A spicy, cheesy vegetarian lasagna made with onions, speckled with cumin, and loaded with a variety of vegetables and cheeses. This Indian-style vegetable lasagna is easy to make, layered with spices and flavors and is the ultimate fusion comfort food.
This lasagna is perfect for the holidays, casual get-togethers, or even preparing ahead of a busy week (leftovers are delicious and only get better as the week goes on!).
Indian Style Vegetable Lasagna
It's obviously not a traditional Indian dish, it's an Italian one but with an Indian flair. It's well spiced, full of flavor, and has been a hit with everyone who's tried it – including my Indian parents! My mom loved it so much that she recently made it for a kitty party, and all my parents' friends loved it too.
I've been thinking about this dish for an embarrassingly long time. I first tried an Indian-inspired lasagna a long time ago – when I was in my teens. My friend's boyfriend's roommate's mom (can you follow that lead? lol) made the lasagna and it was the most amazing lasagna I've ever had. spicy Indian Cheesy delicious
I regret not getting the recipe then, but I was a college kid who had no idea I would end up as a food blogger. I was deciding between majors at the time – journalism, business and pre-med (lol – I never could). However, in the years since, I have made many attempts to recreate a similar lasagna. I even shared one Indian Vegetable Lasagna Four years ago on the blog, made with me onion masala.
And while that recipe was “good enough”… not good enough actually enough. So for the past four years, I've been perfecting my Indian lasagna recipe, and now, I can confidently say – this recipe is “first class” (if you know, you know, lol). You will love this.
Indian Vegetarian Lasagna Ingredients
- the oil: I love avocado oil
- cumin seeds
- onion
- garlic
- ginger
- Indian green chillies
- vegetables: Finely chopped vegetables of choice (I like: ½ cup each: zucchini, mushrooms, red bell peppers, frozen corn, frozen green peas)
- spices: garam masala, salt, black pepper, pepper
- Marinara sauce: I love Rao's Marinara! It's good.
- Ricotta cheese: I recommend using full-fat, whole-milk ricotta for the best flavor.
- cilantro
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: I recommend using full-fat, whole-milk cheese for best flavor.
- Lasagna noodles: I recommend using no-boil/oven ready lasagna noodles. Gluten-free lasagna noodles work too!
How to make Indian Lasagna
Heat cumin seeds in oil, then caramelize onions and add ginger, garlic, green chillies, vegetables, spices and cook.
Allow the vegetables to cool completely (you can make this a day ahead and store it in the fridge). Then combine the vegetables with the ricotta and cilantro and mix well.
Pour some marinara sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish and add the noodles on top. Then add the veggie/ricotta mixture, Marinara sauce, and cheese. Continue the layers until the pan is full. For the ultimate top layer, you can add lasagna noodles, sauce and cheese. (I can usually fit 3 layers with a final 4th layer of sauce and cheese). Layers don't have to be perfect, just have fun combining.
Cover the lasagna pan with foil – be sure to spray or grease the foil with oil to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 50 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
Can I make lasagna and freeze it?
Absolutely! I love making and freezing lasagna – it cooks perfectly from frozen and saves you time on a busy day!
- How to Freeze Lasagna: Prepare the lasagna as directed below, but instead of baking it, cover the pan with plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to Bake Frozen Lasagna: Before baking, remove the plastic wrap, then cover with foil and bake for about 1.5 hours. Then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- How to freeze/reheat lasagna after baking: Bake the lasagna according to the directions below, then once it's cooled, refrigerate it for a few hours. Then remove it, wrap in plastic wrap and foil and refrigerate. To reheat frozen cooked lasagna, remove any plastic wrap, cover with foil and bake at 350F until heated through. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes, then serve.
I hope you like this lasagna – leave me a comment to let me know what you think!
More meatless main dish ideas:
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Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and once hot, add the cumin seeds. When cumin seeds brown, add onions and cook until caramelized (about 5-7 minutes).
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Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, ginger, Indian green chillies and mix well, then add vegetables and spices and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes – you want the mixture to be dry – not wet.
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Let it cool completely (you can make it a day ahead and store it in the fridge). Then put in a bowl and mix with ricotta and cilantro.
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Combine mozzarella and parmesan together in a bowl and set aside for now.
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To assemble: Place a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish, add as many noodles as will fit in the bottom (about 4 noodles – they will overlap). Then add the veggie/ricotta mixture, marinara sauce and cheese. Continue the layers until the pan is full. For the ultimate top layer, you can add lasagna noodles, sauce and cheese. (I can usually fit 3 layers with a final fourth layer of sauce and cheese)
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Cover the lasagna pan with foil – be sure to spray the foil with oil to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 50 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden brown and the edges are bubbly.
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Allow the lasagna to rest for about 15 minutes before cutting it – this will help you get cleaner slices.
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