Meet my beautiful new friend Vidhi whom I met through the Vegan community in Bali!
She is from Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) and is married to Ritwik who is also vegan and from Kolkata. The two of them ran a Vegan restaurant and currently live as Digital Nomads travelling the world and work in Architecture.
Q: When did you first go Vegan?
A: January 1, 2018
Q: What happened, what was the reason you chose to go Vegan?
A: I was always Vegetarian. So the principles of Ahimsa and non-violence were always there but I had no idea about the cruelty involved in the dairy industry. Once I learnt about that from my then colleague and now husband, it was a no brainer for me. I had to stop having dairy.
Q: Did you go Vegan by yourself or did you know others?
A: Only person I knew was Ritwik - my colleague/friend back then and now husband
Q: How did you feel when you made the decision to go Vegan?
A: I was lucky enough to have Ritwik who was already vegan for around 18 months by then. So, it was really easy for me. Also, my mom was really supportive and really got into figuring out dairy substitutes and would cook separately for me using them.
Q: What was or has been the most challenging part?
A: The most challenging part is always social gatherings, where everyone is eating something not vegan in front of you and all you are having is fries... haha
Q: What 3 words best describe how you felt?
A: Guilt-Free, Purpose-Driven, Liberated
Q: What was the hardest food for you to 'give up'?
A: Cheese. But for me it was not a slow journey. January 1st 2018, I gave up all dairy products. I was supposed to do it for a month - Veganuary 2018 - but I never looked back after that!
Q: Are there any foods or products that you are available now that you wished existed back then?
A: Cheese. But for me it was not a slow journey. January 1st 2018, I gave up all dairy products. I was supposed to do it for a month - Veganuary 2018 - but I never looked back after that!
Q: Are there any foods or products that you are available now that you wished existed back then?
A: Back then in Bombay there was no Vegan butter/cheese available as a retail product. Thats why we started figuring out how to make all of that ourselves which eventually led to start of Bombay's first fully Vegan restaurant - Imagine Cafe. Ritwik and I ran it for 4 years.
Q: What do you find the most challenging about being around non vegan people?
A: As long as they are not mocking my choice to be vegan, I am ok and don't have any problems. But if they start going down the path where they don't respect or support my choice is when it becomes challenging. But luckily enough my family and friends been quite supportive.
Q: What's it like being Vegan in India?
A: India has a huge Vegetarian community. Vegetarian in India means no egg as well. But Veganism is not that popular yet. Of course, there is a vegan community, but it is quite small if you compare it to the population of the city. But traditionally a lot of the Indian vegetarian food is vegan. So its quite easy to get vegan food in India.
A: As long as they are not mocking my choice to be vegan, I am ok and don't have any problems. But if they start going down the path where they don't respect or support my choice is when it becomes challenging. But luckily enough my family and friends been quite supportive.
Q: What's it like being Vegan in India?
A: India has a huge Vegetarian community. Vegetarian in India means no egg as well. But Veganism is not that popular yet. Of course, there is a vegan community, but it is quite small if you compare it to the population of the city. But traditionally a lot of the Indian vegetarian food is vegan. So its quite easy to get vegan food in India.
At the most you have to tell them, don't top it with butter or ghee.
Q: What would you say has changed the most in terms of Veganism over the course of your journey?
A: From no vegan meat and dairy substitutes being available in the shops in Bombay to now multiple brands selling mockmeats, vegan cheese, vegan milks, vegan curd, vegan butter etc. its feels that things are changing very fast and in the right direction.
Q: What's your favourite food or what do you eat the most?
A: Indian style tofu scramble - Tofu Bhurji
A: Indian style tofu scramble - Tofu Bhurji
A: Being from India, silk is a big part of ourHa traditional clothes. For our wedding, it was a big challenge to find traditional Indian sarees and lehengas that were made from vegan silk which looked and felt like silk but were not from silkworms
Q: What are your favourite Vegan Brands/Products?
A: Beyond Sausage, Plum face wash and body wash, Angel food cream cheese
Q: What's the most vegan friend place you've ever visited?
A: Bali, Berlin
Q: What's your go to Vegan thing that you share?
A: Currently our own YouTube channel: Imagine everything vegan
A: Currently our own YouTube channel: Imagine everything vegan
A: For the Animals
Make sure to follow Vidhi's journey @vidhi228 and subscribe to her and Ritwik's YouTube channel!
