Photo essay: Chefs in the UAE cook up a storm for Veganuary

The annual trend is taking root in the Emirates

Chandika Ratnayaka, chef de cuisine at Bounty Beets in Dubai, plates up plant-based tacos for Veganuary. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Chandika Ratnayaka pan-fries lentil and walnut meat to create the filling for the tacos

The tacos are made from a shell of courgette, with lentil walnut meat, lettuce, avocado, chipotle aioli and jalapenos

Alina Tutkova, a vegan chef and co-owner of Angel Cakes in Bluewaters Island, Dubai

Alina Tutkova makes tomato and avocado toast

Angel Cakes serves a vegan donut with peanut praline and garnish that is also sugar and gluten-free

Chef Dorathy Ayenyo from Drip Burger in Arjan, Dubai, makes a vegan burger

Drip's vegan burger has a homemade crumbed sweet potato mash and chickpea patty with the restaurant's own ketchup, tahini sauce, lettuce and tomato, all piled on a vegan bun

Vikash Sah is head chef at Punjab Grill in Downtown Dubai. Here he cooks up the Jimikand ka Seekh

The kebab is placed in the oven

The main ingredient of the Jimikand ka Seekh is elephant foot yam

Head chef Keng fries up ingredients for the vegan pad Thai with rice noodles, mixed veg and tofu in a homemade sweet tamarind sauce at Cafe Isan in JLT, Dubai

The vegan pad Thai at Cafe Isan is a popular dish

Head chef Alvin Valerio plates up the meatloaf at The Strand on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai

The meatloaf is made with Impossible meat, slathered with onion gravy and comes with a side of sweet potato fries and green beans

Every January, restaurants across the UAE add plant-based dishes to their menus as they tap into a global trend called Veganuary.

The annual challenge, which began in 2014, is run by a UK non-profit that encourages people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the first month of the year, with an increasing number of participants each year. In 2023, 706,965 people around the world signed up to take part.

In Dubai, veganism has been a trend for a few years and many restaurants already have creative options for guests eschewing animal products. Bounty Beets at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, for example, has created taco shells made of courgettes filled with a lentil and walnut meat.

The Strand Craft Kitchen, at Palm Views West on Palm Jumeirah, has a meatloaf made from Impossible Beef, while Drip Burger in Arjan forgoes meat substitutes in its vegan burger for a crumbed sweet potato mash and chickpea patty that's covered in homemade ketchup and tahini sauce with lettuce and tomato all piled on a dairy-free bun.

For dessert, Angel Cakes on Bluewaters Island, which is co-owned by vegan chef Alina Tutkova, has a doughnut with peanut praline that's not only dairy and egg-free, but also without sugar and gluten.

At Punjab Grill, which as outlets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, executive chef Sandeep Ali has created a special menu that includes a particularly innovative vegan kebab, called jimikand ka seekh, made of elephant foot yam. Other highlights include a banana stem salad, masala pumpkin fried idli, tofu tikka masala and an all-spice carrot cake crumble with coconut ice cream and orange butterscotch.

"We have combined traditional Indian techniques with superfoods, offering health benefits and a departure from conventional Indian dishes," says Ali. "Join us in simplifying the enjoyment of delectable plant-based meals, transcending borders and culinary norms."