. Makkhan Matar Paneer

This dish brings water in mouths and is as well very rich in protein too. This dish is like heaven for all the paneer lovers!

Ingredients:

• Paneer – 100 grams
• Green peas – 100 grams
• Khaskhas – 20 grams
• Watermelon seeds – 50 grams
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
• Asafoetida –1 pinch
• Grated Ginger and Green Chili – 1 tsp
• Onions–100 grams
• Tomatoes – 250 grams
• Turmeric – 1 tsp
• Garlic – 10 cloves
• Grated Coconut – 2 tbsp
• Gram Marsala – 2 tsp
• Butter – 30 grams
• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Cut the paneer into small square pieces and deep fry it. Then soak them in water.
2. Boil the green peas in hot water and salt mixture.
3. Soak Khaskhas and Watermelon seeds in water for an hour and then blend it.
4. Add ghee in a pan on medium heat and melt it. Then add Cumin seeds and Asafoetidain the ghee. Add paste which is made from onions and garlic. Mix well.
5. Then make pulp or puree of the tomatoes by blending them in a mixture.
6. Add the tomato pulp, Turmeric, coconut powder, Gram Masala and salt in the mixture and mix well.
7. Let it be on the low or medium flame until the ghee starts separating from the mixture.
8. Then add butter, boiled green peas and paneer in the mixture and switch the gas off after 5 minutes.

4. Nargisi Kofta

This Kofta will make you forget about the old boring Koftas. It will make you addictive of it!

Ingredients:

• Green peas – 200 grams
• Paneer – 200 grams
• Green chili – 6 pieces
• Corn flour – 4 tbsp
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Potato – 300 grams
• Milk powder – 3 tbsp
• Baking powder – ¼ tsp
• Icing sugar – 1 tsp
• Oil as per use
• Onion – 4 pieces
• Milk – 2 ½ cup
• Cardamom powder –½ tsp
• Tejpatta (Bay leaf) – 3 pieces
• Edible Soda – 1 pinch
• Red chili powder – 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
• Garam Masala –1 tsp
• Cream – 1 cup
• Salt to taste

For Masala:

• Khaskhas – 4 teaspoon
• Cardamom – 4 pieces
• Cumin Powder – ½ tsp
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Cashew nuts –6 pieces
• Grated coconut – 3 tsp
• Tomatoes – 3 pieces (Chopped)
• Small piece Ginger

Steps:

1. Boil the potatoes and peel them. Mash them with Chilies in a mixture.
2. Blend green peas in the blender to make its paste and mix the paste with potato and chili mix.
3. Mix corn flour, paneer, Cashew nuts, milk powder, salt, baking powder, icing sugar in the potato and green pea mixture.
4. Make small balls of it and deep fry.
5. Keep the koftas aside.
6. Now heat oil in a pan and add long Chopped onions in it. Fry until it turns reddish.
7. Keep it aside to cool. After it gets cooled, add ½ cup milk in it and blend it in a blender. Mix the Masala mentioned in Masala ingredients in the onion milk paste.
8. Heat oil in a pan and add Curry leaves in it. Then add the onion milk masala paste and sort it nicely.
9. Then add Red Chili powder, Turmeric powder, rest of the milk and Soda in it and mix it well.
10. When the gravy boils, add salt and garam masala to it and mix well.
11. Switch the gas off when the gravy turns thick.
12. Now add the koftas and cream and leave it for 5 minutes to let the koftas mix well.
13. Serve hot koftas and enjoy!

5. Paneer Butter Masala

Found in almost every restaurant across India. It’s loved by everyone and is like a fixed dish while ordering food. It doesn’t need proof that this dish is tasty and loved by almost everyone.

Ingredients:

• Cubed Paneer – 250 grams
• Diced tomatoes – 2 cups
• Green chili – 1 or 2
• Crushed garlic and ginger – 1- inch ginger and 3 to 4 cloves garlic.
• Bay leaf – 1 piece
• Dry fenugreek leaves – 1 tsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Red chili powder – ½ tsp
• Oil + Butter – 3 tbsp
• Cashew paste – 2 tbsp
• Water – 1.5 cup
• Salt and sugar as per taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Steps:

1. Heat oil and butter in a pan add bay leaf and stir for 15 to 20 seconds. Then add ginger garlic paste and stir well. Also prepare tomato paste.
2. Add the tomato paste in a mixture and let it be on the low or medium flame until oil starts leaving the mixture.
3. Then add cashew paste and mix well until oil again starts leaving the mixture. Then add chili, salt, and sugar to the mixture and mix until it becomes thick.
4. Then add paneer cubes, dry fenugreek leaves and garam masala and let it be on low flame until paneer becomes soft.
5. Serve paneer with hot naan and roti to enjoy.

