VRIK Second Anniversary and Table of Contents (Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen Book)

Has it been 2 Years since book release already. Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen is my first book. That and all the amazing Indian Vegan Recipes in it will always be dear to my heart. Many of you send me messages asking if Malai Kofta or gluten-free Naan etc are in the book. Yes they are! The TOC is visible on Look Inside in Amazon, but the search probably doesn’t work well. So on this second anniversary, here is the Table of Contents of all the Chapters of the Book! 150 Recipes and most are not on the blog. Use the Browser’s search function to find a recipe you are looking for or just browse through them. Interspersed in the list of recipes are a few of my favorite reviews. I am always amazed at how well it has been received (best seller since the launch) and so many people are cooking so much from it! If you like the book, please do leave a review on amazon with your favorite recipes and experiences so far! See other retailers US and International at the end of the post. And while you are here, also get the second one at preorder price  🙂

This website and the book would not be there without all the love and trust I get from you. I am so grateful. Thank You!

I will be selecting 2 comments from the post to send signed copies to (US and Canada). Comment by May 26.  

As promised here are the chapters. Each chapter has a list of recipes, their English and Hindi names and page numbers in the book. Some recipes that have versions on the blog have links to the recipe posts.

Continue down to read chapter 1 or jump as you please. 

* Jump to Chapter 2
* Jump to Chapter 3
* Jump to Chapter 4
* Jump to Chapter 5
* Jump to Chapter 6
* Jump to Chapter 7
* Jump to Chapter 8
* Jump to Chapter 9
* Jump to Chapter 10

Chapter One: My Vegan Indian Kitchen

Chapter 1 has information about the ingredients frequently used in the book, grocery lists, where to buy, kitchen tools and gadgets, the skillets and pans that I prefer, Tips for cooking and Symbols used in the book.

• Where to Begin 1,
• The Spices of Indian Cooking 2,
• Dals: Lentils, Peas, Beans 8,
• Grains and Flours 9,
• Grocery List 12,
• Tools of the Trade 14, 
• Cooking Indian Food 15,
• Tempering Spices in Oil 16,
• Soaking and Cooking Times for Dals and Beans 16,
• Recipe Cooking Time Notations 17

Review: 

Buy this cookbook now! I promised myself that I was NOT going to buy this book. I already own hundreds of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks and the last thing I needed was another cookbook. However, I really like the Vegan Richa blog and once I could virtually “look inside” the book, I realized that the majority of recipes appealed to me. I received the book a week ago. Here are the recipes I’ve tried so far: Spicy South Indian Tofu Scramble, Street Style Tempeh Wraps, Mint Cilantro Chile Chutney, Mashed Potato Fritters (baked), Dad’s Favorite Cauliflower Potatoes, Tofu in Spinach Curry, and South Indian Chickpea Eggplant Stew. Every recipe was amazing and my husband and I were so impressed with how well the Mashed Potato Fritters turned out. The book is perfect in every way. The recipes are clear, concise, and well organized. The photographs are appetizing and inspiring. Richa gives preparation choices, always allowing you to make recipes low fat and healthy. The flavors are just fabulous. I’ve owned other vegetarian Indian cookbooks before, but have usually found that the recipes are excessively complicated or just too high fat. I did visit a local Indian grocery store and stock up on recommended spices and ingredients, a small investment that has already paid great dividends! These foods are even better than Indian restaurant foods because they are not heavy, loaded with greasy coconut milk, or fried.
My only problem with this book is that I have to force myself to use my other cookbooks sometimes.

Update: I have had this book for many months now and I’ve come to the conclusion that this book needs it’s own category: cooking magic! The recipes are superb. I have not been disappointed in anything that I have made. An added bonus is that my house smells heavenly whenever I make any of these recipes. Recommended without hesitation.

 

Chapter Two: Breakfast

Chickpea flour pancakes are the most frequently made recipe from this chapter, followed by the Savory Oats Hash (Poha). The savory toasts are basically bread dipped in the batter from the chickpea flour pancakes and panfried. So good! The Tofu Sramble might look like a long recipe, but most are spices. Its coconutty, smoky, and has a burst of South Indian flavor. 

