Okra in Hindi is known as bhindi. It’s a vegetable that is prepared throughout India. When cut, okra releases a sticky substance that has thickening properties,

Dosa is a popular South Indian pancake that is made from a fermented batter of rice and skinned split black lentils.

Of all the tropical veggies, Indians love onions the best. A friend of mine, who was used to eating spicy okra in a curry sauce, was amazed to discover its real taste when he tried this recipe.

Here's a special quick curry dish I have prepared to celebrate National Curry Week. It takes about 15 minutes. You can parboil the potatoes in advance for an even speedier treat.

Mustard seeds are to southern, south-western and eastern India what cumin seeds are to the north. Used to season just about every savoury preparation,

Paneer is a rich source of protein for many Indians who are vegetarian and is the most common form of Indian cheese which unlike western cheeses, contains no rennet.

This is a meat substitute product that can be used in making spicy dishes. Dry soya protein absorbs almost 4 times its weight in liquid and has become increasingly popular due to its health benefits.

Dunk your naans into this magical medley of spicy vegetables infused with cumin and chilli. A recipe that's full of flavour with a hint of creamy sweetness courtesy of the coconut milk.

A dhansak is a spiced dish of pureed lentils and vegetables. They are cooked in a tangy sauce. This is a Parsi recipe that comes from western India and is taken from my Easy Indian Cookbook.

Taken from Easy Indian Cookbook by Manju Malhi published by Duncan Baird Publishers, this popular vegetarian dish known as Saag Aloo, served in Indian restaurants

As we know, Asians love to cook with aubergines and although the brinjal is believed to be of Indian origin, according to the Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davidson, the first surviving mention of it is in a Chinese work on agriculture of the 5th century AD.

This recipe can be prepared a day in advance and eaten with shop bought naans.It’s a delicious dish fit for a royal occasion and can be truly traditional with British ingredients including the paneer.

Vegetarian Kebabs or Hara Bhara Kebabs. Kebabs are usually made with meat, fish or chicken. These have evolved from the Mogul-style kebabs and been adapted for the vegetarian market. 'Hara Bhara' means 'laden with greens or vegetables'

Smoked Aubergine is a North Indian vegetable dish served as an accompaniment to a main meal. The Indian name for this vegetable is brinjal.

During the summer months, you don't always have to have a bowl of cereal or an English breakfast every morning to kickstart the day. This recipe felt like an all round breakfast with the croutons replacing my toast plus some lightly sauteed mushrooms surrounded by crunchy lettuce.

Go to any home in the north of India during the winter months and the proverbial aloo gobhi will be served at least once a week, either as an accompaniment to a curry or as the main dish with chapatis. Aloo Gobhi is also one of the most popular side dishes served in restaurants in Britain.

Okra or ladies fingers are an acquired taste but they are an extremely versatile vegetable, used in predominantly dry savoury Indian dishes. This dish is a popular teatime snack and can also be eaten as an accompaniment to a meat curry.

A touch of turmeric, cumin and coriander adds a warm golden glow to a quick and colourful dish. This can be prepared in a matter of minutes. You can omit the potatoes if you feel that the rice or chapatis provide ample carbs.

Boondis are pearl drops of gram flour deep-fried in oil. They are readily available from any Asian store or can be obtained by mail order or online.

A member of the lily family, asparagus are lovely and delicate when simmered on a low heat for 4-5 minutes, then drained when tender and smothered in butter or olive oil, with a dash of salt and pepper and perhaps chilli flakes. Be careful not to overcook.

Avial is a thick, mixed vegetable dish in which the vegetables are chopped and parboiled, flavoured with yogurt, and then cooked in coconut milk (you can use any combination of vegetables). The avial also forms part of a vegetarian feast in Kerala known as the “sadya”.

When buying aubergines make sure they have a smooth surface
and are light - the heavier ones contain too many seeds. Apparently salting aubergines, which isn't really necessary anymore, makes them absorb less oil when cooked. This recipe is taken from my latest easy peasy cookbook Classic Indian Recipes

Would you believe that in some shops, tofu is sold as soya paneer.
This is to encourage many Asian consumers to try it out in place of the milk based Indian cheese product. Tofu has a lovely and soft texture not dissimilar to paneer and it's a great way of adding chunkiness to a salad such as this simple yet colourful idea.