Hi, I grew up as a vegetarian in NYC in the 1970s and I relate to your story. My parents came to America from India, as well, and so of course all the meals I ate at home were veggie. I wasn’t a Hindu, though, and when I left home I eventually tried meat and even liked some of it. BUT… then I started to read about how animals are treated in agribusiness. It’s so bad that I haven’t just given up meat, I’ve also mostly given up dairy. I don’t want to support the way they treat cows in this country.

I now eat a lot of the types of meals my Mom cooked — dal, roti, channa, veggies… it’s all good. When I go out, I also enjoy veggie burgers as well as other veggie options. I live in Austin, and it’s amazing how many options there are here for both vegetarians and vegans.

A lot of it is ethnic fare and some of it is food trucks — there is a food truck that serves the most amazing Indonesian fusion with many vegan options. The sauces and spices are so flavorful!

Even the raw food vegan places have delicious food. I tried a raw food pizza a while back that amazed me. It was so yummy!

So, I don’t see why you have to trick meat eaters to eat vegan with faux meat… we don’t need it. The natural flavors and textures of vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts, fruits… it’s good in its own right. It doesn’t need to be disguised as meat.

One “burger” option that I love is Indian pau bhagi. Yummy mixed veggies on a sesame seed bun… my Mom used to make it for us when I was growing up.