Taking a leaf out of the book of the King from Alice in Wonderland, we’d better begin at the beginning. The term ‘Vegan’, which has become one of the most polarizing in our modern culinary lexicon, was first mentioned in 1944 by a small group of militant vegetarians, who broke away from the Leicester Vegetarian Society in England to form the Vegan Society. The word itself was coined by combining the first and last letters of “vegetarian.”
Its members, not content to restrict only meat from their diets, decided to refrain from the consumption of dairy, eggs, or any other products of animal origin. Today, veganism has more come to be defined as a way of living that attempts to cut out all forms of animal exploitation and or cruelty, be it from food, or clothing. And there are a variety of vegan lifestyles to choose from including: Whole-food vegans (who stick to a diet of whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds); Raw-food vegans (who only eat foods that are raw or cooked at temperatures below 48°C; and fruitarians (who avoid fat-rich foods such as nuts, and stick to mostly fruits, supplemented with plants), among others. There are even junk-food vegans, who pig out on processed vegan food, such as fries, pizza, and desserts, including cookies and non-dairy ice cream.
While many Indian cuisines are vegan by default, there are those who miss Asian, Continental and other cuisines and so we have rounded up some Delhi diners with more international vegan options
- Burma Burma, multiple outlets: This Burmese fine dine chain is all vegan, all the time. Specialising in traditional cuisines from the formerly Buddhist kingdom of Myanmar, the vegetarian-only menu has a menu light on calories and high on taste.
- Roadhouse Cafe, Greater Kailash I: Aside from their standard carb and meats laden-menu, this café offers two separate menus, one vegan and the other gluten-free, which are available on request. The former offers everything from small bites like Vegan Nachos to wraps to pasta and a variety of Pan Asian Vegan Curry Bowls.
- Rose Cafe, Saket: This gem of a restaurant has separate vegan menu, which comprises smoothies, small bites, gourmet sandwiches, comfort foods like Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, Skinny Pizzas without cheese and everything in between.
- Fabcafe, multiple outlets: Operating out of Fab India showrooms around NCR, the cafes have select but eclectic vegan options ranging from Vegan Dimsums and all-day breakfasts (upma anyone?) to mains. There are also several wheat-free options.
- Easy Dining By CAARA, South Delhi delivery only: Who says you always need to head on out to find your vegan fancies? This South Delhi-based delivery service operated by food and wellness brand CAARA door delivers to solo vegan diners as well as groups of them.