Mumbai Vegans

Potluck on 31st Dece,2011

2012-01-16T12:54:00.005+05:30

We had a very exciting potluck lunch event on 31st December 2011. Saroj Choudhary and Monika Mehta organised the whole event. More than 25 Mumbai vegans came...with more than 30 tasty vegan dishes to eat....posting a single picture here which tells the story of how happy Mumbai vegans are....Also Darshana Tacker was here with us from California. All the young vegans are very inspiring. If you want to meet them, do join in for future potluck lunch/dinner events....

Lisa Pitman in Mumbai

2012-01-06T12:27:00.004+05:30

Lisa Pitman event in Mumbai was a complete sold out event. It was for the first time that Mumbai people go to see raw vegan food, so delicious! Lisa was very enthusiastic and everyone loved her style of teaching! Here is the link for more pictures of the event.
Loved the cashew cheese recipe....yummy.

Turmeric and Amba- Turmeric Pickle

2011-11-17T12:03:00.002+05:30

I love this pickle.It is made of raw turmeric and raw Amba- Turmeric. In local language it is called Haldi and Amba-Haldi. Haldi is yellow in colour. Amba Haldi is white in colour. Both are underground vegetables. Turmeric is the famous yellow spice that we use a lot in Indian cooking as powder. In winter time, we get fresh, raw haldi and amba-haldi. I wash it thoroughly. Dry for a short time, like an hour. Then , I cut it into round pieces. You can cut into long shreds also.Then I add Lemon or lime juice and some salt. Now, I refrigerate this in a glass bottle. Refrigeration is not a must. After 3 days, the roots are softer and we can eat as pickle. It is very good to take in the beginning of meal. It is good for digestion, improves skin and purifies blood. Good as detox. Use whole winter while it is available fresh. Helpful in diabetes and those who may have higher cholesterol.

Aamla - Gooseberry Juice

2011-11-17T11:52:00.005+05:30

Now in winter time, we get lots of Aamla. Also called as Aavala or Indian Gooseberry. It is very sour and very rich in Vitamin C. Botanical name is Phyllanthus emblica (syn. Emblica officinalis). I make juice of one Aamla Daily. It has anti-aging properties according to Ayurveda. Also useful in diabetes. Make use of this fruit optimum in the season. The famous chyavanprash preparation of Ayurveda is also made from Aamla.

Potluck Lunch Meeting 16th October 2011

2011-10-18T17:23:00.002+05:30

Dear Friends,
Here are the pics of one of the most rocking potluck meets we had!!!!
There was tonnes of food (yummyy!), the perfect most amazing host ever Saroj Choudhury (dont have words to describe Saroj's generosity!!), all the fabulous vegans who wore white in solidarity with the animals who suffer everyday (we all rock!).
Highlights in food (in my opinion) were the masala milk (with abundance of kesar and dry fruits), almond & brown rice curd chaat and curd (superb)!!
Enjoy the visible camaraderie in the pics :)
Thanks & Regards
Monika

Vegan Diwali Sweets!

2011-10-18T16:53:00.001+05:30

Vegan Bites.............Enjoy Diwali with vegan Sweets!
Vegan Bites .......taking orders for different kind of Ladoos for Diwali. If interested, please let us know.
Prices per kg. are as follows:
Peanut Ladoos - 350
Mixed Nut Ladoos - 350
Crushed Peanut Ladoos - 400
Coconut Ladoos - 400
Til Ladoos - 400

Vegan Bites
health meals & catering
+91 76665 86430
https://www.facebook.com/veganbites

Sept 2011 Workshop Update

2011-09-26T12:35:00.002+05:30

18th Sept Meeting

2011-09-19T11:07:00.003+05:30

Listening to Dr. Nandita Shah....How changing to vegan diet has profound effect on body and mind...

Very inspiring and informative...and ofcourse yummy food.

Nature's sweetness at its best!

2011-09-16T14:55:00.002+05:30

Coconut water Drink

Recently I got lot of coconuts in my city garden. They are all organic. I did give away many. A few I kept for myself. The water was so sweet! I made this very simple drink for myself this morning. It is coconut water plus the soft coconut meat ( also called as malai) . I blended in a mixture. Very very refreshing, naturallay sweet drink ready in just few minutes. No sugar added. No salt. No Permitted class 2 preservatives, addititves and no artificial colour and sweetner. Nature's factory is the best! Friends, pay attention to the mineral rich coconut water and enjoy good health!

Contributed by Dr.Rupa Shah

Join Reversing Diabetes on Face Book

2011-08-17T12:43:00.003+05:30

Here is the link for you to join Reversing Diabetes Group in Face Book. This group is open to all. Do join if you have diabetes, or are on your way to reverse the diabetes or you know some one who has diabetes and you want to help them....Lots of interesting information there for you to read and do ask questions...we will respond.

Mumbai vegans spotted at Anti GM Food event

2011-08-10T11:32:00.003+05:30

Note from Mumbai Vegan Saroj Choudhary who participated anti GM foods rally in Mumbai.

My experiance says-Vegan is not diet,Veagan is Peace diet.Peace starts from Plate,which from morning till night we keep consuming,and it empowers us with complete Clarity n Compassion towards all species.Eg-yesterday at August Kranti there was a March for Protest of GM seeds n Support to Farmers.I too participated n wearing a Poster of Brinjal-saying Save me from GM.Oh what a joy it was when I saw the farmers n have a complete Faith.GM seeds r out of our country.Thnx to Vegan,A Healthy Lifestyle.

Thanks Mumbai vegans...

31st July, Vegan Lunch

2011-08-05T11:46:00.002+05:30

For those who missed the event...it was a fully booked event. Though it was raining heavily, attendance was full. Film on Reversing Diabetes by Dr. Neal Barnard was shown followed by 'real' experiences sharing of diseases reversal of participants of previous workshop on 19th June.

Listening to their stories inspired others...we can do it too! A few questions and answers were attended by Dr. Rupa Shah & Peter Theobald. This was followed by tasty...vegan lunch...

Mr. Vijay Joshi at HELP library

2011-07-18T18:23:00.003+05:30

Mr. Vijay Joshi has reversed his diabetes....now he is talking to people about how to do the same....
Here is the video link of his entire talk at the HELP library.
HELP1
HELP2
HELP3
HELP4

Watch the entire talk and get inspired...to reverse your diseases through healthy vegan diet!

Succesful workshop on Reversing Diabetes

2011-06-21T22:18:00.004+05:30

Here are the pictures of the very successful workshop in Reversing Diabetes. Dr. Nandita Shah & Dr. Rupa Shah were talking and all the participants were listening to all the ' new ' information very eagerly. How can I reverse my diabetes? was the main question in their mind. Questions coming form the audience was showing the level of their interest. The low fat vegan food was so delicious that many of them told us that we can eat this food every day of our life! The interest in this workshop was so much that workshop was already full ahead of time, and we had to turn down more than 30 people, promising them to do one more workshop in Mumbai soon! The highlight of the workshop was, the past participants coming and sharing their experience of reversing their diabetes or are on the way. This has inspired many to now go ahead and do the same.....

Mumbai Mirror article on Reversing Diabetes

2011-06-09T13:21:00.002+05:30

Nowadays a lot of people tell me that ‘you have lost weight’. I tell them that I have lost weight but I have also lost my diabetes,” he laughs. This is what Mr. V. B. Joshi says in this article.....Here is the link.

Congratulation to Mr. V. B. Joshi...who is also a Mumbai vegan.

Next workshop is on 19th January, 2011. Book your place soon...as it is fast getting filled up.

Truth about leather industry in India!