• Savory Pan-Fried French Toast bread Pakora 22
• Spicy South Indian Tofu Scramble 23
• Mom’s Chickpea Flour Pancakes chilla/Pudla 24
• Savory Oatmeal Hash kanda Poha 27
• Indian Spiced Milk Tea masala chai 28

 Review:

We have cooked at least a dozen recipes and have enjoyed every one of them. I checked this book out from my local library after waiting my turn and cooked about 5 dishes. They varied between very good+ to outstanding. I then bought a copy of the book. We have cooked at least a dozen recipes and have enjoyed every one of them. The recipes are well written and give a good idea up front on how long the preparation time will be for each one. I would note that many of the recipes include a bit more hot pepper and heat than we like so I have learned to cut back a bit on the hot peppers and cayenne. With that small warning noted, I highly recommend the book.

 

Chapter Three: Small Plates and Snacks

Many of these recipes can be meals or part of a meal. Potato Quinoa Patties, Cauliflower 5- Cauliflower Manchurian, and Onion fritters – pakora are frequently made from this chapter. A favorite of mine are the street style wraps with Tempeh and veggies that we often make with tofu and the mashed potato fritters, which are like gluten-free samosa but easier. Also, those potatoes from the samosas are to die for. I made many different recipes and variations and settled on the one that reminded me of my favorite Samosa from a small shop. Just make those potatoes as serve as a side or pan fry into cutlets, but make them! The Gluten-free Savory zuchini cakes and black are a perfect corn muffin style savory side with many dals/lentil soups.

• Spicy Baked Cauliflower Florets gobi 65- 32
• Baked Potato Samosas 34
• Street-Style Tempeh Wraps tikka kathi rolls 36
• Mashed Potato Fritters aloo bonda 38
• Potato Quinoa Patties aloo tikki 40
• Savory Split Pea and Rice Zucchini Cakes gujarati handvo (Gluten-free Cakes) 42 
• Sweet and Spicy Baked Cauliflower manchurian cauliflower 44
• Savory Lentil Pastries baked dal kachori 46

Review: Whole Foods CEO Cooks from the book too.

• Spiced Roasted Tofu and Vegetables tandoori tikka 48
• Onion Chile Fritters bhajji /Pakora 50
• Mom’s Veggie Potato Cutlets vegetable tikki 52
• Spiced Vegetable Mash with Dinner Rolls Pav bhaji 53
• Biscuits and Crackers mathri 54  
• Black Gram Fritters medu vada 56 

Review:

What a gem. This is the most important review I will probably ever write… The pressure.
Since I bought this book I have made 20+ recipes, turned 10 or so people onto this book, vegans and meat eaters alike, all eager to try something new. But it really changes things for them. People in this country are so fooled by the notion that we NEED meat, in order to sustain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Turns out, you don’t even need tofu! Bleh!

Beans and lentils and rice, all the veggies you could ever imagine, paired with the right spices, cooked in the right way, and your mind is blown. I was a home cook obsessed with quality before this book. Now I’m a wannabe Indian chef with a passion. I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone, whether you’ve honed your chopping skills or not. It’s NOT one of those books you flip through and decide to make a few things, only to forget about in a week. This book will enlighten you, and your taste buds.

 

Chapter Four: Sides and Dry Vegetable Curries

 

Veggie sides in Indian food can stand on their own with the many ways they are prepared with different spices, textures and flavor combinations. Gobi Aloo, Curried Green Beans, Aloo Saag, Mushrooms and greens, Mashed eggplant Bharta, Cauliflower and Peas in spicy curry, Cabbage with mustard seeds have been popular. The Poriyal, Achari Gobi Aloo and hyderabadi Gobi, Kurma with poppy seeds, and Zunka are my favorites. These need some specific spices but the flavor payoff is amazing!

Everyday homecooked Indian meals features sides like these rich in vegetables. 

