The Vegan Community in Delhi has now Become Bigger than ever

It was in year 1944 when Dorothy Morgan and Donald Watson coined the term "vegan" and they co-founded the Vegan Society in the UK. At first, they used it to mean "non-dairy vegetarian." However, by May 1945, vegans explicitly abstained from "eggs, honey; and animals' milk, butter and cheese". And, today veganism has become a new fad with more and more people turning into a more eco-friendly, healthy lifestyle.

“Being vegan is a choice of choosing food groups such as non dairy, no meats and avoiding using animal products. It’s a lifestyle change and a choice which any individual makes. However healthier options are a generic term to anything which you eat which is non-processed,” shared Rahul Kamra, Founder, Ketorets.

There are a lot of studies and research that link a vegan lifestyle to better heart health, reversal of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension and so on. Since a vegan diet primarily consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts & whole grains the health benefits are plentiful. As these foods offer fibre, antioxidants and essential nutrients. Today, veganism has become a lifestyle and is gaining momentum every single day. People are becoming more conscious of their health, they want to try new things that not only show results but are also sustainable for themselves and the environment.

“Health enthusiasts advocate that vegan ice creams are higher in protein content and rich in omega oils, fibre and essential fatty acids. In short, nutritious. With vegan ice cream, you can have a sweet tooth and be in the pink of health too,” pointed Taranjit Singh, Founder, Giani Icecreams by adding that studies show that vegans have better heart health and lower odds of having certain diseases.

Rise of vegan ice cream brands

There has been a conscientious shift in the way people approach their food. Ice-cream has not been an exception to this. People have always thought vegan ice cream as boring and bland but in last few years there has been lots of experiments to make ice cream more creamy and with different flavours, all thanks to all new artisanal brands and products available in the market.

“Vegan food products have come a long way. There is significant R&D being conducted all over the world in developing vegan offerings. We feel they often taste just as good as or better than its dairy alternative,” shared Ashni and Varun Sheth, co-founders of NOTO that is planning to launch vegan variants of Noto pops soon.

Driven by popularity and flavours

Vegan Ice-creams primarily have nut milk like almond or coconut milk as the main base. The milk protein which is essential in giving ice cream its texture needs to be replaced, so Nut proteins such as almond, cashew are often used. Soy, Pea & Rice Protein is the other popular sources that are also used.

“Our vegan chocolate ice-cream, vegan mango passion fruit ice-cream, snicker doodle ice-cream and vegan salted caramel brownie fudge ice-cream are top favourites among customers,” said Vidisha Bathwal, Founder, Paprika Gourmet by adding that being vegan is a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, whether for food, clothing or any other purpose.The world is slowly changing, which in a way is pushing us to be more mindful of what we eat and what its source is. It’s a breath of fresh air to see more and more Kolkatians adapting to this lifestyle, becoming increasingly conscious of their health and the environment.

Whereas, Hangyo’s vegan variants come in packs of 125ml and 500ml that are priced at Rs 50 and Rs 200 respectively that is both cholesterol free and rich in protein (glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and arginine).

Way Ahead

“Veganism is still picking up in India, there’s a lot of potential and it’s a developing segment. It’s definitely here to stay,” added Sheths.

Similarly, Pradeep G Pai, Managing Director of Hangyo Ice creams Pvt Ltd believed that vegan delicacies are also in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan - Make in India. Vegan ice-cream globally is driven by the simple market dynamics of increasing number of vegetarian and diet conscious people. Another facet for this growth, according to research is lactose intolerance in a section of the population, who stay from dairy products due to the inherent nature in which their intestines work. Lack of intestinal catalyst lactase keeps this section of foodies away from dairy products or veggie foods. Global market leaders in ice-cream industry recognizing this have diversified their business to tap in to the needs of a new growing set of clientele that is hypersensitive to dairy items.

Everyone wants to eat healthy, but many of us are too busy for the kind of cooking that requires long recipes and even longer cooking times. Sometimes, it may be tough enough just to find the energy (or time) to even boil water. One sure-fire way to ensure that you can enjoy quick, easy and healthful vegan meals is to have a well-stocked plant-based pantry close at hand.