2011-05-17T18:07:00.002+05:30

Here is the link to watch the Peta film about how leather industry works in India! Therefore, do think about the pain an animal has to go through, and finally die so that leather jackets, belts, bags and gloves can be made from their skin! Choose vegan products....

101 chicks rescued

2011-04-15T13:25:00.002+05:30

These 101 odd tiny tots... have been rescued by Suyog Kale and Shilpa Naik under JJ Flyover, Mumbai.... Its sad to see how they are crammed up in a single cage in this hot weather.. These chicks were being sold for Rs.5 each...

Later Ganesh and myself ( Rahul) from AMTM travelled more than 250 KM's go take them to a farm house of a friend where they are being taken care of.

Thank you.....

Mumbai Vegans in action at Farmer's Market

2011-03-07T11:43:00.003+05:30

Mumbai Vegans were once again back at the Farmer's Market with all the goodies. Rithika's Green Stove Banana & Lemon cupcakes, Swati's Nan Khatai and Whole Wheat Jaggery Cookies, Saroj's Hot Masala Milk and Khusve ....all sold out by 1 PM. The atmosphere at Farmer's Market on Sunday Morning is very relaxed and people are very attentive to what is offered.There was very good response to all the vegan food and why's of vegan living? Vegan for health,Vegan for animals and vegan for environment....Congratulations to all the Mumbai Vegans for being there....

Snake rescue...

2011-03-05T13:18:00.003+05:30

The snake was rescued from shimpoli village Borivali(w).

A passer by namely "bijal" stood by the snake so that the villagers doesnt hurt that snake untill I reach.

Finally it was rescued with the help of Santosh Shinde from SARRP.

It has some Injuries. So its getting treatment from Dr Sunetra Wadke. And will be released into the wild as soon he recovers from his Injuries.

Rahul says, 'My first snake rescue in Mumbai. Too much happy today'.

Mumbai Vegans also thank you for your kind work.

Vegan Butters

2011-02-09T17:30:00.004+05:30

Picture showing Mango Butter in jar and Kokum Butter as a piece on side.
Recently I discovered two vegan butters in Indian market that I was not aware of.
1. Mango Butter. Although cosmetic industry has found many uses of this butter, this butter is edible. It is solid at room temperature. However it is not easy to procure and it is very expensive. Make sure it is for eating and not of cosmetic quality.
2. Kokum Butter: This is used in Konkan region in India. It is from the tree that gives Kokum fruits, also called as Garcinia Indica. It is often used as substitute for Cocoa butter. It is used again for dry skin & cracks in sole. However, I came to know that it is also edible. It is solid at room temperature. I use now this butter for my bread and Bhakri spread. It is easy to buy and much cheaper. It has good shelf life (one year).
The other vegan butters I make at home are Peanut butter, Cashew butter, Almond butter, Sesame butter, coconut butter and so on. Mashed Avocado can also be used as spread instead of butter at some places. There are also butters made from onions, carrots etc. And some are made from fruits called as fruit butters. They are apples & pears. I have to yet make and try them.

Reversing Diabetes Workshop

2011-02-08T18:42:00.004+05:30

Another very intense Reversing Diabetes workshop just got over in Mumbai. Participants were very eager to learn all about how to reverse their disease. They were asking very good questions about vegan diet and learnt many practical tips. Most inspiring was people sharing their story of reversal of diabetes. This means others also feel they can do it.Here are few pictures.
Listen what Dr. Nandita Says about vitamin B12 in this short video clip.

Mumbai Vegans featured in newspaper Hindustan Times!

2011-02-01T10:40:00.002+05:30

Mumbai Vegans are now getting attention of media! Here is the link to read the full article.

Vegans in Vogue!

Congratulations! Many people have already read and called up to inquire about Vegan lifestyle. If you wish to know more, do contact us by email to know more about our meetings and other interactive sessions!

Vegan Lunch Meeting 23Jan2011

2011-01-28T16:30:00.003+05:30

Another very inspiring session with Dr. Nandita Shah & Dr. Rupa Shah in Mumbai. Many participants who have reversed or are in the process of reversing their diseases shared their experiences. It is a proof for those who also want to now make vegan choices for health. The food served was all vegan, dairy free and oil free. Very very tasty!

Cow is God: Tripura tribals don't drink milk!

2010-12-20T17:13:00.001+05:30

Very interesting article on Cow's milk. Here is the link.

Two Kites Rescued

2010-11-13T12:18:00.005+05:30

Rahul is a co founder of Green and also a Mumbai Vegan who is working very actively towards animal rescue. Recently he rescued two kites. Kites were injured. Now they are at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Here are the pictures. Thank you Rahul . You are very inspiring.

Summary of Mumbai Talks of Dr.Nandita Shah

2010-11-09T19:44:00.002+05:30

SHARAN had a series of its pathbreaking talks and workshops in Mumbai recently, by its Founder Director Dr.Nandita Shah. Starting from 20th of September till 3rd of October 2010, these talks were held in a wide-variety of places with a vast spectrum of audience. They were organised with the help of Sharan volunteers Mr. Ashit Sheth and his wife Rima, both of whom had benefitted immensely themselves through these workshops, turning them into lifelong loyalists. Organised in places like the BMC, Indian Merchants Chambers, Rotary Club, Bombay Chartered Accountants Society, Senior Citizens Clubs, corporates like Human Factors, colleges like Sophia Polytechnic, schools including BJPC, Gopal Sharma Intl, etc., the talks were very well received and highly appreciated! There were also highly specialized one-day workshops specifically for people suffering from Diabetes and Heart Disease, which resulted in many participants adopting lifestyle changes for disease-free living.

The facts presented in these workshops astounded laymen and doctors alike. And the mantra for all this was simply - a whole food, plant based diet! In addition, organic food was also recommended. Audience of all age-groups seemed clearly impacted as they eagerly asked a plethora of relevant questions and gave very positive feedback. All in all it was a successful fortnight of awareness creation by Sharan.
Summary written by Monika Mehta

Diwali Vegan Laddus

2010-11-07T13:05:00.004+05:30

Nutritious Vegan Laddus-
Recipe by Dr (Mrs) Mrinal Joshi-Mumbai, mrinalvm@yahoo.co.in
Ingredients (for 8-10 small laddus)- • ½ katori (small bowl) roasted gram dal (dalia) • ½ katori ( small Bowl) roasted sesame seeds (til) • ½ katori ( Small Bowl) roasted ground nut seeds (singdana) • 30-35 deseeded dates , finely chopped • Some cardamom powder, • Some Jaifal ( Nutmeg) powder • Optional-dry figs finely chopped.

Preparation- 1) grind sesame seeds, gram dal and groundnut seeds in to powder. 2)Mix all the above ingredients in a big bowl or plate thoroughly and make a dough .If required add more dates ,prepare small laddus from the above mixture. 3) Decorate with Cashew nut pieces and or grated dry coconut. These laddus can last for 10-15 days. If you want to consume immediately, you can use grated tender coconut as well.

Dwiali Vegan Delights!

2010-11-02T12:51:00.003+05:30

The first time,

Diwali VEGAN Delight’s –

A range of Healthy DIWALI sweets.

Dairy free & refined sugar free

Goan Vegan Apple & Peach Melba

Kashmiri Delicious Vegan Oat Nectar Porridge

Uttar Pradeshi Vegan Nankhatai

Rajasthani Vegan Dal Churma

Maharashtrian Vegan Chivada

Sindhi Vegan Toshe

Rajasthani Vegan Dal Bati

Chennai Vegan Chandrakala special

To know more about the sweets, contact: Srj.choudhary@gmail.com

Article on Mumbai Vegans in DNA newspapper

2010-11-02T12:48:00.002+05:30

These days many news papers are writing about vegan living in India. A very nice article written here by Joanna Lobo. Here is the link to read. The title is Veganism is no sacrifice! Very true!

