11 Vegan Indian Recipes Even Meat-Eaters Love

9. Pav Bhaji — Mumbai-Style Veg Mash on Soft Buns (Easy; 15 min prep; 30 min cook)

Pav bhaji is the ultimate Indian street-food comfort: a spicy, buttery mash of mixed vegetables served with toasted buns. Swap dairy butter for vegan butter and you still get the rich mouthfeel that people tend to crave in meat-based comfort dishes. The vegetables are cooked down and mashed to a coarse paste, then finished with a punchy pav bhaji masala and a final press of buttery flavor. The contrast of the slightly charred bun and the silky veg mash makes every bite satisfyingly tactile. Serve with chopped onions and a squeeze of lime for freshness. This is a social, hands-on dish that often wins over skeptics because it's playful and rich rather than “healthy in a boring way.” Difficulty is easy; the cooking is simple and the dish scales well for a crowd. For a slightly smoky note, roast some of the vegetables under the broiler first.