Vegetarian Discussion

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> <span style='color:red'> The latest Fasion - Vegetarian </span>

A vegetarian diet is good for you, says the stunning Yana Gupta and Amitabh Bachchan agrees. Exposed to the hottest Indian vegans, JENNIFER AU is almost convinced to look beyond her Sunday roast.

As a seasoned meat lover, the word vegetarianism isn’t part of my vocabulary. My favourite meal is a Sunday roast — slices of tender meat, covered in gravy, with vegetables — on the side. But lately, the number of friends who have decided to become vegan has suddenly escalated. Dinner dates are no longer a chance to unwind and relax over a glass of wine. Instead, I’m faced with a scowl, as knife in hand, I tuck into a steak tartare.

It seems that the growing trend in vegetarianism is gaining momentum, with everyone from Hollywood — Brad Pitt and Liv Tyler, to Bollywood — Jackie Shroff and Amrita Rao, jumping on the bandwagon.

According to the Anthropological Survey of India, there are about 220 million strict vegetarians in India, and the figures are rising. A reflection of this is the abundance of vegetarian-only diners dotted all over town. There’s Kadambam which serves authentic Iyengar cuisine, the legendary Mavali Tiffin Rooms, and the state-wide chain, Kamat Yatri Nivas. Even restaurants in swish five-star hotels are serving up vegetarian specials. Keeping it in mind, is the Chinese outlet, The Szechuan Court in the Oberoi Hotel, which has recently designed an extensive menu catering to those who only eat greens.

Senior sous chef at the Oberoi, Anthony Huang, has been cooking for the past decade in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, and has noted that vegetarianism is flourishing. “More people are requesting vegetarian fare and they want variety,” says Huang. As a result, Huang and his team have devised a constant vegetarian menu with a vast selection — vegetable spring rolls accompanied by glass noodles, silken tofu broth with coriander and braised bean curd in spinach sauce, just to name a few. Huang believes that vegetarians should be given the same eating experience as meat lovers. “Indians are very well travelled. They appreciate quality and know what they’re looking for,” adds Huang.

Picking up on the vegetarian craze, PETA India is holding it’s third annual Hottest Vegetarian Alive Contest. The on-line poll is currently posted on the activist website, www.PETAIndia.com, and web surfers will be able to vote for who they believe is the ‘hottest’ vegetarian celebrity, with results tallied at the end of the month. The previous two competitions were won by Amitabh Bachchan and Yana Gupta, both of whom managed to oust competitors ranging from Shahid Kapur to Alicia Silverstone to Pamela Anderson. This year, there are new additions to the star studded list, including actor, Shahid Kapoor, cricketer, Anil Kumble, and designer, Stella McCartney.

While everyone has their own personal reasons for going veg, Bijal Vacharajani, special projects co-ordinator of PETA India, cites that her motivation is based on two firm beliefs. “Well firstly, it’s for the animals. Each vegetarian saves 80 animals every year from a lifetime of misery and death,” says Vacharajani. “Secondly, it’s a health reason as well,” says Vacharajani. “Women who eat meat daily are almost four times as likely to get breast cancer, and men with diets rich in meat and other animal products are almost four times as likely to develop prostate cancer than men with the lowest intake of meat.”

Czech model and PETA pin-up, Yana Gupta, is an adamant spokesperson for vegetarianism. Accompanying a recent campaign for PETA, the model advocated a non fish-eating stance. “There are so many delicious and nutritious vegetarian options to choose from these days, in every part of the world, that there is no need to kill fish or any other animal for food,” says Gupta. “A vegetarian diet is good for your health, the animals, the environment and your taste buds!”

With a penchant for his own special home-made recipe of coconut and potato curry, designer, Hemant Trevedi, has been a staunch vegetarian for the past five year, and credits his stance to PETA. “When they first approached me to style and create their first vegetarian ad-campaign for India, I realised the importance of the cause that I was going to be associated with,” says Trevedi. “So it was only natural that on the very first day of the shoot I automatically became vegetarian. I respect our planet too much to eat animals.” He believes that vegetarianism is gaining eminence in India. “With more and more people realising that their meat eating habits are linked to heart ailments, diabetes and obesity,” says Trevedi, “they are at least looking at turning vegetarian.”

Model Rajneesh Duggal began her vegetarian crusade nine years ago, for both ethical and religious reasons. “Also, someone suggested that by following a vegetarian diet, I would be able to curb my short temper more easily,” says Duggal. “And guess what it worked!” She finds vegetarian food a more nutritious option and regards the health aspect a bonus — “keeping fit is essential for a model.” Like Trevedi, she has also seen interest in turning veg within her own social group. “I have noticed a lot of my friends shunning meat in favour of a healthy veggie meal,” says Duggal. “I hope that it signals that more and more people are embracing vegetarianism.”

With pro-vegetarian campaigns posted on every corner, and a surge in restaurants catering to non-meat eaters, vegetarianism isn’t merely a fad — it’s here for the long haul. Carnivores may soon have to face the once vegetarian domain of searching for a suitable meal. Perhaps it’s time to convert to vegan ways, but then again, there’s always that Sunday roast...

THE GOODNESS OF GREENS
Health benefits of vegetarianism are plentiful. They include:
*Reducing the risk of certain cancers by up to 40 pc.
*Decreasing possibility of heart disease by over 30 pc.
*Restricting chance of suffering from kidney and gall stones, diet-related diabetes and high blood pressure.
*Lowering cholesterol levels and reducing health problems linked with obesity.

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