10 Great Places In Delhi To Get Your Vegan Fix

Rupali Dean curates a list of restaurants in the capital with great vegan offerings to try 

Veganism in India is as old as time; it’s only being recognised as the ‘in’ thing now. Many individuals today opt to be vegan, not only for the health benefits, but also out of a sense of responsibility towards the planet. Vegan food is getting quite popular in the capital, and many restaurants have incorporated dishes into their menus, if not entire menu sections dedicated to vegan options…

 
Here are 10 great places to try in Delhi NCR...

MEGU, THE LEELA PALACE (main image)

Since Japanese food is often thought of as a non-vegetarian’s delight, creating vegan options for guests has been an interesting challenge as well as a learning subject for the chefs at Megu. “The key to select the ingredients is to dig out the most simple and organic roots and choose the right combination of flavours,” says Head Chef Shubham Thakur. The restaurant’s stellar dish made with avocado, seaweed and tofu, which is completely vegan, has been very well received. In fact, Shira Ae, Hijiki (seaweed salad) and Avocado Tartare has been on the menu for a while and has had patrons coming back only for it.

INDIAN ACCENT

There have always been vegan dishes on the Indian Accent menu, and the kitchen has worked out vegan tasting menus on request. The restaurant is now formally introducing its Vegan Tasting Menu, which will change seasonally.  “The dishes will range from masala avocado  papdi chaat; beetroot chop with peanut butter, tamarind and coriander chutney; and tandoori tofu tikka with Calcutta mustard,” Manish Mehrotra, Corporate Chef with the Indian Accent Restaurants, tells us. “Desserts include crispy vermicelli with salted caramel ‘ice cream’; and soy yoghurt shrikhand with pear petha.” 

THREESIXTYONE°, THE OBEROI GURGAON

As part of the restaurant’s ongoing efforts to become more responsible towards the planet, Executive Chef Manish Sharma has created a responsibly-sourced, plant-based menu exclusive to threesixtyone°. A must-try from the vegan menu is the king mushroom confit with bean sprouts and wild mushroom tea. There are multiple elements involved in its preparation and presentation, from sous vide cooking of the mushrooms and then ‘pulling’ them to create an illusion of noodles, combining them with bean sprouts, and then serving mushroom broth from a glass kettle. The whole dish resembles a tea service, which makes it very special.

VIET: NOM

On offer at Viet: Nom are vegan dishes in each of the menu subsections from cold small plates to desserts. The restaurant uses mock meats of different kinds and has curated some exciting dishes with the same. The white rose dim sum, crispy silken tofu, spicy aubergine with scallion, and vegetable pho, among others, come highly recommended. “The Summer Roll is one of our most-popular vegan dishes,” reveals Executive Chef Aakash Nakra. “The dish uses mock fish with nori sheet beneath the rice paper to give it additional umami flavour and is served with creamy peanut sauce and nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).” 

GUPPY

At Guppy, the vegan dishes are well thought of with seasonal ingredients and fresh produce. Chef Vikram Khatri and Chef Saurabh Saran have designed the menu in such a way that most vegetarian dishes can be made vegan. The restaurant has a wide variety of plant-based options such as the Sweet Potato Teriyaki, Takikomi Rice, Mushroom Tobanyaki, and Hokkaido Ramen with Soba Noodles. I highly recommend the gluten-free Kale Potstickers – they come steamed with their bottoms crisped with minimal sesame oil – and the Hokkaido Ramen – spicy miso-flavoured vegetable dashi broth with corn, snow peas and broccoli and soba noodles. Another absolute must-try is also Takikomi Rice; the slow-cooked sticky rice with kelp dashi and seasonal vegetables is a sheer delight.

OLIVE BAR & KITCHEN

Chef Dhruv Oberoi works with urban and rural farmers, so one can experience indigenous ingredients, seasonal and local produce at the restaurant in ways that will delight the foodie in you. The vegan menu at Olive Qutub does not use faux substitutes, because the chefs believe that plant-based dishes are delicious in themselves. The Coco Cacao Ganache – a vegan chocolate and coconut mousse on an amaranth biscuit, served with a coconut ‘ice cream’ and passionfruit coulis – is a must-try.

L’OPERA

On offer are vegan tarts in chocolate and almond flavours, two kinds of vegan verrines, and three macaron flavours. As part of L’Opera’s hot plates menu, one can order dishes such as the Tomato and Pumpkin Soup and a decadent Roast Vegetable Sandwich on a cereal baguette. The freshness of the bread, the filling and sides combine to make it very special. L’Opera also has some exciting options for people looking for vegan alternatives in desserts. 

ROASTED BY ROSEATE

Roasted has a menu specifically devised to satisfy vegan diners. Chef Rajesh Sharma uses ingredients such as vegan mozzarella, soy ‘feta’ and plant meatballs in his dishes. Stand-out dishes here include the toasted paninis (pressed and toasted sandwiches on Italian ciabatta or focaccia). Smashed plant meatballs, aubergine bacon, marinara sauce, rocket and vegan mozzarella… sounds delicious, doesn’t it?  “We constantly work on our menu to suit the developing tastes of our astute diners,” shares Chef Sharma. “We also fine-tune our offerings based on local ingredients. And we only see this trend rising, which means we will be expanding the vegan menu.”

FARMER’S BASKET AT PLUCK, PULLMAN AEROCITY

Pluck promotes vegan food and offers endless options with the Farmers’ Basket, where you can choose from seasonal vegetables and get them cooked to your preference. The focus is on using dairy-free ingredients for vegans, and the Vegan Avocado Toast with Cashewnut Cream is a stand-out here, owing to the mellowness of the cashewnut cream contrasting with the tartness of the avocado.

COCODATE 

Specialising in plant-based healthy desserts with gluten-free options,  80 per cent of the menu at Cocodate is vegan and gluten free. Ingredients used in the desserts include almond, ragi, coconut, oat, tapioca and sorghum flours, organic maple syrup, coconut oil, coconut sugar, dates, jaggery, raw khandsari sugar, nut butters and milks, premium nuts and seeds, and high-quality couverture chocolate. The Nutella Hazelnut Praline Tart, a delicate biscuit layered with housemade hazelnut praline, housemade Nutella and a rich decadent chocolate ganache, is to die for.

Also see: Easy vegan recipes to try on World Vegan Day