This Deepavali, traditional mithai takes on a vegan avatar
The Hindu
Ahead of Deepavali 2021, chefs and home cooks are trying creative ways to make traditional Indian sweets vegan, replacing milk with coconuts, jaggery and even tofu
Oil-free, sugarless, no-dairy gulab jamuns? Shalu Nijhawan, a whole plant-based nutritionist, says it is possible. After two years of trial and error, she has succeeded in creating a vegan version, which she will teach during an online pre-Deepavali cookery class aptly titled ‘Impossible Sweets’ .
The session is being hosted by Sanctuary for Health and Reconnection to Animals and Nature (SHARAN), an Auroville-based organisation dedicated to spreading awareness about holistic health.

“I’ve never even been to these places before,” she laughed, “and suddenly I have memories in all of them.” The dates, she added, were genuinely good — long walks, easy conversations, and meals that stretched late into the evening — and the best part was that none of it felt heavy. The boys she met are all planning to visit her in Mumbai soon, not under without any pressure but with a sense of pleasant continuity. “I’m great,” she said, and she meant it.












