MAIN INGREDIENTS
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.
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.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Aloo methi is a popular vegetarian dish from North India, made with a combination of potatoes, fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves, and spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric. The dish is very common in numerous North Indian homes, where it is prepared as a type of dry curry.
One of the key ingredients - bitter and tangy fenugreek leaves - are known for their medicinal properties, such as lowering blood sugar. Aloo methi is best paired with rice or Indian flatbreads such as roti and paratha.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
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.
MOST ICONIC Sarson ka saag
View moreVegetable 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.
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.
Palak dal is a traditional vegeterian dish originating from North India. Although each home has their own recipe, it's usually made with a combination of lentils, spinach, tomatoes, ghee, cumin seeds, ginger, chili peppers, turmeric, and lemon juice or amchur (dry mango powder).
The vegetables are simply mixed with the tempered spices, then simmered in water until the dal reaches the desired consistency. Once done, this lentil stew is traditionally served with rice or roti on the side.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “7 Worst Rated Northern Indian Vegetable Dishes” list until February 15, 2025, 1,097 ratings were recorded, of which 841 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.