Vegan-friendly Crackers from ‘Good Earth’, Bangalore

After a brief period of absence from the market, these vegan-friendly whole-wheat crackers from Good Earth have appeared again! Presently, the crackers are available in Bangalore only. According to Company sources, they will be available in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune beginning January 2011 as well.

Good Earth crackers, besides bearing the ‘green’ vegetarian symbol, do not contain other non-vegan ingredients such as animal milk and associated products or honey. The crackers are available in five flavors: garlic, jeera (cumin), methi (fenugreek), pepper, and plain wheat.

A couple of noteworthy features about Good Earth crackers are their high fibre content obtained from wheat bran and zero trans fat content. These qualities do come together to merit replacement with your ordinary maida biscuit, especially the ones that accompany the first morning tea if you are used to it. You are your best judge and will know whether this makes any difference!

Suggestion: You can also smear the crackers with any plant butter or vegan cheese of your choice and enjoy the delicious combination.

Availability of Good Earth crackers: As mentioned above, the Good Earth crackers are presently available in Bangalore only. You can find them in the following stores: M.K. Ahmed, M.K. Retail, Mother Earth, R.M. Supermarket, and Thoms Bakery & Stores.

Price: Each box of Good Earth whole-wheat crackers in any flavor costs Rs.24/- only. 

“I don’t teach vegetarianism; it is a by-product of meditation. Wherever meditation has happened, people have become vegetarian, always, for thousands of years.” ~Osho~

Vegan Cakes from ‘Navadarshanam’ and a Farm Visit, Bangalore

For bakeries that offer vegan bakery products in Bangalore reviewed in this blog, you can click here.

Sometime back we had published a story on the organic-vegan peanut butter available at Navadarshanam. We recently learnt that Navadarshanam makes Vegan cakes as well. We also visited their farm. This calls for a second story!

Navadarshanam’s Vegan cakes are available in two varieties: The Carrot Cake and the Dates Cake. The ingredients are healthier than any cake you will find (unless you bake in your own kitchen) and consists of whole wheat, jaggery, and cold-pressed sunflower oil besides the baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, carrot, and dates. The end product is a yummy, healthy treat.

As they are made of whole wheat, the cakes lend a grainy feeling in the mouth and the pleasure of snacking healthy. These cakes definitely provide some nutrition to the body instead of empty calories and are great as teatime or in-between meal-time snacks. Navadarshanam’s Vegan cakes also dispel a very big myth: that it is not possible to make cakes without eggs! According to the SHARAN website, eggs are used in recipes as “binders, holding the other ingredients together, or as leavening agents, providing lift and affecting texture”. Look closely at the photograph above and see how much the cake has risen! The cold-pressed organic sunflower oil in the Navdarshanam cake acts as the egg replacer. You can also check out suggestions in the SHARAN website for other egg replacers by clicking here.

How to order the Vegan cakes from Navdarshanam

Navdarshanam bakes Vegan cakes on order and the cakes are available in Bangalore only. You need to call up Swamy at 09243091417 to place your order at least 24 hours in advance.

The cakes are available at selected locations on selected days only. Please write at navadarshanam@gmail.com to include yourself in the Navdarshanam mailing list and stay informed about the venue and date of sale. In addition to the cakes, you can also shop for Navdarshanam’s range of organic-vegan products and farm-fresh organic vegetables.

Each cake weighs 450 grams and costs Rs.80/-.

A visit to the Navadarshanam Farm 

You can visit and stay over at the 110-acre Navadarshanam farm and see for yourself all the activities that take place there. However, before going you need to inform in advance so that Navadarshanam can prepare your food and living quarters. The food is organic-vegetarian; you will be served Vegan food if you inform at the time of arranging the visit. Alcohol, drugs, and non-vegetarian food is strictly prohibited inside the Navdarshanam premises. There is no predetermined tariff for the visit; you can donate at will – the amount goes towards the upkeep of the place. Please visit this page on the Navdarshanam website to get the details about how to organize your visit.