• Dad’s Favorite Cauliflower Potatoes gobi aloo 60
• Eggplant with Cumin and Nigella Seeds Baigan Patiala 61
• Roasted Cauliflower and Radish  62
• Mom’s Okra and Onion Stir-Fry  Pyaaz waali bhindi 64
• Potatoes and Greens Stir-Fry aloo saag 65
• Cauliflower and Potatoes with Pickle Spices achari gobi aloo 66
• Sweet and Sour Pumpkin khatta meetha kaddu 67
• Cauliflower and Carrots with Mustard Seeds gobi gajar Poriyal 68
• Spiced Cabbage Potatoes Patta-gobi aloo subzi 69
• Cauliflower and Peas in Spicy Curry gobi mutter masala 70
• Okra in Sesame Coconut Sauce bhindi masala 71
• Cauliflower Carrots and Peas in Coconut Poppy Seed Curry gobi mutter kurma 72

• Maasi’s Nepali Potatoes Nepali aloo 73
• Bell Peppers and Peas with Chickpea Flour shimla mirch mutter zunka 75
• Spiced Mashed Eggplant my weekday baingan  bharta 76
• Assamese Greens and Potatoes xaak bhaji 77
• Cauliflower and Yellow Lentils in Mint Cilantro Sauce hyderabadi gobi mung 78
• Mushrooms and Greens kadhai kumbh Palak 80
• Cauliflower and Peas in Cilantro Onion Sauce gobi mutter keema 81
• Mild Peppers in Peanut Coconut Sauce mirch ka salan 82
• Masala Potatoes for Dosas masala aloo 83
• Easy Curried Green Beans 84 
• Cabbage with Mustard Seeds and Coconut  cabbage thoran 86
• Potato Tomato Curry aloo tamatar subzi 87
• Mom’s Cumin-Scented Rice Pulao with Peas and Onions 88
• Rice with Vegetables, Tomato, and Spices tava Pulao 89

Review:  

Without a doubt- one of my favorite cookbooks (Indian or not). Overall, if you are looking for something leaning in the authentic flavor direction and plant based then you can’t go wrong with this book. Definitely read the entire recipe ahead of time and make sure you understand each step. It is also very much worth your time to read chapter 1 before you make a single recipe (18 pages- many of which are charts or pictures)
I like to prep my ingredients ahead of time according to step. I put all of my step 1 spices into a cup, step 2 spices and vegetables, etc… that way when the time comes I just have to pour them into the pot.

 

Chapter Five: Dals – Lentils and Beans

Dals are a generic term for any stewy soupy curried dish with lentils, beans, chickpeas and other legumes. Dals make up some of my favorite everyday meals. Chana Masala, Cholar Dal, split pea soup with potatoes, dal makhani and red lentil and coconutty butternut soup have been popular from this chapter. Some of my favorites include Masoor Sedhho,  Sookhi Mung palak, Chickpea eggplant stew, and Maharashtrain Amti. Many of the recipes in this chapter have instructions for options to make in a saucepan or in a Pressure cooker/Instant Pot. 

• Red Lentil Soup restaurant-style masoor dal tadka 92
• Yellow Lentils with Spinach sookhi mung Palak 93
• Split Pea Soup with Spices and Coconut bengali cholar dal 94
• Brown Chickpea Curry kala chana masala 96
• Peas in Coconut Curry 97
• Masala Lentils sabut masoor 98
• Any Bean Curry 99
• Split Pea Soup with Potatoes odia buta dali alu tarkari 100
• Mom’s Yellow Lentil Soup mung dal tadka 102
• Sweet and Sour Split Pea Soup gujarati surati dal 103
• Chickpea Curry chana masala 104
• Black Gram Lentils in Tomato Sauce dal bukhara 106
• Winter Split Pea Soup with Ginger kashmiri dal 107
• Split Pea and Bean Soup mixed dal fry 108

• Bengali Red Lentil Soup masoor seddho 110
• Curried Mung Beans sabut mung dal 111
• Yellow Lentils with Cumin sindhi mung dal 112
• Split Peas with Coconut, Sesame, and Tamarind maharashtrian amti 114
• Sprouted Mung Bean Curry with Dinner Rolls misal Pav 116
• South Indian Split Pea Stew with Veggies sambhar 118
• Creamy Black Gram and Kidney Bean Curry dal makhani 120
• Butternut Coconut Red Lentil Curry masoor aur kaddu ki dal 121
• South Indian Chickpea Eggplant Stew 122
• Lentils and Green Beans barbatti waali sabut masoor 123
• Kidney Bean Curry rajma 124