Potluck Lunch at Rithika's Place

2010-09-25T12:31:00.002+05:30

The potluck held in Thane on 19th September, 2010 was planned to coincide with the arrival of Damian Eadie, CEO of Vegeco Ltd, U.K. Damian is in India doing research on the market for vegetarian/ vegan dog and cat food in India.

He brought along some goodies for everyone there. It included cheese in different flavours, sausages, soy creams, gravy, ready to make packets of typical English sausages and nut roasts, mayonnaise, whipped cream, oat cream and so much more! All vegan and yummy! He also showed us how to make 'Bangers and Mash' which is some sausage on some baked potato with gravy on top.

After all that, we still had some more yummy food which everyone brought along which included Tamarind Rice, Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies, Batata Vadas, Koftas in Gravy, Tofu Cutlets, Biryani, Pineapple Salsa, Soy Free Lemon Mousse, White Bean Salad, Orange and Passion Fruit Juice!

Everyone took home some fun memories from this potluck. Hope the people who missed it this time will be able to make it next time and make it bigger and better!

Contributed by Rithika Ramesh.

Meet Young Vegans

2010-09-08T12:36:00.002+05:30

Meet Sneha Poojary, a young Mumbai Vegan, who became Vegan on her own....and then after many months, actually discovered more vegans in Mumbai...Here is how she introduces herself.
In a conversation a person said to me that, "We should concentrate on human’s right first". My answer: "Fighting for human's right is good... my question here is, How does being cruel to animals help us to fight for human's rights?""Superiority of humans is reflected by saving helpless animals not killing them."
Welcome Sneha!

Reversing Diabetes Group Potluck Lunch

2010-06-28T11:48:00.003+05:30

Some of the Mumbai vegans met on Sunday, 26th June to follow up with the Reversing Diabetes group, of those who returned from Bangalore. The meeting was organised by Ashit Sheth and his wife Rima at a very unusually beautiful place called as Shantivan. This park is right next to the famous Hanging Garden in south Mumbai. So, this time instead of taking pictures of food, I have taken more pictures of the park. The food was good, particularly the large size cake made by Dr. Nita Dharamsey. Everyone shared their reversal of diabetes story so far. They were very happy and inspired to go on now. We also took a short walk in the park which has many trees and herbs. Also an acupressure walk, hydrotherapy area and amphitheatre. The place was full of fresh air, quiet and greenery in the middle of concrete jungle! Thank you Ashit and Rima for the wonderful meeting.

A short video of a soothing natural water fall at the park.....

Contributed by Rupa Shah

Healthy laddoos ( Balls)

2010-06-24T12:03:00.003+05:30

This is a very easy recipe to make laddoos at home. They can be called as 'Adadiya' but all raw vegan. To make this you need 1 part Peanuts, grounded. 1 Part dry coconut powder, 1 Part sesame seeds grounded. Dry prunes, cashews quantity as desired. A pinch of Poppy seeds called as Khus Khus seeds, dry ginger powder called as Sunth, Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, jeggary powder, 2 part of date pieces. It is ook if you have one or few ingredients less or more. You can just adjust.
Mix all these ingredients in a mixture/ grinder. Now make laddoos out of this mix. It takes very little time to make these. They are very healthy. I save them in refrigerator. I usually eat one daily. I carry around in a small box with me. When I am hungry, I quickly eat one! Very filling, and satisfying.
Recipe contributed by Rupa Shah

Kalli ni Bhaji

2010-06-22T11:22:00.003+05:30

Right now it is monsoon in India. So, it is also season for Kalli Ni Bhaji. I use this bhaji for salads or for green smoothie. You can cook it also just like methi ni Bhaji ( fresh fenugreek leaves). It is nice to eat seasonal and regional food. If you choose to go to the market regularly, you will spot the seasonal variation in all kinds of vegetables and fruits. When they are in season, they are cheaper also. I guess nutrients are also more available. Remember, green fresh leaves are full of 'living energy', which is good for body. They are easy to digest. You can add some lemon, may be tomato to make juice.
Contributed by Rupa Shah

Leather-free handbags

2010-06-21T17:47:00.003+05:30

I recently visited a shop in Santacruz Area of Mumbai. This shop is selling 100% vegetarian hand bags.No animal leather is used in making these bags. They are very stylish! Visit their website at www.espelhofashions.com
I did buy a nice bag for myself.
Contributed by Rupa Shah

Organic Mangoes

2010-06-11T11:41:00.005+05:30

This season, I am eating only organic mangoes. I got to taste Kesar, Alphanso, Ratna, Payri, Rajapuri..all these varieties. I believe in biodiversity. Organic mangoes taste very sweet. You feel very satisfied. In fact you will not like to eat any other mango which is fed with some chemical fertilisers or ripened with some chemical.
I ate mangoes as it is or as vegan milk shakes. Mango vegan milk shakes can be made either with cashews milk or almond milk or soy milk or of course coconut milk. You can even try combination of milks.
I also make smoothies with banana, papaya, mangoes and some greens like palak( spinach), tandaljo( amaranthus), mint, coriander leaves etc.
You can order some organic mangoes from Paresh Shah.His contact number is 9987035898.
I also got some dry mango chips from a healing center that is into raw food.
At home we also made many pickles from raw mangoes apart from making a raw mango drink every day!
If you got extra mangoes, just make juice, and freeze it with the seed( lets the colour remain original) to use later or freeze mango pieces to use in ice cream!

Being vegan, you enjoy much more eating all this healthy food.

Contributed by Rupa Shah

21 day Reversing Diabetes Program daily Update From Bangalore.

2010-05-18T12:25:00.003+05:30

21 day Reversing Daibetes Program through Low Fat Vegan Diet already started in Bangalore. There are 22 participants. Dr. Nandita Shah and Dr. Nita Dharamsey are conducting the program. Dr. Nandita shah is writting daily report from there. Here is the link to read it on day to day basis.
http://sharan-india.org/news/daily-report-21-day-reversing-diabetes-retreat/
Congratulations to both the doctors for such impressive work!

2010-05-03T12:51:00.002+05:30

Fortunately I was raised a vegetarian , but I converted to a vegan diet and lifestyle
once I realised the simple fact that cow's milk is for the calf and not for human consumption.
Also, the cows go through unimaginable horror and the calves are usually seperated from
their mothers at birth. The best part is that cow's milk can be completely substituted
with numerous cruelty-free plant based substitutes like soyamilk, rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk etc
and yeah...before hitting the sack everyday, I feel so much peaceful thinking
that I haven't harmed a cow today ! :)
I strongly believe in this :-
The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more
than black people were made for white, or women created for men. - Alice Walker

Go vegan and end the violence ! :)
========================================================================
Vegan regards
Shashank Dixit
www.kranti.org

KFC 25th April Protest

2010-04-28T16:52:00.001+05:30

A team of vegans from Kranti protested against KFC by holding banners and distributing pamphlets that talk about veganism.
Many passerby vegetarians and families came and encouranged us and inquired about the alternatives to milk.
Congratulations!

Make soy milk at home!

2010-04-24T18:01:00.002+05:30

Here is the video that I have uploaded on the Utube channel about how to make soy milk at home.It is so easy to make at home!