6. Bhatura

If you have never eaten a Bhatura, then you are never going to know the real taste of Punjabi food. This dish is eaten with chole (the next recipe).

Ingredients:

• White flour(maida) – 200 grams
• Wheat flour(gehu) – 2 tbsp
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Curd – 1 tbsp
• Water as per use.
• Oil for frying.

Steps:

1. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Add water part by part and make its dough.
3. Make small circles like balls of the dough.
4. Roll the circles with a roller and make its shape like of chapati.
5. Put the rolled circles in oil and your bhaturas will be ready.
6. Serve it hot with chole!

7. Chole

This Delicious curry made from Chickpeas will make you forget those spicy dishes which you crave for. This will make your taste buds dance. This curry is mostly eaten with Bhaturas as a Punjabi dish.

Ingredients:

• Chickpeas – 250 grams
• Sweet soda – ½ tsp
• Chana dal –2 tbsp
• Tea leaves – 1 tsp
• Onions – 3 ( Chopped )
• Garlic – 8 cloves ( diced )
• Tomato – 2 ( Chopped )
• Cinnamon powder–½ tsp
• Cloves ( long ) – 7 to 8 pieces
• Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
• Cardamom – 4 pieces
• Pomegranate seeds – 1 tbsp
• Watermelon seeds – 3 tbsp
• Grated coconut – 3 tbsp
• Garam Masala –1 tsp
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder –½ tsp
• Coriander and cumin powder – 1 tsp
• Chola masala – 1 tbsp
• Diced Ginger
• Grated green chilies – 5 pieces
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Oil to fry
• Chopped Coriander – 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Soak chickpeas in water for 6 to 7 hours and then put soda in it. Boil the chickpeas and add tea leaves in it.
2. Crush tomatoes, onions, and garlic separately in the mixture.Soak watermelon seeds in water for some time and then crush it. Crush pomegranate seeds in the mixture separately.
3. In a bowl, add water, crushed watermelon seeds, grated coconut, cinnamon powder, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander- cumin powder, chole masala, crushed ginger, and crushed green chilies. Mix them well and keep them aside for about half an hour.
4. Heat oil in a pan on medium flame. Add onion and garlic in it. Sauté until onions become slight red.
5. Add the masala mixture that we kept aside in the pan. Sauté the masala until it roasts and then add tomatoes in it.
6. Add chickpeas and chana dal to it and mix well. Let it be on low flame until it gets cooled well.
7. Serve the chola with hot Bhaturas!

8. Vegetable Makkhanwaala

This dish will bring water in your mouth because it’s a perfect blend of Vegetables and Butter. Not only nutritious, but it’s tasty too!

Ingredients:

• White flour – 2 tbsp
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Milk – ½ cup
• Black pepper powder – 1 tsp
• Tomato – 2 pieces
• Onion – 2 (small )
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tsp
• Potato – 1
• Green peas – 50 grams
• Carrots – 50 grams
• French Beans – 50 grams
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Tomato sauce – ½ cup
• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Add ghee and white flour in a pan and mix well. After it gets mixed immediately add milk to it and boil till a paste is prepared.
2. Add salt, black pepper powder and sugar in it. In this manner, the white sauce is ready to use.
3. Add Chopped onions in a pan on medium flame and sauté until it turns slightly golden. Add Chopped tomatoes and Garam Masala to it and mix well.
4. Then add the white sauce to the onion tomato mixture and keep on mixing it on low flame.
5. Add rest of the vegetables in the mixture by first chopping and then boiling them. Add potatoes in the mixture by chopping and frying them.
6. Now add ½ cup Tomato sauce and salt and sugar to it and mix well.
7. Put the flame off and serve it with naan, roti, etc.

9. Masala Masoor

This dish made from Masoor(Lentils) is as tasty as spicy. It will awake your taste buds and make you want more! The Punjabis love to eat this curry with roti or naan.

Ingredients:

• Raw Masoor dal –1 cup
• Small Onions – 200 grams
• Ghee – 4 tbsp
• Sliced onions – 2 pieces
• Tomato – 100 grams

For masala:

• Red Chillies – 4 pieces (chopped)
• Garlic – 6 to 7 cloves (chopped)
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Small piece Ginger
• Chopped Coriander – 4 tbsp
• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Wash the Masoor Lentils and add 2 cups water in it. Then add onions in it and pour them in the pressure cooker. Then boil them.
2. Heat ghee in a pan on middle or low flame and add sliced onions. Fry it until it becomes brown.
3. Add the masala mix mentioned above and Roast it.
4. Then make the tomato paste by blending it in a mixture. Add the paste in the masala in the pan.
5. Let the mixture heat for 15 minutes on the low or medium flame.

