The dairy alternatives guide

The full swap table

💡 Tip

• When swapping milk in chai, add the soy milk after the chai has come off the boil for 10 seconds. Boiling soy milk for too long splits it. Or boil water + tea + spices, then add cold soy milk last.

Which milk for what

Soy - highest protein (~3g/100ml), holds heat, neutral. The all-rounder.

Oat - creamy, slightly sweet, makes the best cereal milk and coffee. Lower protein.

Almond - light, watery, low protein. Best for smoothies and baking. Look for So Good, Raw Pressery or Alt Co.

Coconut - rich, distinct flavour. Best in curries, kheer, smoothies.

Cashew - closest to malai. Best in sweets, cream substitutes.

Rice - thin, sweet. Best as a snack milk for kids.

The paneer question

Tofu is not paneer. But pressed firm tofu, marinated 30 min in lemon + salt + a little hing, takes any sabzi (palak, butter masala, tikka) extremely well. It even holds together better than paneer.

If you want something closer to paneer in texture, Funny Nani and Veganeer both make vegan paneer that goes into sabzi well. White Cub is another option.

Ghee - when it actually matters

For cooking sabzi: cold-pressed groundnut or mustard oil works.

For drizzling on dal-chawal: vegan ghee (Emkay Foods, Goodmylk, Nourish You) or a simple homemade vegan ghee - the flavour is closer than you'd think.

For sweets: vegan ghee or coconut oil.

Curd

Plain eating: White Cub (soy, coconut or peanut curd), Epigamia coconut yoghurt, Plantmade soy yoghurt.

Raita: Soy curd + masala + veg.

Marinade (tandoori): Cashew curd works best - blend ½ cup soaked cashews with ¼ cup water and 1 tbsp lemon. Tangy, thick.

Buttermilk: soy milk + lemon + spices, in the blender.

Cheese

Hardest swap, getting better fast. For most home cooking, nutritional yeast handles cheese flavour. For actual cheese moments - pizza, grilled cheese, cheese board - buy from Soft Spot Foods, Grabenord or Bombay Cheese Co. Daiya is a reliable import. For melts on pizza, mozzarella-style works.