Veganuary, the global pledge to try vegan for 31 days, is joined by New Delhi-born-and-based culinary authority Suvir Saran. The author of three celebrated cookbooks: Indian Home Cooking, American Masala, and Masala Farm is eating vegan this January to raise awareness on the health and environmental benefits of plant-based eating.
Suvir is the culinary director of Cold Love artisanal ice creams which is launching two new vegan flavours from Jan 15. He is also the founder of THC, The House of Celeste, a modern Indian restaurant in Gurgaon. Saran’s approachable style helped demystify Indian cuisine and earned him the first Michelin star awarded to an Indian restaurant in America. His recipes and writings have been featured in many national and international newspapers and magazines.
He says “Indian cuisine is full of flavours and our masalas are legendary around the world. We use a wide array of veg, grains, legumes pulses, fruits, herbs and aromatics in our cooking, which are rich sources of nourishment for the mind, body and the soul. I use food as a bridge to bring peoples and groups together. I am very happy to associate with Veganuary and share some of my favourite plant-based recipes with my fellow participants of Veganuary 2022. I hope they will warm your hearts and win your minds into adopting a fulfilling plant-based lifestyle”
Veganuary officially launched in India in December 2019, following a massive interest towards plant-based eating in India. A recent survey by YouGov reported that 65% of Indians were keen to replace meat with plant-based options1.
Veganuary helps people make a smooth transition to a vegan diet through continuous handholding, free advice, meal plans, online support group etc. With its official launch in India, Veganuary has created materials customised for Indians with recipes suited to Indian palettes, information on the best places to buy and consume vegan food, and addressing common myths around veganism.
The survey also reported that inability to stick to the habit (21%), affordability of vegan alternatives (20%), unavailability of meal plans and recipes (20%), and not able to find more vegan food while eating outside (18%) were top reasons for not transitioning to vegan. To address these gaps, Veganuary also works with businesses to make plant-based foods more available and affordable. This year, more than 40 brands have launched new products or introduced special offers in January.
Veganuary India head, Prashanth Vishwanath says: “Creating such an ecosystem conducive for a shift to plant-based diets is important in India. Being part of a community of people who are all trying vegan at the same time makes it a lot easier”
Welcoming Suvir’s participation, he says: “We are thrilled to have Suvir join us and try vegan this January. He is a culinary master and is loved not just in India but around the world. We are confident that his participation will inspire thousands to try a plant-based diet and we can’t wait to try some of his recipes!”
Veganuary is free to join, and people can sign-up at veganuary.com to receive 31 daily emails tailored to Indian audience, packed with nutritional info, delicious recipes, easy meal plans and helpful advice.