When your body says “healthy home-cooked meal” and your mind says “where’s the take-out menu?” One of the easiest cracks is to have a range of tasty go-to dishes that you can assemble with the things effectively available in your refrigerator. If you do not want your food to look bland, always stock your pantry with sauces, seasonings and condiments that will always uplift your food taste and quality. The mixture of these flavours can help you make lip-smacking vegan dishes.

Many of us have this notion that vegan bakery dishes can never taste good! And it’s very evident when it comes to this respective industry that eggs and butter are the most mainstream ingredients in the following process. Yet there are amazing supplements that can replace these items and give great yield sensational output

Though there’s still a chance that the final result may suffer, since there is less scope for such drastic changes where baking is concerned.  These days however the workarounds are super easy. Thanks to vegan milks, vegan butter, vegan whipped cream, vegan condensed milk etc which will be a perfect substitute and make your cakes, cookies & bread taste delicious.

Also Read: Why Veganism could be a big trend in 2021

As mentioned above, eggs definitely  play a prominent role in baking. Sometimes they are included to add moisture. In these cases, tofu or apple sauce may be a very good substitute. Several times, they bind ingredients and enhance the resilient properties required for a cake to rise rightly. There are a plethora of vegan options available in the market that can easily replace eggs, even on the online platforms. Usually each tablespoon of this product mixed with three tablespoons of water will replace one egg in baked recipes.

So now you know being vegan is definitely not boring! You can have all kinds of food when it comes to being vegan - Gluten free vegan bread, vegan pizzas, vegan casseroles, vegan pie, vegan cupcakes , specially vegan cookies and many more.

Veganism as a trend is growing globally and not just in India. With people becoming more aware and more compassionate, they are beginning to care about what they are eating and the source. This is why we can clearly see a boom in veganism and vegan brands. It’s only going to grow more. Though, there are no set target for such kind of products, it’s for anyone who’s willing to open their minds and try something new and conscious.

Running on Trend

“One of the hypotheses that we initially had that India has the largest vegetarian population in the world with almost 30% of the population being vegetarian. All Indian households will always have lots of vegetables, salads, lentils on their plates which is why a lot of vegan companies are looking at bringing plant-based protein to India. These are not new but there are a lot of things which Indian customers are already very used to. Plant-based protein is huge market in India,” shared Shraddha Bhansali, COO, EVO Foods that is on a mission to bring the plant-based revolution to India.

Also Read: Vegan Food Trend to Hit Restaurants in 2020

A recent research by SEMrush shared that globally there has been a sharp uptick in searches for services that deliver vegan food to people’s homes. Also, searches for keywords like “vegan delivery”, “vegetarian delivery”, “order vegan food”, and “order vegetarian food” increased by 128%, 233%, 51%, and 27% respectively from January to May 2020.

“People are becoming more aware and more compassionate. They are beginning to care about what they are supporting with their money. This is why we can clearly see a boom in veganism and vegan brands. It’s only going to grow more,” said Susmitha Subbaraju, Co-Owner, Carrots that is India’s first vegan restaurant.

Targeting the right people

“I think the target for plant-based food products is not vegan people but that are flexitarian and are looking to include more plant-based diet. A large population of India is protein deficient so we look up to them and people who want to substitute their diet and want a better egg, higher quality, more ethical, that has no cholesterol,” added Bhansali who is a passionate foodie and vegan who also owns and operates a vegetarian restaurant and bar in Mumbai called Candy & Green.

May Interest: Why Global QSR Majors are Including Vegan Option in their Menu

The study indicates that there are a significant number of people globally committed to vegetarianism. As many parts of the world have been in lockdown, an increasing number of vegetarians around the globe have been ordering vegetarian food from outside. The study suggests that searches for vegan/vegetarian deliveries have slightly decreased" in India.

“There are no specific target customers. Vegan products are for anyone who’s willing to open their minds and try something new and conscious,” added Susmitha who believed that the pandemic hit the food industry very badly. But the good thing that’s come out of it is that people are making healthier choices while eating. So food businesses that care about the health of their guests will thrive on the other side of this pandemic.

