REUTERS/Fred Prouser/Files

Vegetarian McDonald's might sound like an oxymoron, but the burger empire is opening its first meat-free restaurants in two Indian cities.

Spokeswoman Lisa McComb said it's just a natural extension of McDonald's policy to offer culturally appropriate menus. Most of the chain's international restaurants offer local variants on classic dishes.

India boasts major Hindu and Muslim populations, and both religions place restrictions on certain kinds of meat.

"McDonald's respects local cultures and has adopted our menu and dining experience to local preferences. In India, our McDonald's kitchens have always been divided into separate sections for cooking vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, and the restaurants there do not sell beef or pork," said McComb.

"The new restaurants in pilgrimage areas will be vegetarian-only because of the specific area and customer base. This further speaks to McDonald's efforts to cater to local tastes."

The new locations will open in Amritsar and Katra next year. There's no word on whether the company is considering opening veggie restaurants in North America.