‘I’ve eaten 12 oranges for the breakfast this morning,’ said Mayavi Khandelwal, the vegan expert, opening the Vegan Wagon session.

After savoring vegan chocolate truffles on day 1, we were stormed by the orangey breakfast on Day 2. Questions spilled like beans from the jar in the vast hall of the Hotel Polo Inn & Suites. Was it okay to have so many oranges at once? Would it not have resulted in a gastric problem? Was it healthy to go on a fruit-based diet?

Mayavi shunned the myths. She said, “You can be on a fruit diet all day long. Make sure that you eat seasonal fruits that are healthy and organic.”

Meanwhile, Lady Boss Ana popped in with a fun activity ‘Compliment Noodles.’ The slurpy noodle fed everyone with body positivity.

Interestingly, the first day of the Vegan Wagon was so spirited that Dr. Indu Arora composed the poem on Vegan Diets. Hence, the healthy diet always rhymes with the healthy mind.

“Turn vegan and join the healthy bandwagon
With all the plants, vitamins be laden
Your digestive system you gladden
Witness a healthy revolution happen
Against diabetes high blood pressure etc. possess this weapon…..”

The dairy-free chaach was served, and it was mouth watering. The coconut milk seemed to be a legitimate brother of the ‘real’ milk that claimed the rights to its nutrient legacy.

Mayavi peace-zoned everyone with mindful eating meditation. Chewing a tiny bite of a little raisin, we felt gratitude to farmers who raised the grape-bush, to the rich soil, the yellow sun and the generous rains.

During the session, Mayavi treated us with the beans of her humor:

“Your salad should not look like chara!”

“Honey is basically a bee’s poop!”

“Say Tata Bye Bye to Tata Namak”

Mayavi then took hold of the kitchen and taught us how to make a non-dairy cheesy dip with veggie sticks and tomato garden.

She used 2 cups of cashews (soaked overnight & drained), ¾ cup water, ½ cup finely chopped bell peppers (red & yellow), 1/3 cup onions, 2 tbsp fresh basil/parsley/kothmir, 1 tbsp finely grated garlic, ½ to 1 tbsp rock salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, a pinch of crushed red pepper (optional).

While preparing the dip, she quoted the benefits of cashew saying, ‘It has a high amount of fiber, which is good for your body,’ she continued, ‘This recipe is easy to cook and tastes great.’ ‘Prepare it by blending the cashew, adding a little amount of water. Blend into a smooth paste. Keep it in a glass jar and place a lid on top, do not close it. Leave it for 12-36 hours depending on the weather. During summers, even 8-10 hours are enough to ferment the cashews. Mix all the ingredients into the cashew paste. This cheese can be used as a Dip served with veggies, and as a Salad Dressing.”

Mayavi asked not to peel off the skin of any veggies or fruits except banana, and we heard the audience go banana about this idea. Someone asked,”Should we not peel oranges as well? And even pomegranate” To this she said, ‘These skins can be re-used for other health benefits. Like orange peel can be used to make a vitamin-rich face scrub.”

The next on the kitchen table of Mayavi was cooking the vegan dahi vada. After those yum vadas, came the Besan Ladoos. Mayavi introduced them by telling the story, “Whenever we make besan ladoo at home, kids come out from their rooms saying, ‘What’s up? What’s cooking?’”

And let me tell you, they were the great ladoos! Here is the proof! Our team was caught red-handed!

Stealing #vegan besan ladoo at Vegan Wagon with Mayavi Khandelwal

31 Likes, 1 Comments – Indian Women Blog (@indianwomenblog) on Instagram: “Stealing #vegan besan ladoo at Vegan Wagon with Mayavi Khandelwal”

Manish, (remember the vegan boy from day one?) bombarded Mayavi with a rapid fire:

Manish: A substitute for honey bee?

Mayavi: Date puree.

Manish: Alternative for butter?

Mayavi: Peanut milk butter or coconut milk butter

Manish: Is yeast vegan?

Mayavi: There exists a vegan yeast.

Manish: Why is Gluten harmful?

Mayavi: All of us are allergic to gluten, but because we eat it every day, our bodies have become immune to it. It sticks to our intestine and disturbs absorbing the nutrients from food. This drains out a lot of vitamins from our bodies.

Manish: Is it okay to have salad as a meal?

Mayavi: Yes, it is. A salad is a wholesome meal. You can add any veggies to your salad, and to make it more nourishing, garnish with nuts, too.

As Mayavi said, ‘The simplest secrets are the most wonderful ones!’ Aren’t they the veggies?

Photo Courtesy: Pallav Bhargava