Nut & Bowls is Delhi's first 100 per cent vegan café and juice bar, which is launched with an idea to serve clean, plant-based food that is healing to the body and soul. The 15-seater café is known for offering scrumptious fresh food to gastronomists and vegans prepared in olive oil and protected from all types of chemicals and preservative agents.  

The menu at Nut & Bowls is designed in a very simple-yet-interesting way that anyone and everyone can go through with ease. The menu-mix is amazing; toasts are everyone's favourite, almond milk is the best available in the country, and coffees are organic and made from almond milk. Loaves of bread are freshly done and on every fresh morning, people can relish amazing sugarless desserts and they literally die for ice creams. Nut & Bowls is the paradise of vegans where they fall in love with nature and maintaining harmony with birds and animals. 

Surruchi Joshhi, her husband Nikkhil Joshhi, the head chef at Nut & Bowls, and Mayank Gahlot are the brains behind the vegan cafe. Their motive is to spread awareness and inspire people to choose a healthier, greener, and more compassionate lifestyle through veganism. 

In an interview with Restaurant India, founder of Nut & Bowls, Surruchi Joshhi, talks about the first raw vegan café in Delhi. 

How did you come up with the concept? 

Nut & Bowls is Delhi's first raw vegan cafe and food company where we produce everything fresh every day and serve the Plant-Based goodness to our customers. Our focus is on serving natural food provided by Mother Nature without any chemicals or preservatives with the right balance without compromising on taste.

Chef Nikkhil who is also the owner of Nut & Bowls has always been into cooking clean food and preparing smoothies at home and so tasteful that they were not available in the market anywhere and then came a time when he got aware of Veganism and about the health benefits of eating a Plant Based diet and living a cruelty free life. 

He traveled to different countries to pursue his passion and became a certified raw vegan chef and saw that the awareness is so high that he decided to take charge of it and spread awareness about Veganism and start his own cafe and food company so the vegan products are easily available in the market and you have got a cafe that is 100% vegan. 

Whenever we used to go out to dine, everywhere in Delhi we saw a section of vegan food with 4-5 options and that's about it and that gave a wrong impression that vegans only eat salads which we broke after introducing a full-fledged vegan menu from fresh fruits smoothie to pasta and burgers to ice creams and vegan cakes that everyone is crazy about it now. 

What were the mistakes you might have made while drafting the plan for your restaurant?

We researched for a long time, for about 2-3yrs before launching the brand, so we knew the market and we were clear about our expectations and sure about our idea of doing something good with the right intentions.

How important is the location of a restaurant business? 

Location location location! That is the key to win. Before opening your restaurant, you should be clear to whom you are planning to cater.

What are your growth and expansion plans for Nut & Bowls? 

The next step is to launch our products in the market and open the next branch of Nut & Bowls. There are a lot of investors who have shown interest to invest and open a branch but we are looking for the right person who actually loves the brand more than the money.

What is the average per month footfall at your restaurant?

Well, it's been only 3 months to the opening and on average we are catering to a few hundred. 

What does the road to profitability look like?

Frankly, this business model where everything is based on dry fruits and organic produce and keeping the costing in mind, the margins aren't very high. Also because in India, the organic products are available at an extremely high cost and our country doesn't think before eating or buying anything from the market. Every packet you buy from the market has chemicals to store them for a longer period of time. We need to be more aware of the food we are eating and live a conscious life.  So currently at this time, this business is only for someone who wants to promote the idea of Veganism and do something good to the society. And with more demand for organic products, the supply will happen in lower pricing.

What do diners prefer more from the menu of Nut and Bowls?

Our customers love smoothies, almond mylk, Buddha bowls and our burgers and their meal always end the Deep Dark Chocolate cheesecake.

How do you see the vegan food trends in Delhi?

Well, I will say that it is definitely progressing but at a slow pace but with more awareness about Veganism in the market, it will go up and we like to say that Veganism is the future and we as humans living on this planet have to take responsibility of our actions. What you buy, what you eat, what you wear, your lifestyle is either doing good or bad to the planet.

