The Indian Vegan Kitchen_ More Than 150 Quick and Healthy Homestyle Recipes - Madhu Gadia [1]
My husband, Shashi, for his love, support, and encouragement. He pretty much tasted all the recipes in this book, for often that was dinner. I could not have done it without him.
My son, Nitin, whose excitement about Mom’s writing a vegan cookbook was contagious. But that’s how he is. He popped in and out of the house and willingly tasted the food. He would bring his friends over for taste-testing and tell them all about the dishes and the new cookbook. He brought excitement to the project.
My daughter, Manisha, who was too far to come popping in for taste-testing, but her enthusiasm on the phone was invaluable. She gets excited about my writing as well as the recipes. She is a good writer in her own right and is always willing to give constructive comments.
My son-in-law, Ravi Bewtra, who is always there with encouraging words and positive energy. I am blessed, for now I have two sons.
My brother and sisters: Ajay, Veena, Meenakshi, and Shelly—I can always count on their encouragement, love, and support. I can call them any time for a little gloating or a whining session. My sister-in-law, Anjali, and brothers-in-law, Rajeev Nath, Praveen Bhatia, and Rob McNicol, are equally wonderful and supportive. They all keep me grounded and make my world complete.
My friends in Ames, Iowa: Vandana and Suresh, Amita and Vinay, Simi and Giri, Rema and Shree, Rajshree and Sanjeev, and Rama and Sridhar—I want to thank each and every one of them for their kind words, jokes, and willingness to taste the recipes. They are all from different regions of India and food experts in their own right. They are always willing to share their recipes, expertise, and come and help me at the drop of a hat. You guys rock.
My friend, colleague, and confidant Connie Buss: Thank you for believing in me and for always being there.
My helper, Emily Fifield, for working with me when I needed it. She dropped everything, worked weekends, and made my project a priority for two weeks when I felt overwhelmed with deadlines. She’s a quick learner and a conscientious worker—just the kind of person I needed to help me do the nutritional analysis.
My agent, Bob Silverstein of Quicksilver Books, for believing in me and my book proposal. Thank you for bringing this book to light.
My editor, Marian Lizzi, editor-in-chief at Perigee Books, for giving me an opportunity to write this book, for her encouraging words, and for her amazing guidance. Words alone cannot express my gratitude. This book is what it is because of her.
Introduction
THIS BOOK IS for anyone, vegan or not, looking for great-tasting, authentic, easy-to-follow Indian recipes.
I grew up surrounded with vegetarian food. In India, being vegetarian is considered “normal” and eating meat is the anomaly, at least in my community. Even meat eaters eat vegetarian meals several times a week. Only when I left India did I ever need to ask, “Do you have anything vegetarian?”
Indian vegetarian is clearly defined as a plant-based diet that includes milk and milk products—thus, a lacto-vegetarian way of eating. If you eat anything else, such as eggs or fish, then you must qualify it as an exception—for example, I’m a vegetarian but I eat eggs. Indians are very proud of their vegetarian heritage and lifestyle and celebrate it with fervor.
Today, I have a whole new appreciation for nonvegetarians who choose to become vegetarians or vegans. Initially, when I started writing this cookbook, I thought it would be a breeze, expecting that I would only have to eliminate milk. I soon realized how difficult it is to think—and cook—outside the box. I did not realize how extensively and automatically I add milk products in dishes. Once I got over that hurdle, it was a rich experience with amazing results.
Health benefits of eating plant-based meals are well recognized but it did not happen overnight. Working as a