Review: 

Restaurant Indian food was so good, what was wrong with me. I have been trying to make Indian food for years, but it has always been bland and I could not tell what I was missing. Restaurant Indian food was so good, what was wrong with me? So I bought this book, hoping it would let me make impressive Indian recipes at home. I still don’t know what the difference is, but wow is this good! I just put my trust in Richa now and everything turns out wonderfully. Expect your spice rack to metastasize when you buy this book, but everything is so cheap that I don’t even care. Great for tight budgets.

 

Chapter Six: One-Pot Meals and Casseroles

This chapter has a few fusion meals that come together quickly and are wholesome and filling. Chickpea Spinach Stew, Makhani Vegetable Pot Pie, Spicy Lentil cauliflower potato Casserole and red lentil tomato pulao are popular. 

• Chickpea Spinach Stew with Lentils and Quinoa 128
• Lightly Spiced Yellow Lentils and Rice mung dal khichdi / kitchari 130
• Makhani Vegetable Pot Pie 132
• Spinach Rice and Black-Eyed Peas lobhia Palak Pulao 134
• Red Lentil Tomato Pulao 135
• Spicy Red Lentil Cauliflower Potato Casserole 136
• Yellow Lentil Rice and Chard One Pot Meal mung dal chawal biryani 138
• Quinoa Cauliflower Biryani 140

 Review:

The cookbook I’d save if my house was burning. To be honest, when I read all the good reviews I was a bit skeptical. Still, I bought the book, because I’m not that happy with the vegetarian Indian cookbook I have, and I’m trying to veganize my diet as much as possible.
Every recipe I’ve tried so far has been a huge success, which is sometimes hard to achieve in my kitchen, since my husband is Indian.
Indian cuisine involves buying a bunch of spices and herbs, and it’s a bit time-consuming, but this book makes everything worth it! Some recipes are quicker than you could expect, and some others add an interesting tweak (like swapping poha for old-fashioned oats). The cook also avoids fried food as much as possible and bakes instead, which is definitely healthier and doesn’t compromise the flavor.

 

Chapter Seven: Main Dishes

This chapter has many restaurant style entrees. Indian restaurants favor North Indian cuisine with meats, paneer cheese, creamy curries. The sauces in this chapter are perfect to use with baked tofu as paneer, fake meats, raw or roasted vegetables or chickpeas and beans.  Mango Curry Tofu, Tofu Pasanda, Butter Seitan (chikin), tofu in spinach curry, Malai Kofta, Cabbage Kofta, Veggie Manchurian and Whole Roasted Cauliflower in Makhani sauce have been very popular. Its hard to pick favorites from this chapter as I love each and every one of these recipes. I worked the longest on these recipes to keep the complex traditional flavors, without the dairy and excessive oil/butter. Try all from this chapter. 

• Tofu in Velvetty Pepita Poppy Seed Sauce tofu Pasanda 145
• Royal Tofu and Cashews shahi “Paneer” 146
• Mango Curry Tofu 148
• Potato Veggie Balls in Garlic Fenugreek Sauce lasooni methi kofte 149
• Goan Tempeh Curry tempeh moelho 150
• Butter Seitan Curry seitan makhani 152
• Rainbow Chard and Peas in Creamy Sauce chard malai mutter 153
• Tofu in Spinach Curry Palak tofu 154
• Vegetables in Luxurious Royal Sauce restaurantstyle navratan korma 156
• Vegetables and Nuts in Luxurious White Sauce navratan korma 158   

• Tempeh Tikka Masala 159
• Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Makhani Gravy gobi musallam 160
• Chickpea Tofu in Spicy Madras Sauce tofu madras chile masala 162
• Mushroom and Peas in Spicy Coconut Sauce mushroom mutter chettinad 163
• Vegetables in Smoky Tomato Sauce vegetable jalfrezi 164
• Kofta Balls in Nut-Free Cream Sauce malai kofta 166
• Chicken-Free Balti 168
• Tempeh and Cauliflower in Spicy Paprika Yogurt Sauce kashmiri rogan josh 170

Review:  Goodreads

 Yay!!!! Fantastic cookbook. Unbelievable that I can get my American born husband who ate only chicken fingers and fries when I met him, who changed to veggie burgers shortly thereafter, to eat Indian food! Really Italian was the most ethnic food he ate. I’m amazed…..

