Vegan movement thrives in Mumbai

Even before Monika Siriya answers her door I can hear dogs barking in the background ldquoThatrsquos Rapchik and Dhinchakrdquo says the 29yearold pointing to her two pet dogs who are now busy wagging their tails ldquoThey are vegan toordquo she says Monika an entrepreneur and her husband Chintan a CSR consultant are recent converts having moved to a vegan lifestyle since 2010 Three cheers Entrepreneur Monika centre and CSR consultant Chetan Siriya right join fellow vegan Chidanand Hiremath left a web developer and photographer for some delicious cold coffee made with soya milk PicNimesh Dave When we visit the Siriya residence preparations are on for a potluck party a monthly event She has prepared a chocolate cake and strawberry ice cream But none of the items have eggs milk or even butter ldquoPeople feel it is really tough to be a vegan as you have to give up on a lot of foods which is not true at all If you learn to replace some ingredients you can have all your favourite dishes Theyrsquoll only taste betterrdquo she says offering me a cup of tea with cashew milk Strawberry ice cream without any dairy products by Monika Siriya PicNimesh Dave The couple has not only given up dairy products in their diet but discarded using any animalmade products such as leather and turned environmentfriendly even for items such as shaving cream natural oils and toothpaste They even wash their clothes in reetha instead of detergent and extend support to many new vegans through social media networks and give free lectures to whoever invites them What seemed to be an underground movement of sorts a few years ago has today turned into a widespread lifestyle that people are choosing for their health and for environmental purposes In fact as we discover Mumbairsquos vegans are bonding with likeminded individual through virtual groups that meet up for potlucks treks picnics and share information too Monika Siriya makes almond milk at her Kandivli residence PicNimesh Dave ldquoIt is a good time to turn veganrdquo says Chintan adding that he hears about a friend turning vegan almost every week ldquoThese are the people who are realising that the change for a healthier life and a better environment lies inside them The moment I turned vegan my acidity problems have never given me a sleepless night To add to that my wife and I have not fallen ill in the past two years Our doggy Rapchik had a severe heart ailment when we adopted her Today her reports are excellentrdquo smiles Chintan Take the case of 28yearold Rithika Ramesh who runs a vegan bakery the Green Stove since 2010 She knew just about a dozen or so fellow vegans in the city when she chose to give up dairy products in 2009 ldquoI didnrsquot even know what the term meant I read about going vegan online and attended a seminar by Dr Nandita Shah founder of Sharan a health awareness nonprofit organisation and one of the pioneers of the vegan movement in India Richa Rungta and her friend Akriti Tobhal dig into a vegan bagel at Bagelwala in Bandra PicShadab Khan Today I am connected to at least 200 vegans on a regular basis Itrsquos awesome to know there are so many people who share your way of life and are approachablerdquo says the chef Her cakes replace eggs with oil and flavseed condensed milk with soy or cashew milk and uses nondairy whipped cream available in the market Since the past three weeks she has been shooting vegan recipe videos for a YouTube channel India Food Network and has also started supplying her vegan delights to Bagelwala in Bandra ldquoOnce a month we host potluck parties and itrsquos amazing how this network is growing People are really passionate about their vegan choicesrdquo smiles Ramesh who has demonstrated healthy gajar halwa vegan pesto pasta and tandoori mushroom recipes on the channel Amit Mehta founded Unived in July 2012 The company manufactures Omega3 pills using micro algae instead of fish oil PicsPradeep Dhivar No more fish oil With awareness spreading fast initiatives and sustainable businesses are also looking into vegan options Amit Mehta for instance founded Unived Healthcare which manufactures and retails herbal and vegan products last July ldquoWe make Vegan Omega3 DHA MAX using micro algae oil It is a myth that only fish oil contains Omega3 The fact is that micro algae are the biggest source of Omega3which is consumed by fishrdquo explains the 30yearold Bandra resident whose company is recognised by the Vegan Society of UK Even their capsules which are generally made of pig fat or cow bone are