If you want to see more such recipes, click on this link
Contributed by Rupa Shah

Seminar on Veganism in Navi Mumbai

2010-04-16T10:17:00.001+05:30

Shashank from Kranti and his brother Prasoon from DIYA(Divine India Youth Association)
conducted a seminar on veganism where they showed short documentaries about the cruelty
going on behind the industrialized farming of animals like cows and chickens.
The venus was D.Y Patil medical college and it had an attendance of about 120 students.
Many students were so shocked , they couldnt believe that so much cruelty goes on behind just a moment
of sensory gratification while having meat or dairy.
Lots of eeekks and oooh and 'covering the eye' reactions were seen among the students.

Potluck Lunch April 2010

2010-04-13T13:11:00.002+05:30

Another very interactive session on 11th April for Mumbai Vegans! Good food and lots of sharing! Great way to connect to other vegans in the city and learn! Here is the video!

Mumbai Vegans at a Protest...

2010-04-12T13:02:00.002+05:30

On March 28 , a group of activists from animal rights NGO Kranti , organised a protestagainst cruel meat-eating outside Inorbit Mall at Vashi , Navi Mumbai. A group of 13 volunteers came for the protest and we stood there for about 1 hour. We had a long verbal duel with the mall authorities who wanted us to move , but we stood ground and did not move because we were having a peaceful protest.

Contributed by Shashank Dixit!

Natural Sweets

2010-03-31T12:09:00.004+05:30

Sugar free, dairy free sweets. No artificial flavour or colour.

Minimum oil used in these snacks items. They are all roasted.

These items are available at this nice shop in Vile Parle. They do home delivery. They can be contacted on 022 27195075. They do have a website. www.naturalsweet.com Ask them to not to use silver foil in the sweets as you do wan to make sure, you want all vegan sweets. I wrote earlier about them, but no pictures. They also sell nice mukhwas items like Amla, flax seeds coated with lemon juice, methi seeds coated with lemon juice, rose petals in natural thandai podwer etc. The best is all natural.

Mumbai Vegans at the Farmer's Market

2010-03-29T11:34:00.007+05:30

Mumbai vegans spotted at the Farmer's Market at Bandra where all the organic fruits, veggies , grains and other food products were on sale. There are some nice eco-friendly products also for sale. Two Mumbai vegans had their different stalls for Vegan food. These stalls were most crowded with people eating very tasty vegan food! Here are the pictures.

Shonaalii Sabherwal has started Macrobiotic Food Tiffin Service. She is a Mumbai Vegan. She can be contacted at shonaalii@macrobioticsindia.com

Marisa Paolillo who is a Mumbai Vegan, has started catering service of vegan food. It is called as Angel Food. She can be contacted on angelfoodmumbai@gmail.com

Chocolate cake...dairy free, and wheat free!!! Enjoy good food....

Diabetes Workshop 22 March, 2010

2010-03-26T11:49:00.004+05:30

Last Sunday, we had a fully booked workshop on ' Reversing Diabetes' by Dr. Nandita Shah & Dr. Rupa Shah. The participants enjoyed all the information, especially the oil free cooking videos. The testimonials from the participants were truly inspirational! Here are few pictures, and video clips.We received many emails and phone calls next day from participants confirming how enthusiastic they feel about starting a new way of eating and living!

Vegan Cakes, Cupcakes, Breads, Cookies & More!

2010-03-24T12:01:00.006+05:30

All these goodies are available with Mumbai Vegan Ritika Ramesh. Her details are on face book. Click here for more info. She can be contacted on thegreenstove@gmail.com

Best wishes, Ritika.....

Potluck Lunch 14 Feb 2010

2010-02-15T14:52:00.004+05:30

It was a valentine day lunch meeting for Mumbai Vegans. Surely, we should have some nice sweets! There was cake, fruit salad, Mung & Chana Daal kheer in coconut & almond milk,and rice kheer to satisfy our sweet tooth! Apart from that there were two new kinds of patties. One was Kand patties and other was Brinjal patties. Both were zero oil recipe...cannot believe it?? No oil and yet very crunchy, tasty! Poha salad was very nice as we were told by Lakshmi that poha were soaked in coconut milk! This time we let each person explain their recipe fully so that other can also learn. This was followed by lunch, screening of the film 'A delicate Balance'. This was followed by inspiring sharing and discussion about vegan diet, health, animal rights etc. Meetings are indeed best way to stay inspired....

Strawberries with cashew cream

2010-01-29T17:25:00.005+05:30

I love strawberries.These days, we can buy them cheaper as it is the season. In Mumbai, we get from Mahabaleshwar. I love to eat it with cream. So, I made cream from cashews. Take about 12 cashews ( enough for 12 strawberries). No need to soak them. Just grind them fine, add very little water. You can add raw sugar or dates or any other natural sweetener. Now cut your strawberries and add them to this cashew cream. Guests at my home just love it! And they are so surprised to know that it is non-dairy cream, so tasty! Addictive!

Potluck Lunch Jan 2010

2010-01-19T16:37:00.003+05:30

Another Potluck lunch with some new Mumbai Vegans who discovered us through this blog! A lot of variety of food...all vegan and very tasty. The film on Raw food for reversing diabetes was very inspiring to those who are taking steps to reverse their diabetes. No oil cooking demo was just perfect for those who are wishing to reduce oil in their diet.

Vegan shoes

2010-01-15T12:49:00.005+05:30

I got this very comfortable pair of shoes as gift from a friend. They are leather-free. They are usually worn by Jain monks while they are walking on the roads. They usually walk bear foot but sometimes they may use this shoes which are free from any animal parts. I love these. You can buy them at Shubham, Ethnicity at R city-Mall, Ghatkopar. Paying attention to all the products that we use for our comfort...making sure that no animals are harmed in the process.

Contributed by Rupa Shah

Dr. Neal's Presentation

2009-12-21T17:28:00.002+05:30

Here is the video presentation of some the slides that were used by Dr. Neal Barnard during the ' Reversing Diabetes' workshops here in Mumbai or Bangalore.

Greens in green smoothie

2009-12-17T12:38:00.006+05:30

Mustard Leaves

Bathua leaves( Pigweed)Other greens are Spinach( Palak), Chawli ni bhaji or Tandaljo or Amaranth, Ambadi chi bhaji, Mayalu bhaji (Poi)( basella Rubra), Suva ni bhaji (Dill), Methi ni Bhaji ( Fenugreek), Khatti Bhaji( Green sorrel), Lal Bhaji ( Amaranthus tricolour), Mint, Coriander,
Basil or Tulsi leaves, Drumstick leaves ( Shenga chi bhaji) etc. use all these different varieties as available in season. Methi is bitter and ambadi is sour so also dill so use less quantity.

Reversing Diabetes Workshop 29Nove2009

2009-11-30T12:59:00.002+05:30

Dr. Neal Barnard visited Mumbai City with 5 lectures for doctors at various hospitals and a one day workshop on Reversing Diabetes. The workshop was fully booked well in advance. The participants were very eager to learn. The questions coming from the participants were all answered well and we wish to see all of them putting into practise all diet changes and reversing diabetes. Dr. Neal was very inspiring, gentle and clear in his presentation. A very new way of eating and living for diabetics! In future we will surely have more such events. Next weekend is 3 day event by Dr. Neal in Bangalore. Its worth it!

Mumbai Mirror writes on Mumbai Vegans

2009-11-18T19:25:00.003+05:30

This is the photo taken from the newspaper Mumbai Mirror. They carried a story on Mumbai Vegans Harshad Parekh and wife Nayana Parekh. Vegans for last 20 years. They are often present at the Mumbai Vegans potluck lunch meetings. They are very inspiring to all of us here. To read full story about their vegan life, click here. They both make very good vegan food!

Potluck Lunch Nove2009

2009-11-16T20:44:00.002+05:30

So, here is the video of the pictures taken at this inspiring afternoon!

