Top 7 Western Indian Vegetable Dishes

Pav bhaji is a popular street snack originating from the Indian state of Maharashtra. It consists of a vegetable curry that is typically served with a soft bread roll known as pav. The dish was invented in the 1850s as a midnight meal by street vendors who prepared it with all the leftover vegetables from the day, which were then mashed and combined with spices and ghee butter. Originally, it was a quick and easy meal for Mumbai's textile mill workers, but today it is a favorite street snack that is also served in some restaurants in Mumbai. There are a lot of varieties of the basic pav bhaji, with added cheese, paneer, mushrooms, plantains, and even dried fruits thrown in the flavorful curry mix.Expand

Misal is a specialty dish of the Indian state of Maharashtra, its name literally translated to a mixture of everything, so the ingredients vary from cook to cook. However, a combination of these ingredients is the most common in a typical misal: curd, moth bean or pea curry, gravy, spiced potatoes, and garnishings such as onions, coriander, and tomatoes. It is mandatory for a true misal to be spicy, while the base needs to be crunchy. Visually, it should look like a work of art, with lots of colors - typically red, brown, orange, and green. The earliest mention of the dish appeared around the early 20th century. Since it is highly nutritious, easy to prepare, and relatively inexpensive, it remains one of the most popular meals in Maharashtra.Expand

Misal pav is a traditional dish originating from Maharashtra. Its two main components are misal – a curry made with sprouted moth beans, usually topped with chivda, onions, chilis, and potatoes – and pav, bread rolls used to mop up the flavorful curry. Misal pav can be served for breakfast, as a snack or a main dish. It is commonly found in roadside stalls, breakfast joints, and office canteens.Expand

Patrode is a savory vegetarian dish from Malvani and Maharashtrian cuisine. Basic ingredients are the same throughout the entire region - taro (colocasia) leaves stuffed (or chopped up) with a mixture of gram flour, tamarind, jaggery, and various spices, while patrode variations differ only in shape (sliced rolls or dumplings) and the cooking method (steamed or fried).Expand

Bharli vangi is a traditional dish originating from Maharashtra. The dish consists of slow-cooked brinjals (small eggplants) stuffed with a spicy masala. Although there are some variations, the stuffing is usually made with a combination of garlic, ginger, tomatoes, roasted peanuts, jaggery, turmeric, and red chili powder. Once stuffed, the eggplants are cooked in a pan in oil over tempered mustard seeds, curry leaves, hot chili peppers, cumin, and onions. The stuffed eggplants are cooked until they are all nicely blackened. The dish is served hot, ideally with phulkas, rice, chapatis, laccha paratha, boondi raita, or panchmel dal. If desired, garnish bharli vangi with chopped coriander leaves.Expand

Undhiyu is a specialty dish of the Indian state of Gujarat, typically consisting of numerous vegetables such as purple yam, sweet potatoes, eggplanst, and bananas. All of the ingredients are slowly simmered in a garlic, chili, coriander, and coconut masala. The name of the dish is derived from the word undhu, meaning upside down, referring to the traditional method of underground cooking in pots which are heated from above. The dish is especially popular during winter, when it's accompanied by puri and shrikhand. There is another popular variety of the dish, called surti undhiyu, which is usually reserved for special ocassions such as weddings and festivities, made with red lentils, vegetables, grated coconut, palm sugar, and a garnish of chopped peanuts.Expand

This traditional Maharashtrian curry is made with a batter of gram flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and water, which is then cooked with a blend of spices, curry leaves, garlic paste, onions, and green chilis until it reaches the desired consistency. Typical spices include mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and asafetida, which are tempered in oil before they are combined with the rest of the ingredients, and then stir-fried together. Pitla can optionally be enhanced with finely chopped vegetables such as spinach, fenugreek leaves, pigweed, or even tomatoes. Once considered a typical peasant dish, this spicy vegetarian curry is a staple in numerous roadside eateries in the state, and it's commonly prepared at home. Pitla is often topped with fresh cilantro leaves and paired with Indian flatbreads such as bhakri or roti, rice, onions, and spicy dry green chili chutney called thecha on the side.Expand