FOODIE SPECIAL..... Deceptively Vegan

Deceptively Vegan

Oh that tartine! Driven by animal compassion, I turned vegan in 2011 and I’ve never had to compromise or starve. The creamy and nutty combination of toppings on Le Pain Quotidien’s open toasted Omega 3 Tartine is irresistible just like the ones I ate in New York and London. With raw avocados lending the buttery bite, toppings of goji berries and sesame seeds, and seasoning of cumin and salt, you’re guilt free as it’s also healthy. —Anand Siva Heavenly, cheesy, very Italian When I turned vegan, on realising every animal’s right to be free and not be exploited for human greed and convenience, someone suggested Birdsong Cafe’s Penne Pasta in Walnut Sauce. Served in a rustic big bowl, this creamy, medium-spiced, brown pasta looks mouth watering with mushroom, zucchini, broccoli and bell peppers. The best part? Its cheesy (probably made of cashew milk). Better than normal pasta, it’s heavenly. —Brinda Poojary Dark delights A third time vegan, my first tryst with it was 24 years ago—the milk I was drinking was causing colic for my kid. But now, I’m also ethically vegan and don’t use animal products. Whenever I crave cake, I have The Village Shop’s Dark Chocolate Cake. It reminds me of the yummy ones from Taj. Pure chocolate! Rich, soft and moussey with many layers of sponge and a thick, top layer of ganache. You can’t tell they’ve used cashew cream. They use raw sugar, it’s healthier. —Mayavi Khandelwal Curd, chats & more 24 years ago, minor health issues drew me to veganism. But as a foodie, my taste buds must be satisfied! While I was in New York, I relished Haagen Dazs ice creams, so turning vegan meant missing variety, but now all flavours come vegan. I love ice creams of My Pure Path and Vegan Bites, coconut based or chocolate with nuts. Made with almond milk and unprocessed sugar, they are smooth and deliciously light. My Pure Path also has amazing vegan pizzas, cheesy dips, dahi batata puri and bhel. —Heena Jhaveri The sorbet queens I turned vegan in 2009 on learning about cruel practices in. I don’t remember much of what I ate then, but definitely anything that had chocolate in it. I’ve tried vegan ice creams all over the world. The best is Bombay Salad Co.’s decadent, Dark Chocolate Sorbet; it’s unlike any other I’ve had eaten before and is almost a meal in itself. Honestly, I find no difference between this vegan sorbet and the regular ones. Amore’s is also good and so are ice creams of Vegan Bites in Lower Parel. —Rithika Ramesh Slices of goodness An admirer of Maneka Gandhi’s work for animals and truths she exposed about the dairy industry, the oxytocin injections given to cows...on her show ‘Heads and Tails’ greatly influenced me. I’ve been vegan for 17 years. Friends love my tofu pakoras and vegan cupcakes, but for me indulgence is My Pure Path’s four inch, jowar-baed, vegan cheese pizza laden with tomato puree, pumpkin, carrots and fresh herbs. And french unfries (baked, and optional).Yum. —Neetu Jindal

DNA 5JUN16