 

• Vegan Paneer and Spinach in Tomato Sauce kadhai vegan Paneer Palak 172
• Andhra-Style Tempeh Curry 174
• Broccoli Onion Fritters in Spiced Yogurt broccoli Pakora kadhi 176
• Vegetables in Vindaloo Sauce 178
• Chickpeas in Spicy Sorghum Sauce savji chickPeas 180
• Tempeh in Onion Sauce temPeh do Pyaaza 181
• Cabbage Kofta in Creamy Tomato Sauce Patto gobi ke kofte 182
• Veggie Balls in Manchurian Sauce vegetable manchurian 184

Review:

Seriously Phenomenal!!! I can’t say enough good things about this cookbook! Absolutely everything I have made, has been phenomenal. Seriously, phenomenal. Weekly, we have the spicy cauliflower. The spicy eggplant is amazing. The naan was a huge hit with my recent guests. I am THRILLED to say that Richa has enabled me to make dosa and uddapam. I live in Guatemala and do not have access to Indian restaurants so it’s up to me and my kitchen. This is SUCH a big deal to me! I love Richa’s style of presenting recipes. She’s active on social media and engages with people who tag her recipes. I find this so fun and empowering. Buy this book! And then buy a few more copies and give to your friends! (I have!)

 

Chapter Eight: Flatbreads 

Indian meals are often accompanied with flatbreads. The everyday simple Roti, or an occasional Naan and their gluten-free versions all make an appearance. Vegan Naan, Avocado Naan and Chickpea flour Naans, 30 min Dosas are a must make. 

• Puffy Restaurant-Style Naan 188
• Avocado Naan 190
• Baked Chickpea Flour Naan 192
• Gluten-Free Oat Naan 194
• Wheat Flatbreads roti, chaPati, and Phulka 196
• Gluten-Free Chia Flatbreads Phulkas, rotis 199
• Vegetable-Stuffed Parathas 200
• Spicy Chickpea Flour Flatbread missi roti 204
• South Indian Lentil and Rice Dosas 206
• 30-Minute Dosas 209

Review:

I love cooking. I have tons of cook books. I very rarely write reviews but this cook book deserves a five star rating and review. I love cooking. I have tons of cook books. I come from a long line of vegetarian folks and my husband comes from a long line of the traditional Irish American meat & potato type…I also have 2 little kids that are impossible to please. I have had this cook book for about a month and I have been reading and studying it- it is a good read! I have learned so much about Indian cuisine from it. I have several other Indian cook books, but this is by far my favorite. It is easy to read, the author explains so much in such a quick simple way. My other cook books don’t do that….just full of ingredients I don’t recognize and don’t understand. The few things I have made from it have been STELLAR. I mean, not only did I LOVE the food, but so did my husband, my IMPOSSIBLE mother-in-law, and my kids. My kids not only ate spinach, they loved it. And they asked for thirds!!! And here I was practicing the “right” words to use to trick them (the kids and my mother-in-law) into eating something new and healthy. I didn’t have to say a thing. I couldn’t be more thankful!

 

Chapter Nine Desserts

Indian desserts are generally dairy heavy and they were the most missed on transitioning to a vegan diet. Not anymore with the vegan versions of Mysore Pak, Gulab Jamun, Ras Malai, Sandesh, Bhapa Doi and Ladoos and Kulfis. 