The visit was worth it! The trek in the hilly Navdarshanam farm, the scrumptious organic-vegan meals served in the common dining area, the eco-friendly living, and the opportunity to shop at the in-house store were some of the things we enjoyed. Do not forget to carry a pair of good walking shoes, a torch, and warm clothes if you decide to go. And yes, you can even purchase the cakes from the store at the farm by placing your order in advance!

Would you be interested to bake Vegan cakes and prepare Vegan desserts? You can try out these delicious Vegan cake recipes from The Vegan Society and these equally delicious Vegan desserts from SHARAN.

‘Ruby’s Herbal—A Gift of Nature’, 100% Cruelty-free Cosmetics, Bangalore and Pondicherry

Look closely at Mother Nature and you will find plenty of resources that you can use as food, medicines, cosmetics, clothing, and so on. Humans need not abuse Mother Nature to procure these resources as she has made provisions to make them available in plentiful. Plants produce thousands of seeds round the year to make sure every human is well look after. In earlier times when our ancestors lived in harmony with Nature, cosmetic industries using chemicals, other harmful substances, and slaughterhouse byproducts were unheard of. Even from our grandmother’s generation we can easily dig out amazing recipes made from natural plant-based ingredients to tend to our hairs and skins.

Ruby-Mathieu of 'Ruby’s Herbal', our story for today, explain further:

“Our ancestors also knew the medicinal values of all plants: trees, flowers, seeds, roots, fruit, etc. They knew where they were best available and when they could be plucked or harvested... what season and what part of the day… Furthermore, our ancestors prepared their oil, paste, or syrup with consciousness. Their heart communicated with the ingredients while they were preparing and mixing them.”

Drawing from the wisdom of her ancestors, Ruby, in 2006, decided to dedicate her time to preparing handmade herbal cosmetics from the herbs, plants, and flowers grown in her own ancestral farm in South Karnataka. In due course, she developed recipes for several herbal cosmetics and made them available in the market. To find out more about how Ruby’s Herbal began, you can click here.

Ruby’s Herbal products are not too difficult to spot. Sitting pretty in their lovely handmade paper wrappers, they adorn the shelves of stores. They stand out for another reason as well: Ruby’s Herbal products are 100% cruelty-free. Although the packaging does not carry claims of being ‘cruelty-free’, here is what Ruby-Mathieu had to say about their products:

“Ruby's Herbal products are made with fifteen herbs grown in our little farm. We handpick the herbs in the morning, and process them and bottle them by evening. Our oil, soap, and shampoo do not contain animal ingredients and neither is our products tested on animals.”

Ruby’s Herbal cosmetics line has five products in all: the flagship Herbal Hair Oil, a Natural Shampoo, Neem Soap, Alo Vera Soap, and Papaya Soap. You can find out the benefits of each product by clicking here. Some of the commonly used herbs are Brahmi and Water Hyssop, both of which have a relaxing effect.

All of the ingredients in Ruby’s Herbal products are organically grown without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The herbs are hand-plucked early morning and combined with pure natural oils over the process of preparation. For example, the soap and shampoo contain vegetable oils at the base added to the goodness of the herb extracts. A wooden fireplace, copper vessels, hand held pressure tools, and the feeling of love are the tools used by Ruby-Mathieu to facilitate the process. By the end of the day, the herbal formula is bottled.

Where to find Ruby’s Herbal products

Ruby’s Herbal products are retailed through Era Organic, Mother Earth, and Thoms Bakery and Stores in Bangalore; and Casablanca, Kasha Ki Aasha, Uptown Fitness Studio, Pour Tous (Aurovile), and Dune Resort in Pondicherry. In case you wish to get in touch with Ruby-Mathieu to learn more, you can write to them at rubysherbal@hotmail.com.

Animal testing is so terribly unnecessary. Would you be interested to know why? Please read this excellent report titled “Death: The Price of Beauty: Animal Testing and the Cosmetic Industry”, by Kelly Renz McNeal.