10. Shahi Biryani

Who doesn’t love biryani? Well, I guess this vegetarian version of Dhabi biryani will make you forget about all the old biryani that you tried.

Ingredients:

• Red Gravy (recipe no. 2) –½ cup
• Cashew nuts – 10 pieces
• Raisins – 15 pieces
• Almonds – 6 pieces
• Peanuts – 10 pieces
• Rice – 1 cup
• Saffron to taste.

Steps:

1. Make half cup red gravy and add rice in it.
2. Add all other ingredients in it.
3. Add saffron to it and mix well.
4. Serve the Shahi Biryani hot.

11. Green Pulav

This dish is my personal favourites. It not only fills the stomach but provides taste and nutrition. Its delicious to enjoy eating it.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice –1 cup
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
• Green bell pepper – 2 (chopped lengthwise)
• Coriander chutney –4 tbsp
• French Beans – 100 grams (chopped)
• Green peas – 100 grams
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts – 10 pieces
• Raisins – 15 pieces
• Spinach – 250 grams (washed and chopped)
• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds in it. Then add Green bell pepper.
2. Add salt and mix for some minutes. Then add Coriander Chutney in it. Boil chopped French beans and Green peas in a pot adding a little bit salt in it.
3. Soak rice for about an hour and boil it. Let it be a little raw.
4. Now add boiled French beans and Green peas to the chutney mixture.
5. Then add rest of the ingredients except Spinach.
6. Let it cook and meanwhile make the paste of spinach by blending it in a blender.
7. Add spinach paste in the chutney mixture and stir for some minutes.
8. Add Rice and mix well for about 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Delicious Green Pulav is ready to be served hot.

12. Kali Dal

This curry is a famous Punjabi dish and is also served at langars. It’s like a blend of nutrition and taste.

Ingredients:

• Masoor Dal – 100 grams
• Ghee – 2 tbsp
• Kidney Beans – 100 grams
• Onion – 2 pieces
• Garlic – 6 cloves
• Tomato – 4 pieces (grated)
• Garam Masala –2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Steps :

1. Soak Masoor Dal and kidney beans for 6 to 7 hours and then boil them together.
2. Make onion and garlic paste by blending them in a mixer.
3. Heat Ghee in a pan and add onion and garlic paste in it. After 5 minutes, add grated tomatoes in it and mix well.
4. After 5 minutes, add boiled Dal and Kidney beans in it and add Garam Masala and salt in it. Mix well and let it be heated on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Delicious Kali Dal is hot and ready to serve with Roti and Naan!

13. Paneer Kheer

Not only spicy food, but the Punjabis are also fond of sweet dishes. Now let’s see what they have got in this section!

Ingredients:

• Milk – 3 cups
• Grated cottage cheese (paneer) – 1 cup
• Sugar –3 tsp
• Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp

Steps:

1. Heat milk in a pan on the low or medium flame. Mix it continuously until it becomes creamy. Heat the milk for 5 to 6 minutes after it gets boiled.
2. Keep the milk aside to let it cool. Add cardamom powder and sugar to it and mix well.
3. Add grated paneer in the mixture and keep it in the fridge for cooling.
4. Serve the chilled paneer kheer.

14. Rabdi Jalebi

This sweet dish brings water in the mouths of people as it’s a delicious combo of cool Rabdi and hot Jalebi.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour – 2 cups
• Curd – 1 cup
• Water – ½ cup
• Salt – 1 pinch

For syrup:

• Sugar – 2 cup
• Water – 1 cup

For Rabdi:

• KhoyaBarfi – 2 pieces
• Milk – ½ cup
• Pistachios for garnishing

Steps:

1. Mix water, Flour, curd and salt and make its batter which is smooth and without lumps. Keep the batter aside for 30 minutes.
2. Mix sugar and water and bring it to boil until it becomes one string consistency. This mixture will be our syrup.
3. Heat ghee in a pan and using piping bags make Jalebis in it. Fry until it becomes crispy.
4. Keep the Jalebis immediately into the syrup and let it be in the syrup mixture for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat milk and Barfi together in a pan on medium or low heat until it becomes thick and creamy.
6. Switch the flame off and keep the Rabdi to cool in the fridge for about an hour.
7. Add hot Jalebis in Rabdi and garnish it with pistachios.

15. Cardamom Lassi

A Punjabi food cannot be considered complete without a glass of Lassi. So here is a simple recipe to cardamom lassi.

Ingredients:

• Thick Curd – 2 cups
• Icing Sugar – 4 ½ tbsp
• Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Steps:

1. Mix all the ingredients and whisk it well until it liquefies.
2. Keep it in the fridge to cool.
3. Pour into glasses and serve chilled.