In last one year fast food majors are trying hard to woo their health freak customers. All thanks to the good vibe that’s blowing in the sector. For ages, it was believed that people eat vegetarian or healthy foods only when their body needs it or it was always supposed to be boring. But it remains a myth. Healthy food can also be tasty and presentable. Not only casual dining and fine dining sector but Quick service restaurants like Burger King, McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr to name a few have also included a vegan burgers, nuggets and other loved offerings in their menu.

QSRs Joining the Race

Burger King recently ‘Impossible Whopper’ the meat-free version of its signature Whopper that is known for its beef and mutton patty at over 59 restaurants in St Louis. The meatless burger consists of soy and potato protein, features coconut oil, sunflower oil and heme- an iron-rich protein that simulates the texture, color and taste of actual meat is manufactured by California- based Impossible Foods that makes plant-based substitutes.

“We’ve done sort of a blind taste test with our franchisees, with people in the office, with my partners on the executive team, and virtually nobody can tell the difference,” said Christopher Finazzo, President- North America, Burger King to The Guardian.

Restaurants like Carl’s Jr also sells vegan burgers in selected US locations. And, is loved by millennials for its alternative to meat burgers. The largest fast food chain in the world McDonald’s is also introducing many new changes in its menu with new vegan options at restaurants around the globe. In response to meat-less minded customers in Norway, McDonald’s is now frying up vegan "chicken" nuggets at select restaurants throughout the country.

The new chicken-free McNuggets are made with a mashed potato base, which is mixed with chickpeas, onions, carrots and corn. They’re coated in breadcrumbs, and is fried until crispy. Few years back, McDonald’s started ‘vegan burger’ in Finland that received a mouthwatering response from the customers in the region. Also, its restaurants in Chicago launched a vegan burger in December 2018. The offering is called the “McAloo Tikki," which is one of the chain's best-selling products from its restaurant menu in India.

Packaging Food is Not Behind

Nestle is not behind in meeting the customer’s demand as it has launched meat-free burgers to woo health freak crowd. The FMCG major is coming up with new offerings like no or less sugar, vegan options to match the eating habits of the young crowd. It announced plans to roll out ‘cook from raw’ plant-based burgers in Europe under the Garden Gourmet brand and in the United States under the Sweet Earth label.

“Many consumers recognize that less meat in their diet is good for them and for the planet, but plant-based meat alternatives often do not live up to their expectations,” Nestle said in a statement.

In December, Unilever said it had bought up Dutch brand De Vegetarische Slager (The Vegetarian Butcher) to position itself in the expanding sector.

Also, brands like Good Dot in India are also marketing and selling their products under vegan options. The Udaipur-based company has got an alternate to KFC’s famous zinger burger.

India has the highest percentage of vegetarians in the world but somehow vegetarian food beyond Indian cuisine is considered unappealing for most Indians. It is the opposite in many parts of the developed world. Vegan and vegetarian food has been trending for a long time. Hence, Nitin Dixit wanted to be the agent of this change in the dine-out culture by promoting the associated lifestyle which is considered more sustainable. Therefore, he encouraged building a strong community around the cafe which includes some support for co-working as well. Excerpts from the interview:

You aim at popularizing plant protein. Why there is a sudden trend among customers getting attracted to such concepts?

As mentioned earlier, this trend has been prevailing for a long time in much of the western developed world. In India, there does seem to be a surging interest as of late. Perhaps it has to do with our tendency to be influenced by the West as well as some major celebrities, international and local, promoting vegan food in a major push. There is also a major push from the scientific community for people to adopt a plant-based diet in order to help mitigate climate change.

It is often believed that healthy food is boring. What does your chef do to make it appealing and tasty to address to such finicky customer?

We all work very hard to get our dishes to hit benchmarks related to taste. It is a complicated process but that is part of what creates a unique value proposition for our customers. We aspire to please even ardent non-vegetarians!

How have designed the café?

The design process is headed by our co-founder Mohit Yadav and we work with many architects and designers as we have been active in the design community for over a decade. We are deeply involved in every aspect of the design.

We also see that there is a sudden rise in restaurants adopting sustainable and paper packaging and straws. Why so? How is it helping reach to more mature customers?