Please support chemical-free, cruelty-free cosmetics! Our choices can make the difference!

‘Ayur Herbal Products’, All India

One shouldn’t confuse Ayur Herbal Products with the ubiquitous Ayur cosmetics. This is a company with a similar trade name but goes several notches ahead when it comes to ethics and compassion—95% of its products are certified 100% Vegan while the rest are vegetarian. The company makes no bones about its intent against animal testing and here’s the proof.

Ayur Herbal Products is a New Delhi-based wholesale company that primarily exports natural, handcrafted, and chemical-free herbal wellness and beauty products, and remedies. The Company has a wide range of product offerings ranging from various skin care products, luxury beauty products, bath products, massage oils, aromatherapy oils, natural herbs, Ayurvedic medicines, herbal tea, organic herbs and spices, and many more! Ayur Herbal Products uses organically grown herbs devoid of any artificial chemicals or colors. Now here’s the good thing—the Company retails its products online too.

How to purchase products from Ayur Herbal Products

1) Visit the Products page here.  

2) Select your product/s and view the details. The ingredients used in each product is mentioned alongwith a short description. The ingredients list will help you select the Vegan products. Avoid products containing honey, beewax, and ghee (clarified butter) as these are non-vegan ingredients.

3) Send a mail to info@ayurherbalproducts.com addressed to Mr. Oberoi after you have chosen your purchase. You will be intimated of the price which should carry a 10% discount.

And, you’re done!

Although the primary clientele of Ayur Herbal Products is U.S.A, Europe, and Middle-East nations, the Company is receptive to making their merchandise available to the growing Indian market demand for cruelty-free products.

There is no better time to be a Vegan! Reminds us of the Bob Dylan’s 60’s classic—"The Times They Are a-Changin". Amen to that!

“Every year tens of thousands of animals suffer and die in laboratory tests of cosmetics and household products... despite the fact that the test results do not help prevent or treat accidental or purposeful misuse of the products. Please join me in using your voice for those whose cries are forever sealed behind the laboratory doors.” ~Woody Harrelson, Actor~

Animal-bone Free Crockery, All India

Many of us have been using ‘bone china’ crockery for as long as we can remember. However, most of us may not have given even a passing thought to the word “bone”. It is disturbing to know that bone china crockery is not as harmless as it appears to be. Rather, it is a deadly cocktail of slaughterhouse byproducts made available through a cruel industrial process. Yes, ‘bone china’ crockery indeed contains the bones of animals. Thomas Frye who is known to have begun the industrial production of bone china crockery, set up his factory near the slaughterhouses and cattle markets in Essex, England. You can click here to read more about the history of bone china.  

Bone china crockery is made from clay containing varying degrees of bone ash (25% to 50%). Wondering how the bone ash is produced? Animal bones obtained from slaughterhouses are first processed to remove the flesh and glue from them. The bones are then heated at very high temperatures (1100c to 1250c) until they burn to ash or to a fine powder. This ash or powder is then combined with water and clay to produce a slurry. Finally, the slurry is fashioned into cups, saucers, plates, teapots, bowls of various shapes and sizes… familiar objects in your kitchen and dining table, aren’t they?! (Source: Vegplanet)

As compared to pure porcelain, crockery made from ‘bone china’ is easily identifiable from their greater translucence and lightness. And, finer the bone china, higher is the content of dead animal bones.

What are the alternatives?

Here are some cruelty-free ideas for the times you go crockery shopping. Hopefully the suggestions will help you be mindful of the purchases you make.

1) Glass/crystal/opal glass crockery from any crockery store across the country. The glass and crystal range from the LaOpala brand is a popular choice. LaOpala crockery has the ‘green’ vegetarian symbol stamped on its boxes and the declaration that the product is “100% bone ash free.” Some years ago, LaOpala had launched an ad campaign with the slogan, “Vegetarians love their meal more on LaOpala. 100% bone ash free.” You can view one of the LaOpala campaign ads by clicking here.

