Palak paneer is a popular Indian vegetarian dish made with paneer cheese in a rich, thick sauce consisting of puréed spinach mixed with tomatoes, garam masala, garlic, and numerous spices. The key ingredients are even mentioned in the name of the dish, since palak means spinach in hindi, and paneer refers to the cheese.

Palak paneer has roots in the Punjabi region, but there are also other variations of the dish throughout India. It is a highly nutritious meal that can be consumed either for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, accompanied by rice or Indian flatbreads such as naan and roti.

Mattar paneer is a popular vegetarian dish of North Indian origin, made with peas and paneer cheese in a garam masala-spiced tomato sauce. The rich, thick curry is a specialty of Punjab, but it is widely enjoyed throughout India. Traditionally, the dish is served either for lunch or dinner, accompanied by rice and Indian flatbreads such as naan, kulcha, roti, or paratha.

Variations abound, so corn, yogurt, or cream are often added as thickeners. Mattar paneer is commonly garnished with freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves on top, giving it a refreshing flavor.

Although it originated in Punjab, dal makhani has become one of the most popular Indian lentil dishes, both in the country and outside of its borders. It consists of red kidney beans and whole black lentils, which also go under the name urad.

The dish is prepared with hefty amounts of ghee and various seasonings such as ginger-garlic paste and chili, and it is slowly cooked in a rich, tomato-based sauce. The name makhani, meaning butter, stems from the last addition, a drizzle of melted ghee or butter that provides the typical velvety flavor of this classic. 

Baingan bharta is a vegetarian side dish that is very popular in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh due to its rich aroma and flavor. It consists of minced and grilled eggplants that are combined with coriander, onion, chilies, and mustard oil, making it an ideal winter dish that is commonly consumed with Indian flatbreads or rice.

It was invented by the Punjabis, but as time went by, it crossed the Punjab borders and became popular throughout India and in other countries. Served piping hot, the dish is usually garnished with grated ginger and coriander leaves. The word baingan refers to the eggplant, while bharta refers to a variety of dishes where the ingredients are mashed before or after the preparation.

Vegetable kadai is a traditional dish originating from the northern parts of India. The vegetables are cooked in a unique wok called kadai, hence the name of the dish. In order to prepare it, vegetables such as onions, potatoes, carrots, green beans, peas, cauliflower, and bell peppers are chopped, cooked in water, then mixed with onion-tomato paste and a combination of roasted spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, and chili peppers.

Some butter, oil, garam masala, cream, and turmeric are added to the mix, and this vegetable stew is ready to be served. Before serving, the dish is often garnished with coriander leaves. Vegetable kadai goes well with jeera rice and Indian flatbreads such as phulka, naan, or paratha.

Sarson da saag (also sarson ka saag or mustard greens) is a popular Punjabi vegetarian dish consisting of leaves of the mustard plant, spinach, green chilli, fenugreek, ginger and salt. The dish is slowly simmered in its own juices over low heat until it develops the typical, buttery creaminess.

In Punjab, it is topped with fried onions and fresh homemade butter. In Uttar Pradesh, however, the dish is topped with yogurt and tomatoes to slightly reduce its bitter and peppery taste. Due to the pungency of mustard leaves, broccoli, radish and turnip are sometimes added to enhance the flavors. 

Simple and flavorful, aloo baingan is a dish made with a combination of eggplants and potatoes, cooked together with onions, tomatoes, and various spices. The name of the dish specifies its key ingredients, since aloo means potatoes, and baingan means eggplant.

Basically, it is a type of sabzi (dry curry) that is usually served with flatbreads such as roti and naan. Aloo baingan is a popular Indian lunch item that is commonly packed in lunchboxes throughout Northern India. It is said that aloo baingan is even better if made in advance, as the flavors deepen while the dish rests.

Gajar matar is a traditional vegetable-based dish originating from Punjab, where it's considered a wintertime staple. This stir-fry is usually made with a combination of peas, carrots, oil, cumin, onions, hot chili peppers, garlic, ginger, coriander, tomatoes, and salt.

All of the ingredients are stir-fried, often with the addition of water, while the chopped tomatoes, peas, and carrots are added near the end of cooking. In order to finish the dish, the heat is reduced to low, the pan is covered, and the dish is cooked until the vegetables are tender.