My alarm bell buzzed at 4.30am, quite an ungodly hour for someone like me. But the enthusiasm to see the sunrise at the newly opened Malabar Hill Walkway, prompted me to get out of bed. With half a yawn and a full heart, I got ready and headed across the city, to witness a sunrise amidst nature, in the company of birds and trees, a rare sight for us living in Mumbai.
Who’s Eating Plant-Based Meat (and Who’s Not)?
I recently attended a webinar hosted by the Good Food Institute (GFI) on plant-based meat consumers in the US and I walked away with a notepad full of fascinating insights. If you’re curious about who’s saying yes to plant-based meat (and who’s still sitting on the fence), read on.
Summer and a Taste of Freedom
Summer is here. I squint my eyes when I look out at the sun hidden behind the bluish grey sky. I think twice before stepping out as the sun’s rays don’t seem kind. My thoughts go back to childhood summers, spent under the hot sun and I never once thought to complain. Two full months of holidays and the brightest spot of sun, but I was happy and thrilled about it. I don’t remember complaining about it like I do now. Maybe the sun wasn’t so harsh, I try to tell myself. Or maybe there were so many other things to be excited about that I barely noticed the blazing sun.
When I Made Vegan Panna Cotta, and It Turned Out Heavenly
A few months back, I visited the restaurant Burma Burma and loved their vegan menu with its fusion concepts. I had a hearty, soul-satisfying meal at a restaurant after a long time. It’s a vegetarian restaurant but offers vegan options. I enjoyed the steamed curried buns, Mekong curry made with exotic spices complimented with sticky jasmine rice. But the star of the dinner for me was the Burmese dessert of vegan panna cotta with sago pearls and palm jaggery. One bite, and I knew I was in heaven.
Looking for a Different Holi Celebration in Mumbai? Try the Forest!
I closed my eyes and let the forest seep in.
The faraway sounds of the birds made its way to my ears, the gentle breeze danced around me, along with it came the earthy fragrance of some unknown tree. Thoughts settled and made some space for the calmness to fill in. It was a perfect moment, where I was one with nature and that translated into being one with myself.
Vegan Innovations that made me go ‘Wow’
I think there are more innovations happening in the plant-based industry than in AI. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit. But if you follow plant-based news, you’ll constantly come across groundbreaking developments. Terms like precision fermentation, extrusion technology, and plant cell culture are becoming more common, signalling how food and sustainability are evolving. Here are a few vegan innovations that truly made me say, “Wow!”
Rise of Plant-Based Milk in India – What’s Fuelling the Shift?
Recently, when Instamart was out of my favourite brand of Oat milk for two days in a row, I quickly checked Amazon Fresh. (How can one live without coffee, right?) I was pleasantly surprised to see not only my usual brand but also many new plant-based milk options. This is a big change from a few years ago when I became vegan. This piqued my curiosity, and I went down the rabbit hole to find out what had caused this rise of vegan milk in India in the recent years. Read on if you are curious about it too.
One Cook and Five Knives
One cook and five knives. No, that’s not the title of a murder mystery. It is the state of my kitchen. I cook and I have five different knives. Well, it was not intended to be a collection but somehow it has become one.
Shojin Ryori in Kyoto: An Unforgettable Vegan Dining Experience
The burst of red, orange and yellow autumn hues is the first thing that caught my eyes at the Tenryu-ji temple premises. I had come to taste the Shojin ryori vegan cuisine, which was served at the Shigetsu restaurant inside the temple premises. But I got caught in the beauty of the Zen Garden around it. The autumn trees accompanied by a peaceful pond in front of it and the Arashiyama mountains standing tall behind it were picture-perfect from all sides.
Vegan Food in Kerala: Long Before It Had a Name
When I tell people I am a Mallu (Malayali), and a vegan, people look at me with suspicious eyes. Yes, Kerala cuisine is popular for its variety of seafood and meat-based dishes being a land surrounded by the sea. Yes, Kerala is a state which leads in non-vegetarian food consumption in India. Yes, I am the only vegan in my entire family of 200 people. But trust me when I say this that Mallu cuisine (as I would like to call it) is one of the best cuisines to be vegan as it naturally has a lot of variety of vegan dishes.