Puppy rescued from Mumbai roads

2009-11-13T12:35:00.009+05:30

Meghna was just returning home from work in a rickshaw. At the signal, she saw something black moving on the side of the roads. Crows were eating something, black looking. She wondered what it was. The rickshaw went ahead. She asked Rickshaw driver, what it was? He said, crows were actually eating puppies who were just born. She was so shocked by this. She asked the Rickshaw driver to turn back and take her to the spot. There were probably three puppies. But of two , only body parts remained. The third one was also in the process of being eaten, with tail part already gone, bleeding, almost dead! She picked up this one and brought her home. She took her to the Vet doctor...full nurturing & tender loving care.... and puppy opened her eyes after many days! She was so tiny, fitted in Meghna's palms!

Now....the attachment is too strong....here is the picture! Puppy is alive, full of joy and life!

Meghna is a Mumbai Vegan who is very actively involved in helping organic farmers and making efforts to bring organic food to city dwellers.

Being Vegan means being sensitive to animals....as living beings who have the same right to live as us. Do not participate in any activities that hurts an animal.

Green 'Red' Smoothie

2009-10-28T12:57:00.005+05:30

Pomegranate
Red Amaranthus or also called as Lal Bhaji.
Everything in Mixture

Green smoothie but in red colour. Nice taste. For a change, we got red colour drink instead of the usual green colour! Enjoy!

Rupa Shah.

Ground nut yogurt

2009-10-23T16:40:00.004+05:30

I am able to make very nice, thick ground nut milk yogurt at home. For this we need to soak ground nuts for about 8 hours in water. After this, throw away the water used for soaking. Now take fresh water. For a fist full of ground nuts, about a glass of water (300ml) is sufficient. Now, use the electric mixture to make milk. Strain it. Boil this milk while stirring often for about 5 to 6 minutes. Cool almost. Use the yogurt starter. Thick yogurt will be ready in 6 to 12 hours depending on the climatic conditions.
This yogurt can be used for making tasty curd rice, buttermilk, curry ( Kadhi) or raita or salad dressing. I also use it for fermentation of Dhokla or Handvo. You can also use it in making dough for Parathas or Naan for softer outcome.
Recipe by Dr. Rupa Shah

Happy, Healthy Diwali!

2009-10-20T12:27:00.004+05:30

Diwali is festival of Lights, sounds, sweets and fun! We vegans choose to eat sweets which are dairy free of course. Nandita discovered a sweet shop in Mumbai selling only diary free sweets! Free from any artificial flavour and colour and of course, white sugar! It is called as Natural Sweets. Call them on 26195075-3890 at Vile Parle. Make sure you tell them that you don't want any sliver foil covering on any of your sweets. They deliver at home also.

Enjoy Diwali! And stay healthy!

Potluck Lunch October 2009

2009-10-08T19:44:00.002+05:30

The lunch meeting was well attended. The demonstration of pasta in white vegan sauce was perfect! For those who l0ve peanut butter, Dr. Nandita showed how to make it at home in just few minutes, tasting fresh! Dr. Rupa Shah showed one more variety of green smoothie, inspiring everyone to include greens in their diet! Lunch items brought by everyone was superb! Words cannot describe it, pictures can only tell some. I will be updating some of the recipes here soon! Do join us again in the next potluck lunch!

Green For Life

2009-10-05T15:16:00.004+05:30

I just finished reading this very inspiring book by Victoria Boutenko. She has written this book in a very simple English, very easy to understand. The book covers her journey to search for a healthy raw vegan diet that is very easy & tasty. She has written about chlorophyll, acid balance in the stomach, what is the diet of chimpanzee, what is missing in our diet, how to prepare green smoothies etc. The book is in our library. 'Green smoothie addicts', this is a must read! I have been personally very much benefit ted by drinking daily green smoothie daily. Victoria does not insist now on just raw diet, but more on the benefits of green smoothies in our diet. The book contains very inspiring testimonials also. It is a small book, you can finish in two days or so. But, you may take time to digest the info contained in the book!

Contributed by Rupa Shah

Picture video September 2009 workshop

2009-09-18T12:07:00.003+05:30

This was a very successful workshop here in Mumbai. A life changing experience for all. As usual, very tasty food, all vegan of course!

Video clip of last workshop in Mumbai

2009-09-18T11:46:00.002+05:30

STHITAprajna- Vegan Life Centre

2009-08-22T19:30:00.002+05:30

STHITAprajna, is a vegan community located close to the Western Coast of South India in the state of Karnataka, on the footsteps of Western Ghats, a world hot spot of bio-diversity. STHITAprajna is spread over about 3 acres of vibrant nature along a seasonal natural stream. Nearest airport is Mangalore (140 kms) and the Railway Station is Byndoor (10 kms). STHITAprajna is an associate of Indian Vegan Society and International Vegetarian Union (www.ivu.org) and slated to open on World Vegan Day on 1st November, 2009. An International Vegan Centre for Yoga, Meditation, Relaxation and Rejuvenation.
P.O.Box-17, BYNDOOR, Kundapur Taluk, Udupi Dist., Karnataka, India.
Ph: 93411 28767 Email: indianvegansociety@rediffmail.com

INAUGURATION PROGRAM
1st November, 2009 – World Vegan Day.
A 5 day event is planned to mark the opening from Oct.30 to Nov.3, 2009.
Cheers!

Red Rice Poha Salad

2009-07-28T17:16:00.000+05:30

Red Rice Poha Salad
Wash the red rice poha. Add small chopped vegetables of your choice – I used tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, capsicum, purple cabbage, finely chopped corriander, grated fresh coconut.Flavour with salt (or black salt), lemon juice, grated ginger, minced chillies.If desired temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing (asafoetida)Mix, taste and adjust the ingredients and serve.
Recipe by Dr. Nandita Shah

Dr. Lorraine Day's ten rules for health

2009-07-16T12:32:00.003+05:30

Dr. Lorraine Day is an orthopaedic surgeon. Ten rules are the essence of Dr Lorraine Day’s technique of reversing her breast cancer with no medicines or surgery.Our body is meant to heal according to nature and all the necessities for healing are free except food.
Here are the ten rules to follow in our life.
1.Eat organic vegan diet
2.Exercise
3.Drink plenty of water
4.Outdoor air
5.Direct sunshine
6.Rest
7.Forgiveness and no Resentment
8.Trust in God
9.Attitude of gratitude
10.Benevolence
Her website is http://www.drday.com/. Here you will be able to read more about her life, books and videos.

Update on Potluck lunch July2009

2009-07-13T11:28:00.006+05:30

Another very inspiring meeting for all the participants! Dr. Nandita Shah was present for this meeting. The meeting started with a cooking demo by Mrs. Lakshmi Giriraj. She showed us the entire procedure for the Coconut Kheer. She showed us the exact measurements for all the ingredients, cooking time and also the way to make almond milk and coconut milk. This was followed by the demo of how to make Green smoothie by Dr. Rupa Shah. This was a very simple but tasty and healthy raw recipe. Everyone got to taste the green smoothie made from Banana, Papaya, coriander and spinach leaves. Sure it was all dark green colour, full of fibre and very tasty. This was followed by lunch. All the participants brought very yummy dishes. After lunch, Dr. Nandita showed Dr. Lorraine Day's video. The video was so inspiring that many people were just in awe of the whole presentation! This was followed by a small talk by Vishal Bhardwaj, who is eating a lot of raw food and has helped himself of ill health. There were many interesting questions Vishal had to answer....a good inspiration for many of us who are thinking of increasing raw food in diet. Library project is taking off soon. We will keep you updated on this. Here are some pictures of the food....in small video film. I could not take all the pictures, as I was busy with the Green Smoothie demo.

