For a traditional South Indian palate, the mere thought of a day without our much loved ‘thayirsatham’ could raise quite a stir. Exit meat and eggs, now that’s probably an easier task.So, if you’re confusing the term ‘vegan’ with ‘vegetarian’ as is common with some, you might want to look it up one more time. Simply put, whip up a dish with no animal products whatsoever, and you will be eligible to attend the city’s first ever vegan-style potluck. Peta activist, Niranjan Amarnath, who is organising the event states, “We whole heartedly welcome non-vegetarians to come join us, the only criteria is an interest in exploring a vegan lifestyle.” Set to be held on October 2, (Gandhi Jayanthi), adopted as the International Day of Non Violence, the message rings quite clear. Surprisingly, several of the listed attendees on the group’s Facebook page were once meat lovers themselves. Anuradha Chawla, co-founder of the Chennai Adoption Drive reveals, “Both my husband and I decided to go vegan four years ago, when we saw videos of baby cows being slaughtered and cruelty to fur animals.” Ask how difficult the process has been and she responds, “It’s actually much easier for us South Indians because ghee and paneer are not a part of our everyday diet.” Of course, these days, it isn’t uncommon to spot vegan hotdogs at a city mall, apart from other alternatives to milk (soy/ nut milk), panner (tofu) and even soy or wheat gluton-based, chicken-flavoured nuggets!Niranjan offers, “We recently put up an easy to follow recipe for vegan ice cream contributed by a vegan body builder, based in the US, -- peanut butter fans, you might want to look into this one. The potluck initiated by Niranjan is a project by Chennai Vegan Drinks, an offline social networking group for people interested in promoting veganism and advocating animal rights. He elaborates, “You can expect a movie screening, some good food and discussion.”Although, a majority of people remain skeptical to the idea, Srinivasan Arvind, the Director of Wholistic Breads in Adyar which caters to a vegan section, begs to differ. He says, “When I opened shop over three years ago, there weren’t many takers. But today, at least 30 per cent of the population is vegan. So, there is a marked increase in this community.”The Vegan potluck will be held at IIT Alumni Club, Mylapore on October 2, 11am-2pm. For details, contact 8754407382/ 9176612023 )[email protected]
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