• Sweet Chickpea Flour Balls besan ladoo 212
• Cashew Fudge kaju katli 214
• Pistachio Cardamom Cookies nan khatai 216
• Saffron Cream Popsicles kesar kulfi 218
• Pistachio Almond Ice Cream Pista kulfi 219
• Doughnuts Soaked in Sugar Syrup gulab jamun 220
• Fudgy Coconut Balls nariyal ladoo 222
• South Indian Chickpea Flour Fudge mysore Pak 224

 

• Grain-Flour Spoon Fudge atte ka halwa 226
• Steamed Yogurt Dessert bhapa doi 228
• Fudgy Cardamom Squares vegan kalakand 229
• Carrot Halwa gajar ka halwa 230
• Saffron-Infused Creamy Pudding kesar Phirni 232
• Saffron Cream Fudge malai Peda 234
• Pistachio Spoon Fudge Pistachio halwa 235
• Bengali Saffron Cheese Dessert sandesh 236
• Spongy Balls in Saffron Cream rasmalai 238

Review:

Burst of Flavors. Oh my. The recipes in this book were well worth the trip to a larger city to buy spices and other ingredients at an Indian grocery store. The flavors are incredible. There’s a wide variety in protein sources, flavor profiles, spice levels, and separate chapters for desserts, flatbread, and spice blends/chutneys/etc. You really can’t go wrong. I’m even tempted to buy this in paper book form (I have the kindle version) because it’s such a pretty book and the pictures are stunning. Don’t look at the ingredients list for each recipe and be fooled into thinking they all taste the same. Different quantities and combinations of spices make for a wide variety in flavor profiles.

 

Chapter 10: Spice Blends, Chutneys, Basics

This Chapter has spice blends, some amazing chutneys and recipes for vegan paneer and nondairy yogurt. 

• South Indian Coconut Chutney 242
• Chile Garlic Coconut Chutney 243
• Mint Cilantro Chile Chutney 244
• Quick Tamarind Date Chutney 245
• Garam Masala 246
• Tandoori Masala 247
• Sambhar Powder 248
• Chaat Masala 249
• Bengali Five-Spice Blend Panch Phoron 250
• Indian Chai Spice chai masala 250
• Chickpea Tofu 253
• Non-Dairy Yogurt 254
• Raita 256
• Vegan Paneer 258

Review:

An inspiring, informative, colorful and fun cookbook! The book likely has a picture every other page. I think the inspiration of seeing first hand what I’m trying to create in terms of Indian spice color and presentation makes the book worth the price of purchase. I’ve tried a variety of the recipes including Potato Veggie Balls in Garlic Fenugreek Sauce (Lasooni Methi Kofta). The instructions are clearly laid out for everything. I felt the first time I made these they were time/labour intensive, yet I did things I hadn’t done previously. She suggested cumin-scented rice which I haven’t done before. It was great. I have used my blender numerous times to puree items which I haven’t done much in cooking (in this case the pureed items with coconut milk; for the Tempeh in Onion Sauce (Tempeh in Do Pyaaza) round one of the two parts of the “double” onion sauce).

I made Naan for the first time. My first 1/3 of a batch was good, but I hadn’t let the naan rise long enough or perhaps the stone wasn’t hot enough so it was good but not amazing. When I came back to bake the rest of the dough (naan) 30 minutes later the naan I made was the perfect texture! It was incredible soft and spongy (I’m guessing time and stone’s heat made the difference). My next batch a week later was perfect.

I brought various meals to work to share and people loved them. I’ve made and shared enough of recipes my co-workers have asked to read the book for themselves. Many have purchased the books. One colleague found that the chickpea recipes were a favorite of her daughter.

And that’s a wrap.

I will choose 2 comments randomly from this post to send out Signed copies of the Book! To get an unsigned copy, get it on Amazon, International and other retailer links below, or at your local book store. If they dont carry the book, you can request them to!

Both my books are available in many countries. Get VRIK at 

• Amazon, barnes and noble,  indiebound, kobo,  bam, powells, itunes 
• Amazon.in,Book depository– delivers to many countries
• Chapters indigo,  indiebound
• Amazon.ca (canada), amazon.co.uk, hive.co,uk, bol.com (eu) amazon.de (germany), thalia.de (germany),amazon.it (italy), amazon.jp, amazon.es, booktopia (aus), fishpond.nz

To buy a signed copy, please email me at richahingle at gmail for details.