Tofu made at home!

2009-07-01T12:54:00.002+05:30

Here is the picture of Tofu I made at home from Soy Milk. I wanted to see, how easy it is to make at home. First I made soy milk as usual at home. I boiled it for 20 minutes. Towards the end, I added 1 cup of Soy Yogurt to the milk, and let it continue to boil. Soon, in just two minutes, Tofu separated from the milk. I strained it. Only clear water was left behind. To this strained Tofu, I put weight on the top for 30 minutes. Now it is a bit firm and ready to make pieces. I can refrigerate the pieces like any other Tofu that we get in the market. or I can make Tofu Paratha or may be Tofu cutlet! Tofu is a very good replacement for Paneer made from dairy.
Contributed by Rupa Shah

Healthy Juices - Book

2009-06-30T18:42:00.003+05:30

I purchased this nice, little book on Healthy juices by Tarla Dalal. It contains very good juice recipes. All juices are totally sugar, salt free. And of course, dairy-free. I like to keep making new juices every now & then. The book costs only Rs. 89. It is available at many stores across India. Also on her website called as www.tarladalal.com It says ' Drink your ways to good health'. Juices are divided into various sections like Power juices, Cleansing juices,Vitality juices, Healing juices and Fresh & fruity. Nice pictures tempt us to try making juices at home. It doesn't cost much. It is so fast to make some. The presentation is very good, appealing to mind and taste buds. A glassful of health! This book is a great gift for Birthdays...what do you say friends?

The China Study - Book

2009-06-30T16:16:00.003+05:30

THE CHINA STUDY is written by T. Colin Campbell & Thomas Campbell. I read this very ground breaking book on Nutrition. Nandita gave me this book during her last visit to the city. I read few pages every night. Took awhile to complete the book. But each page has something to think & 'digest'! Each such book does change out mindset forever. For all those who want to know more about what Dr. Nandita teaches about diet & health, this book will be worth reading. I got the copy. It will be added to our library here in Mumbai. I recommend all of you to take out time to read this book.

Peanut-Dates balls ( laddus)

2009-05-01T12:54:00.008+05:30

Here is a very simple recipe of Laddus.

Ingredients: Peanuts, lightly roasted. Dates ( remove seeds). Proportion of peanuts to dates is 1:2.

Method: In a dry grinder jar of mixture / food processor, first crush peanuts. Do not crust very fine. Leave it coarse. Now add dates, once again mix in the the jar. The mixture will look like, as shown in the picture. Now make balls with hand. You laddus are ready to eat. Not need to refrigerate.. Eat anytime you have sweet craving. This is sugar free.

Recipe by Rupa Shah

Green Smoothies - My daily dose!

2009-04-30T15:11:00.004+05:30

I love to drink at least one green smoothy every day. Here is what I made today for myself.

I had one frozen banana, few pieces of frozen papaya and five leaves of Chinese cabbage. You can see all these in the picture here. At the bottom - banana pieces, then papaya, and finally leaves chopped. I made the smoothy out of this. It tastes so good, particularly in the summer time when it is so hot outside. Very easy to make, takes just few minutes, looks great, tastes divine and is very healthy food! The proportion of fruit to green leaves is 60:40 for best results. Keep combination simple. Take just one type of green leaves and one or two fruits. Everyone loves this, particularly children just freak out on this.Enjoy.

Written by Rupa Shah

Oat Biryani

2009-04-28T16:17:00.002+05:30

Oats Biryani:
By Saroj Choudhury
Ingredients:
Organic Cracked Oats
6 Cloves Garlic
1 Spring Onion
2 Deseeded Large Tomatoes
1 Small Cavliflower's Florets
3 Carrots Chopped Med
100 gm beans chopped med
1/2 bunch of corriander leaves finely chopped
Salt, Turmeric Powder
Method:
Soak Oat for 2 hrs.
Cook in pressure cooker with 1/2 ltr water.
In cold pressed or olive oil saute all above mentioned veggies.
Add salt, turmeric powder.
Add semi cooked cracked oat.
Cook for 20 mintutes on low flame.

RAW SPROUT SALAD

2009-04-28T12:18:00.002+05:30

RAW SPROUT SALAD
By Diana Mahimwala
Mix together raw moong sprouts, chopped capsicum, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, chopped coriander leaves, raw mango chopped, (or lime juice) and add either sesame seed powder or flax seed powder or raw grated coconut for flavouring.

Mango-Coconut Salad Dressing/Chutney:

2009-04-27T14:27:00.003+05:30

Mango-Coconut Salad Dressing/Chutney:
(Dressing shown in the white bowl next to the salad bowl.)
By Nayana Parekh
1 - Ripe Mango - Skinned and Cubed
1/2 - Raw Green Mango (Small) - Skinned and Shredded
1/2 cup - Fresh chopped Coriander Leaves (Dhania Leaves)
2 Tbs - Jalapeño Peppers with vinegar (Or Substitute with green chili and lemon juice)
1/2 cup - Fresh shredded Coconut
1/2 cup - Coconut Milk/Cream
Sea Salt - As per taste

Mix first all 5 ingredients and blend it thoroughly till smooth. Add appropriate quantity coconut milk and stir well to achieve desired consistency for salad dressing or chutney. And add sea salt to taste.

Coconut - Beet - Carrot Sweet:

2009-04-27T14:19:00.002+05:30

Coconut - Beet - Carrot Sweet:
By Nayana Parekh

1 cup - Finely minced fresh Coconut
1 cup - Finely minced fresh Beet
1 cup - Finely minced fresh Carrots
1 1/2 - Broun Sugar (Evaporated Cane Juice)
1/4 cup - Golden Raisin
1/4 tsp - Cardamom Powder
1 Tbs - Slivered Almonds and Pistachio for garnishing

Heat the pan and add finely minced Coconut and stir medium heat for 5 minutes. Add finely minced Beet and finely minced Carrots and mixed well by stirring continuously for 5 minutes or till cooked. Add raisin and brown sugar (Or any other sweetener) and cooked thoroughly. After sugar dissolves add cardamom powder and mixed well. Take pan away from heat and spread in a pan to let it cool. Cut in to small square pieces. Garnish with Slivered Almonds and Pistachio before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Corn Bhel

2009-04-22T16:52:00.003+05:30

Corn Bhel: Recipe by Diana Mahimwala
Raw vegan salad

Mix together yellow corn, chopped capsicum, chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander, with a dash of lime juice and salt & sprinkle some roasted & powdered flax seeds on it and enjoy its delicious taste.
You could also add soy tofu pieces if desired.

Potluck Lunch 19th April, 2009

2009-04-20T12:41:00.004+05:30

One more potluck lunch with very tasty food. The sharing session was very inspiring to new comers to give vegan lifestyle a try. Recipes of the food items will be posted soon! Enjoy watching the video.

Baked Vegetables

2009-04-06T15:40:00.003+05:30

Baked Vegetables with cashew paste

contributed by Saroj Choudhury

2 steamed mashed potatoes with pinch of salt & pepper.

40 cashews soaked for 6 hours, then ground to paste.

Broccoli chopped & sauted in cold pressed or olive oil

Zucchini chopped & sauted in cold pressed or olive oil

Carrot chopped & sauted in cold pressed or olive oil

Beans chopped & sauted in cold pressed or olive oil

4 Baked deseeded tomatoes pureed with 2 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, jaggery and few basil leaves.

White sauce to prepare with cashew paste, soya milk and a pinch of oat flour,

Potato mixed with 2 tea spoon cashew paste & water,salt, pepper in a mixture to make a cream.

In a transparent bowl, spread one layer of mashed potatoes.