made using plant leaves Their other products include Red Yeast Rice an alternative to natural statin that lowers bad cholesterol They also manufactureherbal teas After a successful stint with PeTA in Delhi 37yearold vegan blogger Himani Shetty founded Choosing Life Foundation in January this year ldquoWe are creating a website that will offer a comprehensive vegan database that offers a scientific explanation about veganism There is a lot of misrepresentation of facts so we are consolidating data from United Nationsrdquo says Shetty And it is the youth that is her primary target ldquoWe are creating leaflets that will answer the question that is riding on everyonersquos lips lsquoWhy veganismrsquo Facts make a better impact than advicerdquo opines Shetty who turned vegan four and a years ago after she saw a study on dairy and skin industry One of the biggest obstacles to turn vegan as 25yearold Chidanand Hiremath puts it is explaining the concept to nonvegans ldquoIn the beginning people always questioned and argued with me about turning vegan saying I would not get enough intake of protein and calcium Since the past five years I have turned completely veganrdquo says Hiremath a web designer and photographer Casual meetings Vegan meetings are a whole lot of fun as they involve likeminded people who care for the environment ldquoThe Vegan Mumbai group on Facebook has 270 members and everyone is active People voluntarily put up posts for treks cycling potlucks and even organic farming And if you think there is nothing vegans can eat when they go out Think again South Indian and Chinese cuisines are mostly vegan We just ask them to replace butter with oilrdquo smiles Hiremath Meanwhile for people with health problems Dr Rupa Shah conducts a disease reversal programme through healthy vegan diet Along with Jinal Rathod she started this clinic to help patients suffering from diabetes heart risks and cholesterol problem etc ldquoI help them chart a vegan diet and firstly get them off dairy products Jinal even visits their kitchen and skims through their food items and gives them a kitchen replacement chart We monitor their shopping lists teach them how to read product labels and even share recipesrdquo explains Shah The duo even conducts workshops for corporate and homemakers ldquoWe also conduct a cookalong class for a smaller group Veganism can solve many lifestyle related diseasesrdquo says Shah If the question still arises Why vegan Monikarsquos simple explanation offers a powerful answer ldquoWhen you walk into a butcherrsquos shop do you like what you see Can you eat the meat in its raw state Do you like the smell And can you hear the shriek of an animal being butchered No This is because all five senses are rejecting this as food Your body tells you what is edible and what is not Walk into an orchard smell the fruit The red apple tempts you to pluck it and take a juicy bite This is good for you the body signalsrdquou00a0 Studying vegans Mia Baldursdottir 23yearold research student at Aarhus University Denmark has been conducting anthropologic and ethnographic research in India South Asia ldquoI have conducted a field research on veganism and vegans in India Last year I visited Mumbai and joined the Vegan Mumbai Facebook page I also took part in a meeting on veganism at Tata School of Social Sciences I visited PETAs offices and met vegans working thereu00a0My overall experience with meeting the Mumbai vegans has been very positive They are very passionate about their causerdquou00a0 Make your own milk Author Anuradha Sawhney who has started a vegan home delivery service in Pune Back to the Basics last December shares the recipe ofu00a0peanut milk Ingredients frac12 cup peanuts 3 cups of water Curd and chaas made using peanut milk Method gtgt Soak 12 cup raw peanuts with their red cover for about 6 hours till soft gtgtu00a0Grind very fine with minimal water gtgtu00a0Take a heavybottomed pan not nonstick and transfer the ground peanut mixture in it gtgtu00a0Add 3 cups of drinking water and mix well gtgtu00a0Bring this mixture to the boil stirring all the while gtgtu00a0Cool to room temperature gtgtu00a0Strain optionalu00a0 Curd Ingredients 10 stalks of chillies washed and dried Method gtgtu00a0To set peanut milk dahi when the milk is at room temperature place it in the bowl gtgtu00a0Put 15 chilli stalk caps in the milk gtgtu00a0Cover the milk and leave it undisturbed for 10 to 16 hours gtgtu00a0Remove the stalks before using Add lemon juice salt and any other flavourings to make the raita or the chaas