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10 Asian Plant-Based Dishes That Changed How I Eat While Traveling

 

10 Asian Plant-Based Dishes I Cooked While Learning to Travel Slower

Before I learned the names of the streets, I learned the smell of the kitchens.

Traveling through Asia as a plant-based eater taught me something quietly powerful: vegetables are never “side dishes” here. They are stories. They simmer, ferment, soak, and steam their way into memory. Every bowl I cooked or was taught to cook came with a lesson—about patience, balance, and listening.

10 Asian Plant-Based Dishes That Changed How I Eat While Traveling

 

These are 10 Asian plant-based dishes I learned to make not from cookbooks, but from mornings in guesthouses, night markets, and borrowed kitchens. This is a monologue, because that’s how cooking alone on the road feels—you, the food, and the thoughts that surface while you stir.

1. Vegetable Pad Thai (Thailand)

Ingredients

  • 200 g rice noodles

  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 cup bean sprouts

  • ½ cup shredded carrot

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • Crushed peanuts & lime (optional)

How I Make It

  1. Soak noodles in warm water until soft.

  2. Mix tamarind, soy sauce, and sugar.

  3. Heat oil, sauté garlic.

  4. Add vegetables and noodles.

  5. Pour sauce, toss gently.

  6. Serve with peanuts and lime.

2. Mapo Tofu (China – Plant-Based Version)

Ingredients

  • 300 g soft tofu, cubed

  • 2 tbsp fermented black bean paste

  • 1 tbsp chili oil

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 tsp ginger

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

How I Make It

  1. Gently blanch tofu and set aside.

  2. Sauté garlic and ginger in oil.

  3. Add chili oil and bean paste.

  4. Pour in broth and simmer.

  5. Add tofu and cook gently.

  6. Serve hot with rice.

3. Vegetable Biryani (India)

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups basmati rice

  • 1 cup mixed vegetables

  • 1 onion, sliced

  • 2 tbsp biryani masala

  • 3 cups water

  • Oil & salt

How I Make It

  1. Rinse rice thoroughly.

  2. Sauté onion until golden.

  3. Add vegetables and spices.

  4. Stir in rice and water.

  5. Cover and cook until fluffy.

4. Gado-Gado (Indonesia)

Ingredients

  • Boiled potatoes

  • Blanched spinach & cabbage

  • Tofu or tempeh (fried)

  • Peanut sauce

  • Lime juice

How I Make It

  1. Arrange vegetables on a plate.

  2. Add tofu or tempeh.

  3. Spoon warm peanut sauce over.

  4. Finish with lime.

5. Vegetable Pho (Vietnam)

Ingredients

  • Rice noodles

  • Onion & ginger (charred)

  • Star anise & cinnamon

  • Vegetable broth

  • Herbs (basil, cilantro)

How I Make It

  1. Simmer broth with spices.

  2. Cook noodles separately.

  3. Pour broth over noodles.

  4. Top with herbs and lime.

6. Korean Bibimbap (Plant-Based)

Ingredients

  • Cooked rice

  • Spinach, carrots, mushrooms

  • Sesame oil

  • Gochujang

How I Make It

  1. Sauté vegetables separately.

  2. Place rice in bowl.

  3. Arrange vegetables on top.

  4. Add gochujang and mix.

7. Japanese Vegetable Tempura

Ingredients

  • Assorted vegetables

  • 1 cup flour

  • ¾ cup ice-cold water

  • Oil for frying

How I Make It

  1. Mix flour and water lightly.

  2. Dip vegetables quickly.

  3. Fry until crisp.

  4. Drain and serve hot.

8. Burmese Tea Leaf Salad (Lahpet Thoke)

Ingredients

  • Fermented tea leaves

  • Shredded cabbage

  • Tomatoes

  • Peanuts & sesame seeds

  • Lime juice

How I Make It

  1. Mix tea leaves with lime.

  2. Toss with vegetables.

  3. Add crunchy toppings.

  4. Serve fresh.

9. Chinese Stir-Fried Eggplant

Ingredients

  • Eggplant, sliced

  • Garlic

  • Soy sauce

  • Sugar

  • Oil

How I Make It

  1. Fry eggplant until soft.

  2. Remove and sauté garlic.

  3. Add sauce ingredients.

  4. Return eggplant and glaze.

10. Coconut Lentil Curry (Sri Lanka)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red lentils

  • 1 can coconut milk

  • Curry leaves

  • Onion & garlic

  • Curry powder

How I Make It

  1. Boil lentils until soft.

  2. Sauté onion and garlic.

  3. Add spices and lentils.

  4. Pour coconut milk.

  5. Simmer gently.

Why These Dishes Stay With Me

Eating plant-based across Asia didn’t feel restrictive. It felt generous. Each dish carried warmth, humility, and intention. These meals taught me that traveling well isn’t about how far you go—it’s about how deeply you taste where you are.

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