16. Paneer Amritsar

Punjabis can never be patient with an empty stomach and this is the perfect snack for them. This famous Amritsari snack is prepared as follows.

Ingredients:

• Paneer – 2 cups (cut into medium cubes)
• Besan (Chickpea flour) – 3 to 4 tbsp (dry roasted)
• Oil for deep frying
• Chaat masala –1 tbsp

Marinate Masala:

• Ginger Garlic Paste –2 tbsp
• Carom seeds (ajwain)
• Orange color–Few drops
• Salt to taste
• Chili powder – ½ tsp

Steps:

1. Prepare to marinate mixture with above mixture ingredients. Put paneer cubes in the mixture to soak it in the mixture. Keep the paneer and mixture aside for 15 minutes.
2. Then coat the paneer mixture with besan so that the besan is evenly distributed.
3. Deep fry in the oil until it becomes golden and crispy.
4. Serve it hot with green chutney or sauce.

17. Butter Naan

This dish doesn’t need any introduction as it is already becoming famous all around the world. Any curry, whether it is tadka, Dal fry, or paneer masala, etc. is incomplete without a hot butter Naan.

Ingredients:

• Plain flour ( maida ) – 1 cup
• Dry Yeast – ½ tsp
• Sugar – ½ tsp
• Fresh Curd – 1 tbsp
• Ghee – 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Black sesame seeds – 5 tsp
• Butter for brushing
• Plain flour for rolling purpose.

Steps:

1. Mix yeast, sugar and warm water (5 tbsp) in a bowl. Keep it aside for 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Mix all other ingredients except Black sesame seeds, butter, and flour for rolling. Make the dough of it by adding water part by part of needed.
3. Keep the dough aside for 30 minutes until it slightly increases its volume.
4. Make its balls. (10 balls or more will be made )
5. Roll balls a little bit and add little bit sesame seeds in it and again make its ball.
6. Roll the balls and make its medium circles (like of chapatti).
7. Let a non-stick Tava be heated and place the circular Naan on it. Let it become crispy brown from one side, then flip it over and let it become crispy brown from another side too.
8. Put butter on it. Do it with rest of the balls too.
9. Do serve it with any curry and specially Tadka, Kali Dal and Paneer butter masala!

18. Green Peas Pulao

This dish is my personal favorites. It’s so tasty that not only the Punjabis but nobody can stay away from eating it!

Ingredients:

• Green Peas – ¾ cup
• Basmati Rice – 1 cup (raw)
• Cloves – 2 pieces
• Ghee – 3 tbsp
• Cinnamon powder – ¾ tsp
• Cardamoms – 2 pieces
• Chopped or Sliced Onions – 1 cup
• Salt to taste

Steps:

1. Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Then separate rice and water keeping both aside.
2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cinnamon powder, cloves, cardamom and onions in it. Stir for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the soaked rice to it and mix for 2 minutes on medium flame.
4. Add green peas and mix for another 1 minute.
5. Add 1 ½ cup water and salt to the mixture, mix well and close the lid of pressure cooker.
6. Wait for two whistles and then switch the flame off.
7. Let the steam escape and then open the lid.
8. Serve it hot!

19. Khus Drink

This is perfect refreshment for summer. It will give you an experience of cool breeze during hot summers.

Ingredients:

• Khus Syrup – ½ cup
• Falooda seeds – 4 tbsp (soaked)
• Lemon Juice – ¼ tsp
• Chilled lemon drink –2 ½ cup
• Ice cubes – 8 pieces

Steps:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except the ice cubes.
2. Pour immediately into four glasses and then put two ice cubes in each glass at the top.
3. Serve immediately!

20. Tandoori Roti

This dish is very popular in India cause whenever we go to a restaurant; we order it because we think that it’s tasty but complex to be made at home. But good news that we can now make it at home using Tava too.

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour – 1 cup (atta)
• Dry yeast – 1 tsp
• Finely chopped onions – 1 tsp
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Whole wheat flour for rolling

Steps:

1. Mix dry yeast, sugar and warm water (1 ½ tbsp) in a bowl and keep the mixture aside for 10 minutes.
2. Add all the ingredients and yeast sugar mixture together and make the dough using water part by part if required.
3. Keep the dough aside for 30 minutes.
4. Let the non-stick tava heat.
5. Meanwhile, make eight balls from the dough. Roll a ball to make its circle like a chapati.
6. Put it on the tava. Flip it to the other side when it becomes slightly brown and crispy from one side.
7. Let it become slight brown from other side and when it puffs up. Put it on a plate, add butter on it if you want otherwise serve hot immediately with curry.