2) Ceramic/porcelain/clay/earthernware crockery with aesthetic looks and designs from standard crockery stores, craft bazzars, tribal art shops, Fabindia, Mother Earth, and Lifestyle stores across the country.
  
3) Stainless steel utensils available in any stainless steel outlet across the country.

“If a man aspires toward a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals.” ~Count Leo Tolstoy, Russian Novelist and Philosopher~

Millie’s Vegan Cheese, Bangalore

These days when we speak of the rise of India as a global superpower, we take the early 90s as a reference point and the discussion hovers around industrialization, off-shoring, our burgeoning middle class, and the nouveau riche. One essential byproduct of globalization that we often fail to acknowledge is the rapid change in the pattern of food consumption over the past two decades—with all that is considered “junk” in the West being methodically passed over to India, year after year. Our recent love for cheese being just a point in case.

Cheese consumption in India, sadly, is growing at 15-20% every year with the European, Australian, and American companies aiming to grab bigger market shares and alter the eating habits of the Indian middle class with their tricky marketing (Source). The educated urban population, unfortunately, falls for the bait. According to the same source, the metropolitan cities consume over 60% of the total cheese sold in India. No wonder that health concerns are rampant in the metros with people as young as 30 years falling sick with heart disorders and diabetes, thanks to their acquired eating habits.

Traditionally, cheese has been understood to be made from animal milk. In scientific studies made over the past few decades, animal milk has proven to be detrimental to good health besides being a cruelty product (PETA report: Inside the Indian Dairy Industry). So, why consume milk or cheese made from animal milk? Is it to gratify the acquired taste? If it is about taste, then how about giving Vegan cheese a chance?

Yes, Vegan cheese! Vegan cheese is made from ingredients such as nuts and wheat! This cheese is a great way of enjoying the taste of ‘cheese’ without stealing the milk from the mother animal, meant for her young ones only. Nut- and wheat-based cheese also proves one point: that there is no extraordinary substance present in animal milk that lends the ‘cheesy’ flavor to the cheese; it is rather the process that does the trick. Animal milk can well be substituted with nuts and ingredients obtained from other plant sources to make cheese.

Millie's cheese

Millie in Bangalore has charmed many people with her splendid varieties of Vegan cheese. She prepares Vegan cheese from 100% organically-grown cashew nuts and wheat in three flavors: herb, paprika, and garlic. Millie’s Vegan cheese tastes great in a regular burger, as a salad dressing, on pastas, on pizzas, and not to mention on the toasted bread. It is the most awesome Vegan equivalent after Vegan yoghurt and payasam that we have discovered! You need to taste Millie's cheese to believe the claim! To place your order, you can contact Millie at telephone numbers 080-41236539 and 09880288634.

And if you’re the adventurous types fond of cooking, you may want to try making Vegan cheese in your kitchens by following the method given in the SHARAN website by clicking here.

Please say NO to dairy cheese and YES to a healthy, nutritious, and delicious Vegan equivalent!   

“If a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth—beings who considered themselves as superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals—would you concede them the rights over you that you assume over other animals?” ~George Bernard Shaw, Playwright, Nobel Prize 1925~

‘Sanjeevanam’ Vegetarian-Ayurvedic Multi-cuisine Restaurant (Bangalore, Chennai, & Kozhikode)

For more vegan-friendly restaurants in India reviewed in this blog, you can click here.

Bangalore is getting better and better by the day for the vegans! The latest to join the list of vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants in Bangalore is 'Sanjeevanam' Ayurvedic Health Restaurant that was inaugurated in Koramangala in August, 2010. There are three Sanjeevanam restaurants in Chennai already with one in Kozikode as well. Sanjeevanam comes from the stable of Cholayil Company, the manufacturers of the cruelty-free Medimix soaps. Cholayil is amongst Kerala's most famous and respected Ayurvedic families practicing Ayurveda for generations.

