Happy New Year! I hope by now that you’ve recovered from the festivities of last night and perhaps in the frame of mind to start building some new habits. Well, if so, then this is the perfect time to do it with ‘veganuary’: a movement to try eating more vegan food during January.

And remember, you don’t need to be perfect when starting something new. We all slip from time to time and it’s especially natural when making a change. With so many people now choosing to try out going vegan this month, we’ll be here to support you all the way.

The great thing about Indian vegetarian cookery is that a lot of it is either already vegan, or can be made vegan with simple substitutions. Our parents (or grandparents) might never have imagined that such things as vegan yoghurt would exist and could be readily used to swap in their favourite recipes. But then they might actually have been used to not having much dairy anyway… something I learned from a recent TV programme on Netflix which I’ll be writing about as well.

Simple, quick and versatile vegan breakfast idea

Anyway, let’s kick things off with a super-simple recipe that’s perfect for a quick, cooked vegan breakfast: pudlas (pronounced ‘pud’ as in Christmas pud and ‘las’ as in ‘lars’!).

Pudlas are very popular in most Gujarati homes. It’s one of those quick dishes you can make and enjoy when you are in a hurry, which makes it perfect for breakfast and an ideal substitution for an egg omelette. They’re also gluten-free as an added bonus, and can be combined with virtually any chopped vegetable.

Check out my full recipe for pudlas here.

For a quick option, you might want to skip the various toppings and just use a touch of onion and garlic. Okay, you don’t want to turn up to work with garlic breath but don’t skimp on flavours as it’ll be very bland otherwise!

Another popular option that I’ve seen is to gently fry some mushrooms separately and then fold the pudla over them, which is definitely more akin to an egg omelette.

Pudlas are a great basis for a quick meal at any time of day. However you try these, do let me know what you do in the comments below – these are a simple yet delicious and versatile dish that anyone trying vegan should try out.

For more inspiration, check back again tomorrow and also follow my Instagram feed where I’ll be posting regular ideas for simple vegan meals. Find it here now: http://instagram.com/givemesomespice

Happy Veganuary!

Will you try going vegan for January?