These are small measures in a much larger push towards sustainability which we are trying to promote also. Today maturity is not a factor of age necessarily but also exposure. Many of our younger customers are becoming aware and appreciate such initiatives. We need a lot more from the industry in this direction.

Tell us something about your menu. Which is the highest ordered menu?

People have lately fallen for our Ragi Nachos which is a contemporary and indigenous adaptation of the classic nachos. We are inspired by modern vegan/vegetarian California cuisine which itself is influenced by many regions of the world.

What is the average footfall at your café, ticket size?

We generally don't share commercial aspects of our operation but needless to say, we are quite satisfied with our progress.

You recently opened your second café in Gurgaon. What is the expansion plan?

We are opening a third location very shortly in Chattarpur area. Then we would like to strengthen our operations before pursuing further expansion plans. 

How do you decide on locations?

We generally tend to look for alternate high street locations which are still mainstream and well located. We also look to access the density of our target demographics in those locations. In the future, we will also be open in some format to corporate parks.

From your favourite KFC Zinger burger to a meaty bowl at your go to restaurant, vegan food players are giving customers a whole lot of choices. 2019 will also see a trend that sees vegan ‘junk food’ replacing traditional meat-based staples. Also, restaurants have also included a menu focusing on the vegan customers.

Waking up to Awareness

Vegan eating is all about awareness. A lot of us eat food because that’s what we have been grown eating and that’s how we develop taste. There are three main reasons for people turning vegan - the first being ethical wherein people don’t want to hurt animal and find an alternate option to it, second is health awareness as more and more people are willing to eat fresh, locally grown foods and ingredients, third is obviously the environmental issues because there are lots of greens being killed and harmed making changes in the environment. Hence, we need to be conscious while eating our food.

“It is just the matter of changing the mindset, trying alternatives,” shares Susmitha of Carrots India which is India’s first vegan restaurant mentioning that they have a very waste menu because the idea is to have something for everyone. It depends on person to person. “Our sloppy joe burger, aubergine mushroom platter and obsessive chocolate disorder are one of the most ordered items on the menu,” she added further.

ALSO READ: How This Blogger Turned Her Passsion For Vegan Food Into A Restaurant

A similar story came up of Udaipur based Abhishek Sinha who loved animals and rescue them whenever there is a need. But being a meat eater himself there was always an imbalance between what his heart would say and what his tastes prefers. It was during his engineering days in Pune, back in 2003 he came along several university researches where he found a research on tissue culture based meat without making animals die and make real meat out of it. And, that’s how he together with his brother started Good Do in India serving food made from mock meat. “There is vast difference between what vegan restaurants are doing and what we are doing. We are doing it to make it comfort food and not a high end organic stuff. Also, we are targeting the meat eaters who are trying to lower the meat intake,” shares Sinha who sells close to 12000- 15000 packets every day on the manufacturing front.

Going with the Trend

Known for serving vegan delight before independence Mumbai based Kailash Parbat is bringing its much talked about vegan restaurant to India. The group was already running a vegan restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal with the name of ‘Veganapati’. “We are also planning to launch a vegan restaurant in India. We are already running ‘Veganapati’ and we want to grow it in India. We are doing modern vegan food with Indian twist to it,” shares Kamlesh Mulchandani, the third gen into the business of food known for serving vegetarian food for ages. “We wanted to bring it to the major cities in India including; Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi in 2019,” he added.

MUST READ: Vegan Butcher: How This Entrepreneur Is Changing The Way India Eats Food

Also, there are many restaurants in top cities already including a vegan menu into the a-la-carte option. “We also intend to introduce a whole new thoughtfully curated healthy menu which includes Vegan food too,” shared a media statement by Arbour Food and Drink Pune.

Thus, with new happenings at restaurants we surely can see that everything is in place to make 2019 a year of vegan treats.

Vegannection created a rage as soon as it was launched; it's the world's first 100% vegan prepaid cash card. Vegannection is created and run by an international group of humble vegans who set out to do what they can to contribute to making this world a better place.