Vegetables mixed with white sauce as second layer.

Third layer will of of tomoto puree.

Fourth layer will be of cashew potato cream.

Bake for about 5 to 7 minutes.

garnish with tomato & capsicum.

Potato & Sweet Potato Vegetables

2009-04-03T12:42:00.001+05:30

Slow cooked potatoes and sweet potatoes:
Contributed by Nandita Shah
Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes without peeling into small cubes about 1 cm square or a little more. Put a tiny bit of olive oil in a thick bottomed pan and put the potatoes and sweet potatoes to cook. Cover and put on a slow flame. Open and stir occasionally. When the vegetables are almost done, add salt and rosemarine (dry or fresh) and stir once again. Allow it to cook for a few more minutes and serve. Drizzle with olive oil just before serving if desired.

Nachani Sweet

2009-04-01T11:35:00.005+05:30

Everyone was very surprised to see a very tasty sweet made from Nachani. Atul Sukhthankar brought this. He made this at home. Thanks for sharing the recipe here for all of us.

Here is the recipe for the "Nachani Sweet".

Ingredients:
250 gms nachani (whole)
250 gms jaggery
half fresh coconut
half a cup of dry fruits, such as walnuts, cashew and almonds, cut into small bits.
2-3 cardamom
pinch of salt (optional)

Method:
Soak nachani in water for 6-7 hrs
Grind the soaked nachani in mixer.
Squeeze the nachani in a sieve after grinding
(Repeat grinding and squeezing the nachani 6-7 times, each time adding a little water to the nachani before grinding in the mixer. Allow the collected milk of nachani to settle down for an hour and a half for the milk and the water contents to separate.)
Drain the contents of water ( which is the transparent layer on the top)
Grind the coconut and cardamom in the mixer and squeeze, sieve the milk

Preparation:
Now add the sieved cardamom-flavoured coconut milk, jaggery, dry fruits and salt to the nachani milk and stir in a kadhai for all the ingredients to mix thoroughly. Also keep a plate or vessel ready in which you wish to pour the mixture. Oil this plate or vessel with some compressed oil etc, so that the ingredients do not stick once poured into it.
Keep the mixture on the stove, keep stirring till the mixture thickens
Pour the hot, thickened mixture in the oiled plate or vessel.
Quickly pat it in shape with a katori or plate oiled from outside.
Allow the mixture to cool in room temperature before stashing it in the fridge.
After cooling in fridge for an hour and half, cut the sweet in the shapes of your choice.
Eat it...and enjoy that blissful feeling!!

(N.B. Nachani is very cooling and, as such, ideal for consumption during summers. Nachani also has a high nutri-value...as it has a high percentages of iron and calcium.)

CAULIFLOWER IN COCONUT MILK

2009-03-31T12:43:00.004+05:30

Recipe Contributed by Daina Mahimwala

Ingredients:

½ kg cauliflower cut into large florets

2 onions cut long

1 tsp ginger & garlic paste

1 tsp dhania powder

½ tsp jeera powder

Bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

1 dried red chilly

1 cup coconut milk

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

* Put the onions in a pan on slow fire.

* Cover the pan for a while and allow onions to soften by adding a tbs of water at

a time.

* Then add ginger garlic paste & continue to cook in water.

* Add the rest of the ingredients except dhania & jeera and cook on slow fire till

florets are semi cooked. (While doing this cover the pan & put water on top of

pan so that the ingredients don’t stick to the pan).

* Add dhania & jeera and cook till ready.

* Garnish with coriander leaves.

RICE COCONUT PAYASAM (Kheer)

2009-03-28T17:12:00.002+05:30

RECIPE OF RICE COCONUT PAYASAM(Kheer): (Lakshmi Giriraj)
Ingredients:
- 125 grams rice (rice used was brown, organic, ambe mor variety.
- Half a litre water
-three cups coconut milk
-two tablespoons of grated coconut
-Hundred grams jaggery (or as per desired sweetness)
-1/2 cardomom, powdered
-half cup almond milk
Method:
Soak rice for two hours. Drain rice and grind with half cup water. Ground rice should be as coarse as suji and not be a paste. Then add grated coconut to rice while grinding.
Add half a litre of cold water to the ground rice. Place it in a vessel and cook on a slow flame, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Keep it for about half an hour or till the rice is cooked. Add jaggery after rice is cooked and is of porridge consistency. Turn off the flame. Add coconut milk, cardomon and almond milk. Stir for uniform mixture. Add a few chopped cashewnuts if desired.
Serves: 6-8 people

Potluck Lunch 22nd March, 2009

2009-03-23T12:17:00.007+05:30

One more potluck lunch with more mouth watering food, inspiring DVD and sharing session. About 40 people participated in this event. Dr. Nandita Shah showed the DVD of the talk by Raw food practitioner, Victoria Boutenko. Every one loved her style of talking to the audience. Her website is http://www.rawfamily.com. She wrote the famous book, Green For Life. The food brought by every one was very tasty. We are sure that new comers will be very inspired to start eating healthy! Here are the pictures of the event. Enjoy!

Workshop on 15th March, 2009

2009-03-21T18:25:00.003+05:30

The Peas vs Pills workshop in Mumbai on 15th March. Participants were very interested in all the information for healthy diet. The food was very nice. Questions & answers session was also interesting. Inspiration to start following the new ways of eating was very much visible. Looks like we will see many of them be part of Mumbai Vegans.

Doctors Listen in Mumbai

2009-03-21T13:05:00.007+05:30

City Doctors listen to Dr. Nandita Shah. The talk was at the Nanavati Hospital and one more at the HN Hospital. Doctors did get into thinking about what is healthy diet? Can the diseases that they are treating on daily basis be reversed just by changing one's diet, was the big question in their mind. Some of them were very alarmed by the facts of dairy in diet. Can we help our patients this simply? We always thought milk was good for health...etc.

Inner Wheel lecture

2009-03-11T11:46:00.004+05:30

Dr. Nandita Shah did a free talk at the Times of India Building, CST in Mumbai. More than 80 people attended this talk. 'Eat more, Weigh less' was the topic of the talk. The questions & answer session after the talk was very exciting as that talk stimulated every one's mind about the concept of healthy diet and reversal of obesity. There are two more such talks she is doing this month at various hospitals for doctors in the city.

Calcium Info

2009-02-20T19:14:00.003+05:30

Listen to Dr. Nandita Shah at the Peas vs Pills workshop on Calcium.The next workshop in Mumbai is on 15th March, 2009.

Sesame Seeds

2009-02-19T11:46:00.003+05:30

Here is the picture of Sesame Seeds. Come winter,and we all eat chikkis made from Sesame Seeds. Eat sesame seeds daily. Chew well. This also strengthens teeth.
The seeds are rich in manganese, copper, and calcium (90 mg per tablespoon for unhulled seeds, 10 mg for hulled), and contain vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin E (tocopherol).They contain lignans, including unique content of sesamin, which are phytoestrogens with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Among edible oils from six plants, sesame oil had the highest antioxidant content. Sesame seeds also contain phytosterols associated with reduced levels of blood cholesterol, but do not contain caffeine.

Flax seeds

2009-02-10T17:17:00.003+05:30

Here is the picture of flax seeds. These are roasted. They are crunchy. We can eat after meal like Mukhvas or otherwise. These seeds are avaialble in any Chedda store in Mumbai. Flax seeds are rich source of Omega -3 fatty acids. They are high in fiber. They are high in phytochemicals including many antioxidants. Flax seed is high in most of the B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese. One hundred grams of ground flax seed supplies about 450 kilo-calories, 41 grams of fat, 28 grams of fiber, and 20 grams of protein.
One tablespoon of ground flax seeds and three tablespoons of water may serve as a replacement for one egg in baking by binding the other ingredients together. Ground flax seeds can also be mixed in with oatmeal or any other food item where a nutty flavour is appropriate.
So do bring home some flax seeds!

