I tried Maray's famous vegan dish and it honestly changed my life

Roughly 25 million got involved with Veganuary last year. With vegan options becoming cheaper and more widespread, there's never been a better time to try out a plant-based diet.

I ventured down to Maray Dockside, located within the Royal Albert Dock, to check out their vegan options. The majority of their menu is meat-free, and that's year-round, not just for the month of January.

Vegetables are a huge part of what they do and are a mainstay of Middle Eastern, North African and Mediterranean cuisine, all of which are a massive source of inspiration for their food.

I tried their oyster mushroom shawarma, which starts with a bed of plant-based tzatziki, with oyster mushrooms, their own spice blend and in-house Maray chilli crunch. I'm a mushroom lover anyway, so I had high hopes for this dish, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. The meaty fungi was incredibly moreish with that chilli crunch, adding both a satisfying crunch and a touch of heat.

You can't come to Maray without ordering their famous 'disco cauliflower’. This has been a mainstay on their menu for over a decade and it's easy to see why. The deep fried cauliflower is dressed with three homemade sauces; chermoula, harissa, tahini as well as yogurt, then adorned with pomegranate, parsley, almonds.

I remember how hyped up this dish was to me before I tried, and I found it hard to believe that the humble cauli could be the star of the show, but if I could, I'd give it an Oscar for best performing vegetable and I’d go as far as saying this dish changed my life. These dishes are proof that being vegan doesn't have to mean boring, bland food and as a meat eater myself, I don't miss it at all when I eat here.

Guests at Maray can even enjoy 50% off vegetarian and vegan dishes from their main menu from Monday to Thursday throughout January.

Watch the full video above for more.