If You're Craving A Meatless Asian Dish, Here Are 22 Of Our Absolute Favorites
If you're craving a dish that's meatless AND Asian, then look no further. Vegetarian food has a long and rich history across the continent of Asia, including in Indonesia, India, Japan, China, and more. While the cuisine across these cultures is way too expansive to ever try and capture in a single post, we tried our best to highlight a few of the greatest vegetarian hits:
1.No Chop Kimchi Fried Rice
Fried rice has always been a mainstay on the dinner tables of hungry, tired families. It's easy to see why: This dish comes together with a spicy, thick sauce made with just soy sauce and gochujang (Korean red pepper paste). Toss it onto some old rice, egg, and vegetables, and you're good to go.
Recipe: No Chop Kimchi Fried Rice
2.Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
The longer sibling of the American eggplant, the Chinese eggplant is an easy vegetable to play around with in the kitchen because it simply absorbs the spices and sauces you're mixing it with. This recipe cooks them to tender perfection, finishing them in a sweet garlic sauce.
3.Yubuchobap
These rice balls stuffed into thin soybean curd pockets are an amazing afternoon snack or light meal. It's beloved for its lightly vinegared rice, which, as in sushi or poke bowls, has the effect of making this dish irresistible!
Recipe: Yubuchobap
4.Vegan Coconut Buns
Stuffed with coconut palm sugar (otherwise known as gula melaka), shredded coconut, and corn starch, these fluffy buns look almost too good to be eaten. Bring a Tupperware full of the stuff to your next picnic and watch as your friends coo around them like they're your new pet.
Recipe: Vegan Coconut Buns
5.Vegan Liangpi Noodles
Translating to "cold skin," Liangpi is a favorite summertime noodle dish throughout China. Splashed with a spicy oil, vinegar, and soy sauce, and some sliced Seitan, they're everything you need for a satiating afternoon meal.
Recipe: Vegan Liangpi Noodles
6.Mapo Curry Tofu
If great texture is the key to your heart and stomach, then look no further than silky mapo tofu. It's velvety, it's lush, and it's gooey in all the right ways.
Recipe: Mapo Curry Tofu
7.Banh It Tran Vietnamese Mung Bean Dumplings
Traditionally stuffed with shrimp or pork, these vegetarian sticky rice dumplings still pack a lot of protein with a generous helping of savory mung bean in every bite. They're also super fun to make: Just plop them into a boiling pot of water, just like you would with gnocchi, and cook them for one minute or until they float up to the top.
8.Vegan Thai Massaman Curry
When coconut milk and high-quality curry paste join forces, delicious things can happen. This recipe kicks the flavor up a notch with the addition of pepper, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a variety of vegetables.
Recipe: Vegan Thai Massaman Curry
9.Mushroom Matar
If you're familiar with the vegetarian Indian menu, you'll know that this dish of mushrooms and peas in a creamy tomato and cashew sauce is a dependable darling. And it may look deceptively rich, but its only source of fat comes from a handful of cashew nuts.
Recipe: Mushroom Matar
10.Crispy Bottom Veggie Buns
Do you ever look at a photo of a dish and know deep in your heart that you're going to love its texture? You won't be disappointed with these buns, which are crispy on the outside and filled with an oily mixture of mashed tofu and vegetables. Serve with soy sauce or your favorite homemade chili oil.
Recipe: Crispy Bottom Veggie Buns
11.Black Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
If you've never tried black garlic, prepare to be delighted. Unlike its bitingly intense and pungent cousin, black garlic is sweet, mellow, and almost buttery. This dish plays it up with oyster and soy sauce for a sweet and ultra savory effect.
Recipe: Black Garlic Chili Oil Noodles
12.Liang Fen Cold Spicy Jelly Noodles
If you've got access to green bean starch and water, you can make Liang Fen. It's literally made with just those two ingredients, and in this case, served with a light soy- and vinegar-based sauce. Top with some chili oil for a hot and cold eating experience!
13.Vegan Taiwanese Sticky Rice
"You Fan," as this classic Taiwanese dish is known, is a sticky rice recipe that relies on loads of shiitake mushrooms, cashews, and a magical mix of sauces for maximum umami.
Recipe: Vegan Taiwanese Sticky Rice
14.Baked Japanese Sweet Potato
The humble Asian sweet potato is a staple in many east Asian households. And it's so packed with saccharine flavor that it needs zero extra ingredients. Just prick a few holes in it, pop it in the oven, then slice it open for the perfect snack.
Recipe: Baked Japanese Sweet Potato
15.Vegan Mushroom Rendang
This darling of Indonesian cuisine consistently ranks on lists of the world's best foods. While this rendition uses mushrooms, instead of the usual beef, it skimps nothing in terms of flavor, much of which is located in the chili paste anyway. If you've got access to desiccated coconut (or frozen coconut flakes), then you can probably find the rest of the ingredients to make yourself this feast of a meal.
Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Rendang
16.Miso Honey Butter Toast
One of the best parts of cooking is blending culinary traditions and seeing what happens. Take this miso honey butter toast, for example. It starts with traditional breakfast toast and pairs it with white miso paste for a sweet and salty treat.
Recipe: Miso Honey Butter Toast
17.Yaki Udon
Udon's thick and chewy texture always makes it feel like such an indulgence. You don't even need much to complete the dish — just your favorite sautéed vegetables, some mirin, and mentsuyu (Japanese soup base) if you've got it, and voila! You're ready to eat.
Recipe: Yaki Udon
18.Paneer Bhurji (Spiced Scrambled Paneer)
No other places in the world occupy such a long and storied history in vegetarian cuisine than India. So you can trust me when I say this paneer bhurji will be the best thing you try this week. 😍 Cooked with a mix of onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and green chilies, it'll hit you with savory, cheesy, and tangy flavors all at once.
19.Vegan Ayam Goreng Kunyit
Inspired by classic Malay dish ayam goreng kunyit (turmeric fried chicken), this recipe uses large oyster mushrooms to obtain the same crunchy texture. A turmeric- and curry powder-based marinade give it its characteristic orange color and distinct peppery punch!
Recipe: Vegan Ayam Goreng Kunyit
20.Vegetarian Pad Thai
This western Thai favorite is irreplaceable in terms of its flavor, which thankfully, is not dependent on its choice of protein. Whether you serve it with tofu or chicken — prepare for a whirlwind of tangy, sweet, nutty, and savory notes.
Recipe: Vegetarian Pad Thai
21.Tempeh Stir-Fry
Tempeh is the underrated star of the plant-based protein world. And if you're looking for a quick weeknight dish, you'll love this tempeh stir-fry which comes together in under 30 minutes.
Recipe: Tempeh Stir-Fry
22.Basundi
Think of this sweet Indian dessert as a dessert/night cap. While the traditional recipe calls for simmering full fat whole milk, this time-saving version uses already condensed milk for an instantly gratifying delight.
Recipe: Basundi