Mini Sub

2009-02-07T11:48:00.003+05:30

Mini Sub By Saroj Choudhury

1.Whole Wheat Pao pieces
2.Tomato sauce ( Homemade)
3.Olive tapanade
4.Tomato slices
5.Zucchini Slices
6.Very little onion pieces
7. Lettuce
8. Salt & Pepper

Slit Pao pieces from one side only.
Tomato sauce to spread on pao.
Tapanade to spread over it.
Lettuce leaf to keep.
Tomato, Zucchini, Onion slices over it.
Sprinkle seasoning on top.

Animal Milk - do we need it?

2009-01-29T18:44:00.003+05:30

We vegans don't drink any animal milk neither we use any milk products made from the same.
Yesterday, I was at a small gathering of women, talking to them about milk. Here are some of my thoughts. When a woman is pregnant, her doctor gives her all the instructions about what she should avoid in food and what should be her lifestyle. She is advised to stop smoking, avoid alcohol, eat healthy food and take allopathic medicines only after consulting doctor, or avoid all together. When a woman is lactating, and feeding her baby, again the same set of instructions. Her milk does carry all the antibiotics, hormones, etc. and her baby will get affected by that.
When a glass of animal milk is on our table, why don't we ask the same questions? Surely, this milk does carry ALL that the female buffalo or cow has eaten, or the hormones she is injected with or the antibiotics she is given.
I was a proud vegetarian earlier. I ate mostly organic. I mostly avoided all junk food, processed food. I got organic wheat directly from the farmer, got wheat flour made at home. I rarely ever took allopathic medicines in last 25 years. I used safer cosmetics. BUT, I completely missed the Animal Milk part in my life. Now that I have stopped, I am amazed at the changes that have taken place in me. Most people noticed, I have lost weight. I look more radiant on my face. I personally feel very energetic. I have less aches & pains. No more migraines. Body in general feels lighter. I feel mentally calm & peaceful. And all these...by just stopping ALL animal milk products.
Milk that I took earlier, had exposed me to hormones, pesticides and the antibiotics which I consciously avoided all these years.
So, friends, watch out that glass of animal milk...it is not ALL that good, that we thought about it!
Here is the website and the link for those who wish to know more about animal milk and its bad effects on our health. This is by Mr. Robert Cohen.
http://www.notmilk.com/
There is a nice article you can read about 52 good reasons to abandon milk and dairy! Click here to read it! http://www.notmilk.com/52reas
Contributed by Dr. Rupa Shah

Tricolour Brown Rice with Veggies

2009-01-26T16:55:00.006+05:30

Tricolour Brown Rice with Veggies by Saroj Choudhury

Kerala brown rice

Steam potatoes, mashed, mixed with rock salt & fresh pepper

Spinach bolied & made to paste

Tomoto puree

Broccoli, Carrot, Zuccini, Beans, Red Pepper, Yellow Pepper, Basil, Garlic, Jaggary.

To boil rice ( Soaked for an hour). In transparent bowl, put one layer of potato. Spread one portion of rice. all choopped & sauteed vegetables with salt & pepper to spread one layer above rice. Spinach paste to mix with one portion of rice and spread above the veggies. Tomato paste with garlic, basil, salt, pepper, jaggary over it. Team potato cream on the top.

Bake for 5 minutes.

Peas Vs Pills Workshop Audio Clip

2009-01-24T17:20:00.005+05:30

Listen to the beginning of the workshop. It is a one day event.

Banana Sweet

2009-01-23T13:24:00.006+05:30

Banana Sweet Recipe by Rupa Shah & Ashish Mehta

This recipe was loved by all. It is the simplest of the recipes. Chop some ripe bananas in rounds. Sprinkle dry fruit powder ( Made from Almonds, Cashews,Walnuts, Pistachio etc.). Sprinkle natural, chemical free sugar on the top. Tastes nice. It is also Raw Vegan Recipe.

Veg Gratin

2009-01-21T19:09:00.009+05:30

Veg Gratin recipe by Rajshree Malani

mix vegetables (carrot,capsicum,beans,peas,corn,baby corn,broccoli)

flour 1tbsp

soy milk 1/2 litre

salt, pepper, green chilly,vegan cheese sliced, tomatoes, coriander.

In a pan add veges and salt and bit water. Let it get cooked till done. Don't overcook. No water should be there. In another pan roast flour and then add milk. Stir continuously till little thick. Add veges, salt and pepper. Add chillies finely chopped. If too thick after mixing veges than add more soy milk. Then in a bake dish pour the mix and spread vegan cheese on top. Bake till cheese is brown at 175deg c. Garnish with slice tomatoes and coriander.

VEGAN CHEESE SPREAD:
This recipe makes a healthy cholesterol free cheese which tastes amazingly like cheese. It needs to be made before hand as it takes 2 days to get the mature cheese.

* ½ cup wheat berries (wheat grains that have not been milled)

* 1 cup whole or broken raw cashews

* Salt, pepper and herbs to taste

METHOD:Wash the wheat berries and soak them in a jar in 1 cup drinking water. Leave this jar open for 24 hours in a cupboard or keep it lightly covered. In case of very cold temperatures it could be left a little longer. The water will turn a little yellowish or serum colored and will have a sweet fermented smell after 24 hours. (This is called Rejeuvelac and is supposed to be a very healthy drink, which you can make and drink everyday.) Pour this rejeuvelac into a glass. If desired another cup of water make be added to the wheat berries to produce more rejeuvelac after another 24 hours. It can be drunk or used to make still more cheese. After 2 such uses the wheat berries are usually thrown away.Grind the raw cashews to form a powder (it does not need to be absolutely fine) and then put this into a jar, which has at least twice the volume of the cashews. Pour Rejeuvelac over the cashews so that they are covered with it. There may be some extra rejeuvelac, which can be drunk or thrown away. The whole mixture will now ferment and grow so if the jar is too small it can overflow. Do not over the jar or cover lightly.After about 6 – 8 hours the cheese is ready. Add salt, pepper and herbs or other seasonings.Serve.

Organic Chinese Cabbage

2009-01-21T12:24:00.005+05:30

After the meeting on the 18th Jan, 2009, Sheila & Vijay gifted all of us with organic chinese cabbage from her farm! Thank you! We are eating it, and we are drinking juice made from the same! One juice made with mixture of tomato & cabbage.
Here are the pictures:

Potluck Lunch on 18th Jan, 2009

2009-01-19T13:22:00.005+05:30

Those who were present for the lunch, enjoyed sharing good food & inspiring conversation at the table. The good food recipes brought by the participants show, how very good looking, good smelling, nutritious, tasty vegan food is prepared...everyone is looking forward to more such lunches!

Soy Coffee

2009-01-15T17:47:00.002+05:30

I tried making coffee from soybeans. I soaked soybeans overnight. Next day, drained all the water. Use a tawa / flat pan to roast the beans on a very low heat. Took almost 90 minutes to get brown colour. We have to make sure, it is coffee brown colour, and not black or burnt. It can be also done in an oven. May take up to 4 hours, at 140 C or 300 F. I haven't tried it. Then cool and make powder. Use 1 or 2 tablespoon of this powder per one cup of water. Simmer, but not boil, gently for 5 minutes. Add soy milk. Sugar as required.
Taste like coffee but it is caffeine free. For some of us who still crave coffee taste and love aroma of coffee!

Dr. Rupa Shah