Jain Ready-to-Eat Meals: 8 Dishes With No Onion, No Garlic and No Potato

In short: Thakar Kitchen makes 8 Jain ready-to-eat dishes: Paneer Butter Masala Jain, Tikka Masala Gravy Jain, Dal Fry Jain, Jain Bhindi, Jain Vaal, Jain Dhokali, Sev Tameta and Moong Dal Halwa. All are cooked without onion, garlic, potato or other fresh root vegetables, sealed at 121°C with no preservatives, and keep 12 months without a fridge.

Finding Jain food that is not bland is the hard part, at home on a busy day, on a trip, or in a city far from a Jain bhojanalaya. These dishes are made for exactly that.

What makes these dishes Jain?

Jain food is vegetarian and also leaves out onion, garlic and the root vegetables (potato, carrot, beetroot, radish), not only onion and garlic. The flavour in these dishes comes from tomato, green chillies, hing, cumin, whole spices, coconut and dairy instead. One thing to know: the two paneer gravies use dried ginger (sonth) in their spice mix, which some families accept and some do not. Every product page lists the full ingredients, so you can check each dish against your own practice. For the background, read Jain food explained.

Which Jain dishes are there, and what is in each?

• Paneer Butter Masala Jain (₹200). Soft paneer in a silky tomato and capsicum gravy with butter, cream and cashews. With naan, rotis or rice.
• Tikka Masala Gravy Jain (₹160). A rich tomato-capsicum masala, gravy only: add your own paneer or vegetables and simmer two minutes.
• Dal Fry Jain (₹145). Dal fry made without onion or garlic, in groundnut oil. With rice or rotli.
• Jain Bhindi (₹160). Okra with tomato, green chilli, coconut and coriander. With rotis.
• Jain Vaal (₹135). Field beans in a tangy tomato gravy with coconut and a mustard-seed vaghar. With rotli or rice.
• Jain Dhokali (₹125). Gram-flour dhokli in a creamy tomato and buttermilk gravy.
• Sev Tameta (₹135). Sweet, sour and spicy tomato curry with sev. One of our two most-ordered dishes.
• Moong Dal Halwa (₹220). Moong dal roasted in desi ghee with sugar and kesar. Warm it and serve after a meal.

All of them are in one place in our Jain range.

Are no onion, no garlic dishes Jain too?

Not always. Some of our no onion, no garlic dishes, such as Rajwadi Undhiyu, Rajwadi Bateka and Suki Bhaji, contain potato, so they are not Jain. Every Jain dish is no onion, no garlic, but not the other way round. See all no onion, no garlic dishes.

When are Jain ready-to-eat meals useful?

• Travel: they need no fridge and heat in 3 to 4 minutes in boiling water; see travel food that needs no fridge.
• Students and working days: a hot Jain meal without cooking; see meals for hostels and PGs.
• Guests: paneer, dal and a sweet make a quick Jain meal for visitors.

We deliver across India: 2 working days within Gujarat, 3 to Mumbai and 3 to 5 to the rest of India, dispatched within 24 hours, and delivery is free on orders above ₹799.

Questions people ask

Is there ready-to-eat Jain food?

Yes. Thakar Kitchen makes 8 Jain ready-to-eat dishes with no onion, no garlic and no potato, delivered across India.

Does Jain food include ginger?

Fresh ginger is a root and is usually avoided. Some Jain families accept dried ginger (sonth) and some do not; two of our Jain paneer gravies use sonth in their spice mix.

Can Jains eat tomato and capsicum?

Yes. Tomato, capsicum, okra, beans and most vegetables that grow above the ground are part of Jain cooking.

How long do Jain ready-to-eat pouches keep?

12 months unopened at room temperature. Once opened, eat it straight away, or refrigerate it and finish within 24 hours.