Vegan Travel in India

The carry-on snack pack

Build this once and refill before every trip.

• 200g roasted peanuts or trail mix
• 100g dates
• 4 energy bars (Yoga Bar, Plix, Whole Truth)
• 2–4 peanut butter single-serve sachets (Pintola does these)
• 4–6 oat milk shelf-stable cartons (Oatly, Alt Co — survive months)
• A spoon
• Salt, chilli flakes (tiny shaker)

By region

South India

Almost no work to do. Eat:

• Idli, dosa (no ghee), upma, pongal (ask coconut version, no ghee), uttapam.
• Sambar, rasam, lemon rice, tomato rice, tamarind rice.
• All chutneys (coconut, tomato, peanut — most are vegan).
• Chana sundal, kosumalli.

Skip: curd rice, ghee rice.

Mumbai, Maharashtra

• Vada pav (almost always vegan)
• Misal pav (ask without butter)
• Poha
• Pav bhaji (ask no butter — works)
• Sabudana khichdi (often has ghee — ask)
• Most street chaat (skip dahi puri)

Delhi, North India

Harder, but workable. Ask 'no ghee, no butter, no paneer' everywhere.

• Chole bhature (ask no curd on side)
• Aloo paratha (no butter, with achaar)
• Rajma chawal
• Dal makhani — skip (always butter + cream)
• Chana masala, mixed veg
• Chaat (skip dahi versions)

Gujarat, Rajasthan

Mostly vegetarian and very veg-friendly, but watch for ghee everywhere.

• Khichdi (ask no ghee)
• Dhokla (most vegan), khandvi (has curd, skip), patra (vegan)
• Bajra roti, daal baati (ask no ghee)
• Gatte ki sabzi (made with curd, skip or ask for tomato gravy)

Goa

• Most fish curries are non-veg obviously. Stick to:
• Bhaji pav, poi (bread), vegetable xacuti (ask vegan), Goan curry with vegetables, kokum sherbet.

Northeast

Harder — most cuisine is meat-forward and many vegetarian dishes use eggs or fermented dairy. Stick to dal, rice, vegetables, fruit.

Kerala

• Sadhya (banana leaf feast) — most items are vegan (ask).
• Avial, sambar, rasam, parippu curry, kalan (ask — usually has yoghurt).
• Puttu + kadala, idiyappam + veg stew (coconut milk version).

Trains

• IRCTC Catering: veg meals usually include curd and paneer; pre-order through Zoop or Travelkhana from station stops with vegan-aware vendors.
• Tatkal hack: at major junctions, peanuts, fresh fruit (banana, orange), idli-sambar, jhal muri, samosa, salt-roasted chana are sold on platform. Stock up.
• In sleeper class: bring instant upma (mix with hot water from the pantry), oats sachets, peanut butter sandwiches.

Flights

• Domestic (IndiGo, Vistara, Air India): order 'AVML' (Asian Vegetarian Meal) or 'VGML' (Vegan Vegetarian Meal) at booking. Vegan is hit-or-miss; AVML is usually dairy-heavy. Carry a backup sandwich.
• International: 'VGML' is standard. Order 24–48h before flight on the airline's manage-booking page. Confirm at check-in.

Hotels

• Call ahead. "I'm vegan — could you have oat or soy milk available, and ensure no ghee or butter in my breakfast?" Most premium hotels (Taj, ITC, Oberoi, JW Marriott) handle this without blinking.
• Breakfast buffet defaults: fresh fruit, juice, toast + peanut butter, idli + sambar, beans, hash browns, oats with plant milk if you brought it.

Weddings

• Plate strategy: dal, rice, roti, two vegetable sabzis, salad, papad, achaar. Skip raita, paneer items, kheer, gulab jamun. Most weddings have a fruit chaat / cut fruit section.
• Sangeet snacks: most fried snacks (samosa, kachori, pakora, paneer items obviously). Stick to dal-fried versions and salads.
• Stay fed in advance: eat a proper meal before going. Wedding food is wild card.

What to never travel without

A spoon, two energy bars, and one oat milk carton. You'll thank yourself.