Think Indian Restaurant don't do Vegan ? Chef Joshi Would Like a Word.

Last week, one of our customers spotted a dish on our menu and said —

"Oh! You do vegan? I thought Indian restaurants don't really do much vegan food..."

It's something we hear more often than you'd think. And every time, Chef Joshi smiles — because Kerala has been cooking plant-based food for centuries. Long before "vegan" became a menu category, South Indian kitchens were building extraordinary flavour from coconut, spices, lentils, and fresh vegetables.

At Fusion Clan, our menu celebrates everything — from our famous Malabar Lamb Shank Biryani to fresh seafood specials and bold fusion dishes. But alongside all of that, we have some seriously good vegan options too. And it's time more people knew about them.

Why Kerala Vegan Food is Different

Kerala's coastal cuisine relies on a spice pantry that most Western kitchens have never fully explored — fennel, curry leaves, Kashmiri chilli, cardamom, and fresh coconut. These aren't garnishes. They are the flavour. Plant-based Kerala cooking isn't a compromise — it's a tradition, and it hits just as hard as anything else on the menu.

Chef Joshi's Kale & Chickpea Curry Vegan · Serves 4 · Ready in 30 minutes · Easy

To prove it, Chef is sharing one of his favourite easy recipes today. A quick note — this dish is not on our restaurant menu. It's a gift from the kitchen, specially created for you to try at home.

Ingredients

For the base:

• 50ml coconut oil or olive oil

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 3 cardamom pods

• 25g fresh ginger, chopped

• Half a small bulb of garlic, chopped

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 green chillies, chopped

• 1 stem fresh curry leaves

Ground spices:

• 1 tsp chilli powder

• 1 tsp coriander powder

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• ½ tsp fennel powder

To finish:

• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tin chickpeas, drained

• 100g kale, roughly chopped

• 50ml coconut milk

• 25g fresh coriander, chopped

• Salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Once hot, add cumin seeds and cardamom pods — you'll hear them crackle. Turn the heat down low.

2. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chillies and curry leaves. Cook gently until golden and soft. Don't rush this — it's where all the flavour develops.

3. Stir in the ground spices with a splash of water to prevent burning. Cook on low for 1–2 minutes.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook down for a few minutes until soft.

5. Add chickpeas, kale and coconut milk. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until the kale wilts.

6. Season with salt, stir through fresh coriander and serve hot with basmati rice or naan.

Enjoy your meal — Chef J. Joshi 👨‍🍳

Chef's Tip: Don't skip the tempering step — letting the cumin and cardamom crackle in hot oil is what gives this curry its depth and that authentic Kerala aroma. Fresh curry leaves make a real difference if you can find them at an Asian grocery store.

Come Taste the Real Thing

This recipe is a gift from Chef Joshi specially for you to try at home. But we do have plenty of other vegan dishes — and a whole lot more — waiting for you at Fusion Clan.

Vegan, meat lover, or somewhere in between — there's a table for you. 🌿

📍 15 Smith Street, Warwick CV34 4JA 🔗 Book your table: fusionclanwarwick.co.uk

TAGS TO ADD IN HOSTINGER: Vegan Recipe, Kerala Food, Chickpea Curry, Easy Indian Recipe, Plant-Based, Warwick Restaurant, Chef Joshi, Indian Vegan Food