"We are very grateful to have extremely talented and dedicated professionals on our team committed to making Vegannection as great as possible."
~JP McCormack

JP McCormack, Vegannection Partner, the UK and Ireland, tells Restaurant India about the world’s first 100% vegan debit card and its scope in the Indian market.

Read the News: World's First 100% Vegan Debit Card Launched

The Idea Behind Vegannection

Having experience in running a vegan business, we have felt, first hand, how difficult it is to compete with non-vegan businesses and already established big brands. On the other hand, we had this idea about creating something that would entice people to buy vegan products even more. Joining forces with other vegan professionals and having conducted extensive market research, we have developed this tool that would support 100% vegan economy and give people a better shopping experience while rewarding them for buying 100% vegan.

Response from the Restaurant Partners Worldwide

Given how Vegannection is not limited to just restaurants, we have been getting an amazing response from all types of vegan businesses from around the world. The things that our partners point out is how easy and practical it is to work with Vegannection card and how the consumer benefits Vegannection offers bring them more clients.

Vegannection in Indian Market

With vegan restaurants, catering and home delivery becoming available in almost all the cities, veganism is definitely on the rise in India. What we at Vegannection will be looking to accomplish will be to help vegan restaurants and food establishments grow even more by rewarding the conscious consumers for choosing them, thus, bringing them more clients, and loyal ones.

Vegan Food in India

It is widely known that, when it comes to Vegan food, India has one of the friendliest cuisines around. Flamboyant use of spices and sauces charms new life into the likes of potatoes, cauliflower, peas, and eggplant which makes us all the more excited to partner with Indian vegan food establishments.

Must Read: These Restaurants Are Breaking The Mental Block With Vegan Diet

Promotional Strategy with Vegannection

Our promotional strategy is based on constant research, development and upgrading of our service and the referral aspect of Vegannection where our clients enjoy the benefits of vegannecting with other people.

We believe that the best possible marketing is the excellence of the product, the better it is, and the more people talk about it.

As a result, Vegannection has already been featured on radio shows, major internet vegan media brands and despite being focused only on London, the UK, we now have cardholders in 37 different countries worldwide.

We obviously maintain a very active presence on social media, but for the most part, we just let Vegannection speak for itself.

Also Read: How This Blogger Turned Her Passion For Vegan Food Into A Restaurant

Vegannection Expansion Plans

Our current plan is to focus January on London area, followed by other cities in the UK come February, then other countries in Europe such as, Spain, France and Ireland in March after which we will turn to other continents looking to expand to Asia, US, South America, etc.

Veganism is on a steady rise in India; people are growing conscious towards healthy and plant-based diets. Veganism is a concept that runs against all forms of cruelty and exploitation of animals. With the change in food trends, Indians are welcoming the vegan diet more than ever before.

With the rise of the vegan food trends in India, people are experimenting and exploring the cuisines at the various restaurants. Punekars’ favourite, The Real Green Cafe is Maharashtra and Pune’s first 100 per cent plant-based cafe. The plant-based diet helps in reducing the risk to Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases, Hypertension and Obesity. The Cafe is located in Koregaon Park. The Real Green Cafe offers a range of vegan cuisines like cheesy spinach sandwich, barbeque veggie pizza, Irish hot coffee, crispy corn chips and more.

Aishwarya Viswanath started The Real Green Cafe in Pune in June 2015. She had quit her corporate job to start the 100% vegan cafe. "I am vegan myself. And when I looked around I could not find a place that served a vegan menu here in the city. And, thence, I thought of serving the vegan community," told Aishwarya to Restaurant India. She believes in serving her customers with fresh produce and is very particular about it.

"We use in-house cheese in the food items as we don’t get vegan cheese in India easily and if we, somehow get, it is processed. I want to serve my customers with authentic and fresh produce.  That’s the reason the cheese is made in-house. The base of the cheese is either cashew or pumpkin or melon seeds," said Aishwarya.

When she started The Real Green Cafe, she wanted to have “everything on the menu that vegans miss” from the regular cuisines. Aishwarya added fast food in the menu from which pizzas are Punekar’s favourite. “People like barbeque, mozzarella and cheddar pizzas. The visitors to our restaurant also like almond milk coffee - both hot and cold. And we serve a variety of slow-pressed juices too which do very well among the visitors. The slow-pressed juices retain the fibre and the nutrients and are high on health quotient,” she added.

