Seven Indian food items that have made it to the list of best vegan dishes in the world

From indianexpress.com

Veganism is a lifestyle that promotes the avoidance of animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, in favour of plant-based foods

The love for vegan food has been growing in recent years, driven by various factors such as health, environmental, and ethical concerns. Veganism is a lifestyle that promotes the avoidance of animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs, in favour of plant-based foods. Vegan food can be delicious and diverse, with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts to choose from.

As such, Taste Atlas — an experiential travel guide founded by Matija Babic for traditional food — recently listed the best-rated vegan dishes in the world. As expected, India — which is regarded as the country with one of the highest vegan populations — reigned supreme in the list with seven dishes from the region making it to the rankings.

     This popular Maharashtrian dish was ranked the best-rated vegan dish from India (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

While misal pav, which is a traditional Indian dish originating from Maharashtra, was ranked 11th, aloo gobi, rajma, and gobi manchurian occupied the 20th, 22nd and 24th positions, respectively. Other Indian dishes featured on the list include masala vada, bhelpuri, and rajma chawal which were ranked 27, 37 and 41, respectively.

Check out the top 20 best-rated vegan dishes in the world:

*Zeytoon parvardeh
*Guacamole
*Muhammara
*Tempe goreng
*Badrijani
*Hummus
*Spaghetti aglio e olio
*Tagliatelle ai funghi
*Baba ghanoush
*Mujaddara
*Misal pav
*Maakouda
*Ardei copti
Fasole batuta
*Mayak gimbap
*Pasta e ceci
*Fattoush
*Horta
*Bruschetta al pomodoro
*Aloo gobhi

The guide described aloo gobi as a traditional dish with origins in northern India. “Since no liquid is added to the dish (although extremely small amounts of it may be added), aloo gobi is reliant on spices, including turmeric, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and red pepper. It is recommended to garnish the dish with freshly sliced coriander and drizzle some lime juice over the top,” it said.

Talking of rajma, Taste Atlas noted that while the dish is closely associated with North India, it was actually brought to the country from central Mexico and Guatemala. “But, the Mexican version of the dish is much different than the Indian one. Hearty and nutritious, rajma remains one of the most loved vegetarian curries in Punjab and North India,” it added.

                                                 Rajma occupied the 22nd position (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Gobi manchurian, on the other hand, is a traditional Indo-Chinese dish consisting of fried cauliflower (gobi) that’s tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce (manchurian). “There are two versions of the dish – dry and in gravy. The dry version is often served as an appetizer or a bar snack with ketchup on the side as a dipping sauce, while the gravy version features a thick sauce made with cornstarch and it’s usually served as a main dish with rice on the side, either fried or steamed.”

Masala vada, which is ranked 27th, is a traditional Indian fritter originating from Tamil Nadu. “Although there are variations, this tea-time snack is usually made with a combination of chana dal, onions, ginger, curry leaves, fennel seeds, dried red hot peppers, vegetable oil, and salt,” Taste Atlas wrote.

Everyone’s favourite bhelpuri is a savoury snack that is commonly served in cafés and street carts throughout India. “The dish is extremely popular in Mumbai, where it is usually enjoyed as a beach snack or comfort food. Although there is no clear evidence about the time of bhelpuri’s origin, it is believed that the snack was invented by an unknown Gujarati migrant,” it noted.

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/best-rated-vegan-dishes-seven-indian-food-items-taste-atlas-8574428/