Reddit mentions of Vegan Indian Cooking: 140 Simple and Healthy Vegan Recipes

Vegan Indian Cooking by Anupy Singla. I've been trying the soups which are very good.

I suppose Indian would qualify as "unusual flavor combinations".

If you like Indian food, pick up this book. You will not regret it.

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Indian-Cooking-Healthy-Recipes/dp/1572841303/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348860807&sr=8-1&keywords=vegan+indian+cooking

Also you might want to start on a B-12 supplement. Get a sublingual that uses methylcobalamin instead of cyanocobalamin.

The recipe came out of this book a friend gave me recently. Ive only tried a few recipes but they've all been amazing. https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Indian-Cooking-Healthy-Recipes/dp/1572841303

I'm obsessed with every recipe from The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla. The recipes are easy, flavorful, healthy, and authentic. A lot are vegan or easily veganizable, as she's also the author of Vegan Indian Cooking, which also has some slow cooker recipes. Both cookbooks are highly recommended!

I make my own curry powder seasoning for easy cooking when I'm too lazy, but the majority of Indians don't use "curry powder". Just your usual coriander, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric, chili powder, salt, asafoetida, and a few others. Plus, it tastes best fresh!

Cashew cream is usually the go-to for vegan creaminess, but you can also forgo that and use blended tomato/onion/garlic/ginger. I find that for certain dishes, it makes a very creamy base without all the added fat. Of course, it would taste best sauteed in oil until it's nice a browned.

You should check out Manjula's Kitchen, Holy Cow Vegan, and look for Anupy Singla's Vegan Indian Cooking.

As for veggies, it entirely depends on what kind of curry I'm making. Mushrooms and peas in a tomato base is very good. Chana masala is usually the first Indian dish people try, because it's fookin delicious. Saag is another great one (it's blended greens with cream and sometimes paneer/tofu). I also really enjoy legumes cooked in coconut milk (I know you're not looking for that, but it's soooo good!) with curry leaves and cumin seeds. Pretty much any vegetable will work though, you'll just adjust your spices accordingly.

For Indian, I definitely recommend Anupy Singla's Vegan Indian Cooking. It's accessible and full of great recipes.

I don't have firsthand experience with the other two cuisines you mentioned, but this book looks promising!

Give this a try!

>Tofu is gross

Yes, it is. It is an acquired taste, and even then you have to do it right. It is still probably my least favorite protein as a vegetarian. What is less gross are the latest fake meats like http://beyondmeat.com/, but if you do eat meat, I'm not sure there is a compelling reason for those. For that reason, I'd suggest going with

http://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-It-Amazingly-Delicious/dp/0316221902/

Everything in that will be good. Add meat to the ones you want to, but they're all pretty good in their original vegan state. It is cheap and healthy, but you must have the "well-stocked pantry". So if you do get the book, pop the bucks for Mirin, peanut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, tamari, etc.

If you have a slow cooker and want to do Indian, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1572841303/ has a lot of great recipes too. It also has non slow-cooker recipes, but if I recall correctly they were more often ones involving a slow cooker.