Aishwarya told that it is the non-vegan community that visits the restaurant more than the vegans. “The non-vegans walk-in quite often. They are curious to know how the walnut milk chai taste or how does the almond milk coffee taste. They want to explore the cuisines mentioned in the Cafe menu. Curiosity works for us!” she said.

Upon the rising vegan trend in Pune, Aishwarya said The Real Green Cafe was the first one in Pune as well as Maharashtra to serve 100 per cent vegan food. “It’s a growing concept. Many restaurants in the city have started to include vegan food in their menu. So, I can say, people are ready to experiment and explore the vegan food,” said Aishwarya.

Delhiites are not far from experimenting with vegan food. Besides the regular Mediterranean and Italian cuisines, Rose Cafe in Delhi offers quick options for vegans. It has an indoor and an outdoor seating arrangement. The ambience of Rose Cafe is warm and comforting. Though regular cuisines are still popular, the veganism is slowly picking up among Delhites, observed Tarini, who runs the Rose Cafe along with her mother Sarita Ahuja.

Tarini Ahuja told Restaurant India that when she started her restaurant there were people who would ask for vegan cuisines. Therefore, she introduced the vegan items on the menu. From among the variety of vegan cuisines - gelato, dark chocolate cake, falafel wrap, pasta and ice cream - vegan dark chocolate gelato and vegan banana cake are among the people’s favourite. “Even regular people, who are not vegan, would order the ice cream and cakes from the vegan menu,” said Tarini.

No preservatives added! That’s what you had read on various food items. Isn’t it? The chef at Prana Kitchen makes sure that no preservatives are added to the cuisines served to the people. The 100 per cent vegan cafe was started by two young ladies - Parmit Shroff and Malvika Amin - who had quit their corporate jobs to serve the vegan community. The vegan cafe was launched at Parmita’s mother’s PRISim, a healing centre, at Grant Trunk Road in Mumbai.

Prana believes in raw food concept for detoxification and boosting energy. Therefore, it serves the vegan food made from organic produce. The Zucchini Noodles and Pesto, Gooey Chocolate Brownie, Creamy Mushroom crepes and Banana Almond Butter Smoothie are popular among the visitors at the Prana Kitchen in Mumbai.

The co-founders of Prana Kitchen Parmita Shroff and Malvika Amin turned vegan in 2012. They started with experimenting on the concept. “We felt lighter and good with the vegan diet, and, therefore, we decided to continue,” Parmita Shroff told Restaurant India. Parmita further added, “plant-based diet and food help in healing processes. I volunteered at the Auroville farm in Pondicherry. There I learnt the importance of using local ingredients in the food we eat daily, especially the plant-based food. It motivated me to establish a relationship with nature through food. I believe the right food nurtures body as well as the mind.”

Speaking about the visitors’ reaction on the vegan menu, Parmita said, “The first-time visitors of Prana would admire the coffee or tea and ask what all ingredients we have used. Once we tell them the ingredients include fermented cashews and nuts, they would give astonishing looks. People are not looking for dairy when they come to our cafe. Dairy, I think, is more of the mental block.”

There is a mix of regular and vegan visitors at Prana Kitchen. A lot of people who visit the Cafe experiments with the vegan diet.

“Distractions and people’s bad mood lead them towards unhealthy eating, which we call comfort food as well. At the healing centre, we tell them the importance of the food’s relation with mind and healing. They experiment with vegan diet at Prana, and like the food too,” said Parmita.

Speaking on the rising vegan trends in Mumbai, Malvika Amin Co-founder of Prana Kitchen said people, earlier, would not know about vegan diets. “Five years ago when I walked in a restaurant, I had to tell I don’t eat butter, ghee or dairy, and there was almost nothing on the menu that I could eat back then. Nowadays, when I go to a normal restaurant and when I tell them I am a vegan, they understand what exactly I mean. They have at least two-three options on the menu. The vegan trend is certainly rising.”