The Vegetarian Table at Chulia Court: North Indian Done Properly

North Indian cuisine, by contrast, has one of the most developed vegetarian traditions in the world. Centuries of cooking for a population where vegetarianism is common, not a preference to accommodate but a mainstream way of eating, produced a repertoire of dishes that stand entirely on their own rather than reading as the meat dishes with the protein removed.

Walking past Chulia Court on Lebuh Chulia, most people assume it's a meat-forward restaurant. The tandoor images, the tikka platters, the grill-heavy menu descriptions and the visual language of North Indian cooking tends to centre protein. But spend five minutes with the full menu and a different picture emerges. Over twenty vegetarian dishes, organised across starters, mains, bread, and dessert. Paneer prepared eight different ways. Three mushroom preparations. Dal in two distinct styles. A tandoor that handles cottage cheese and vegetables with the same seriousness it brings to chicken.

This article is for the vegetarians, and for anyone at a mixed table who wants to know what to order.

Start at the Tandoor

The clay oven does not discriminate. Whatever goes in, chicken, fish, paneer, mushroom, comes out with the same char, the same depth, the same quality that no conventional grill can replicate. For vegetarian diners, this matters enormously, because the tandoor elevates ingredients that might otherwise feel humble into something genuinely compelling.

The Vegetarian Chulia Platter (RM 39.90++) is the right starting point for a table. Three tandoori starters together — Paneer Zafarani Tikka, Paneer Tikka, and Mushroom Tikka — give a sense of what the clay oven does across different textures and marinades before the main course arrives.

The Paneer Zaffrani Tikka (RM 35) is the standout. Cottage cheese marinated with saffron and grilled over charcoal fire — the saffron's floral warmth against the smokiness of the tandoor is one of those flavour combinations that surprises people who encounter it for the first time. It does not announce itself loudly. It's the kind of dish you keep returning to across the table.

Paneer Tikka (RM 35) is the more familiar version — cottage cheese with onion and capsicum, marinated in yoghurt and spices, grilled until the edges catch colour. Dense, satisfying, and easy to share. Mushroom Tikka (RM 30) rounds out the trio: mushrooms take smoke well, and their earthiness works with the tandoor rather than against it, producing a starter that holds its own against any meat dish on the table.

For those who want to explore further, the kitchen also offers Mushroom Malai Tikka (RM 34) — marinated in hung curd and cashew paste for a richer, creamier result — and Mushroom Peshawar Tikka (RM 34), which adds yellow chilli paste for a more assertive heat. Both are worth ordering for a larger group that wants to work through the tandoor's range.

The Cauliflower Dishes: An Unexpected Highlight

Before moving to the main course, a word on the cauliflower. Gobi Manchurian (RM 28) — crispy cauliflower florets with chilli and garlic — is one of those dishes that appears on menus across the Indian subcontinent for good reason. Done well, the cauliflower is light and crisp on the outside, and the sauce has enough heat and acidity to keep the whole thing interesting. Honey Chilli Cauliflower (RM 28) takes the same ingredient in a different direction: fried florets tossed in honey chilli sauce, where sweetness and heat meet somewhere in the middle. And for something richer, Chilli Paneer (RM 29) — cottage cheese tossed in hot chilli sauce — bridges the gap between starter and main in a way that makes it easy to order as either.

The Main Course: Paneer Eight Ways

This is where Chulia Court's vegetarian credentials become difficult to argue with. Eight paneer preparations on the main course menu is not padding, as each one is genuinely distinct, built around a different sauce, a different technique, a different flavour profile.

Paneer Butter  Masala (RM 29) is the gentlest of them: cottage cheese in butter and a smooth, silky curry that is mild enough for those new to Indian food and satisfying enough for those who aren't. Shahi Paneer (RM 29) is the richer cousin — onion, tomato, cashew, and cream in a sweet blend of spices that sits in the Mughal tradition of North Indian cooking. Kadai Paneer (RM 29) is the semi-dry version, cooked in a tomato-onion gravy with a spice blend that gives it a slightly more textured, rustic character.

Palak Paneer (RM 35) is the one many visitors already know — tender paneer cubes in fresh spinach purée, gently cooked with aromatic spices and finished with cream. It's a dish that has a reputation for good reason: the combination of the iron-rich greens and the mild paneer is one of the most nutritionally complete things on any North Indian menu. Matar Paneer (RM 35) pairs the same paneer with green peas in a rich tomato-onion gravy — a classic that rarely disappoints.

For those who like their curry bold and full of onion, Paneer Do Pyaza (RM 29) is the answer: a rich, creamy preparation with plenty of onion cooked down into something deeply savoury.

Dal: The Dish That Takes Time

No North Indian vegetarian meal is complete without dal, and Chulia Court offers two worth knowing.

Dal Tadka (RM 18) is yellow lentils cooked with spices and finished with a tempering of aromatics — the technique of adding a hot spiced oil to the finished dal at the end, which blooms the spices in a way that transforms the dish in the final moments of cooking. Simple, clean, and deeply comforting. Dal Makhani (RM 25) is the slower version: whole black lentils and kidney beans cooked with butter and spices, a preparation that traditionally simmers overnight. The result is richer and heavier than the tadka — the kind of dal that earns its reputation as one of the great dishes of North Indian cooking.

Order both if the table is large enough. They are different enough to justify it.

The Bread Question

A vegetarian table at Chulia Court should always include bread, and the tandoor produces several worth ordering. Garlic Naan (RM 8) is the crowd-pleaser — puffed from the clay oven, fragrant with coriander and garlic, gone faster than anyone plans. Stuffed Naan with Vegetables (RM 15) is the more substantial option: vegetables stuffed inside the dough and baked in the tandoor, eating almost like a meal in itself. The Lachha Paratha (RM 7) — flaky, layered wholewheat flatbread made with ghee — is the right choice if you want something that complements rather than competes with the curries. Order one of each for a table of three or four, and let people tear and share.



To Finish

The dessert menu at Chulia Court keeps things local at the end. The Gula Melaka Coconut Ice Cream (house specialty) is the one to order — a single scoop at RM 10, double at RM 19. The palm sugar and coconut combination is specifically Malaysian in character, which makes it a fitting way to close a meal that has spent the evening in North Indian territory. A small but considered nod to where the restaurant sits, geographically and culturally.



A Note for Mixed Tables

Everything described here works equally well as part of a mixed order. The vegetarian dishes at Chulia Court are not designed to be eaten separately from the rest of the menu. They are designed to share a table with the tandoori grills and meat curries, and they hold their own in that company. A table that orders freely across both sides of the menu tends to eat better than one that compartmentalises, and the kitchen is built with exactly that kind of shared dining in mind.

Visiting Chulia Court

Address: 355,357&359, Lbh Chulia,, Georgetown, 10200 Penang

Cuisine: North Indian Tandoor

What they're known for: Tandoori grills, North Indian curries, live bands, and Georgetown's most complete night out under one roof

Recommended for dinner, especially on nights with live performances. Visit chuliacourt.com.my for details.

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