Sanjeevanam serves authentic Kerala cuisine; and when we say authentic, we mean the way it is supposed to be—by amalgamating the principles of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy. The food is cooked on slow fire and is rich in dietary fibers. Prepared by specially trained cooks without using ingredients such as white sugar, coloring agents, and other artificial stimulants, preservatives, and so on, the natural goodness of vitamins and minerals is retained in every preparation. What’s more, each dish is prepared in earthen, bronze, and copper vessels only.

Sanjeevanam offers two options—The Rajakeeyam meals served in buffet style (in Bangalore) and on banana leaves (in Chennai and Kozhikode), and a la carte meals.

The Rajakeeyam Meal

Rajakeeyam meals
The signature Rajakeeyam meal from Sanjeevanam is rather interesting and stimulating served with much fervor and reverence by the staff. Rajakeeyam is a nutritionally balanced satvik meal based on the principles of Ayurveda and Naturopathy. The meal is eaten in an organized manner that prescribes the nutrients of fruits and vegetables to be absorbed by the system prior to the grains. Read on.

1)    The fare begins with ripe banana slices with grated coconuts. This offering acts like an appetizer and is sure to set your taste buds on fire. (first course)

2)    The fire is doused by five varieties of juices served like vodka shots that need to be taken in a certain order, from right to left.The Vegan juices are the Date Juice (rich in minerals), Vegetable Clear Soup (appetizer), and Bran Rice Water (rich in vitamin B).The other two juices are varieties of buttermilk made from animal milk. (second course)

3)    The third course consists of uncooked divine vegetable dishes soaked in coconut milk and puttu. Don’t worry about the ones that appear like raita, they’re made up of coconut milk.

4)    The fourth course consists of semi-cooked/semi-raw/semi-roasted vegetable dishes, succulent and crunchy at the same time, perhaps one of its kind that you can find.

5)    The fifth course consists of fully cooked vegetable dishes with whole-red rice, sambar, rasam, morkozhumbu, and several chutneys.

6)    Finally it is time for the payasam and viola! The payasam is made from coconut milk garnished with dry fruits. It tastes heavenly!

Cost for Rajakeeyam meal: Rs.200/- per person.
Lunch timings: 12noon to 3:00pm, all days in the week.
Dinner timings: 7:00pm to 11:00pm, available on Saturday and Sunday only.

A la carte meals
Check the Sanjeevanam a la carte menu card by clicking the images below. You will be pleasantly surprised at the number of items that are Vegan. The fare includes North Indian, South Indian, Tandoori, and Continental cuisine aimed at satisfying the plates and tastes of the health conscious, ethical food connoisseurs.

A la carte timings: 12noon to 11pm, open all days in the week. Serves lunch, evening snacks, and dinner.

Some interesting facts about Sanjeevanam
•    A place where you’ll find Vegan drinks in the a la carte without worrying that there will be dairy. The Dhania coffee, Ginger coffee, and Thulasi coffee are great and refreshing!
•    Water is served lukewarm and mixed with either jeera, methi, dhania, or vetiver.
•    Now this one sounds too good to be true, Sanjeevanam uses palm candy as the sweetening agent as opposed to refined white sugar.
•    As said earlier, all food is prepared in copper, earthen, and bronze vessels in accordance with the ancient principles of Ayurveda.
•    Vegetables are not refrigerated and cooked food is not reheated. Vegetables are always bought fresh and consumed on the same day.
•    The fruits and vegetables are organically grown and locally produced.
•    Moderation is implemented when it comes to masalas. And yes, no red chili, onion, and garlic is used in accordance with the Jain principles of eating.
•    The food is prepared on slow fire, slow food. So, be prepared to wait for at least 20 minutes before the food is served to you. It is worth the wait! Nutrition and taste sustained.

Sanjeevanam locations
Click here for the addresses of the Sanjeevanam restaurants in Bangalore, Chennai (Adyar, Mugappair, and Nungambakkam), and Kozhikode.

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” ~Albert Einstein, Physicist~