A scrumptious, clean vegan menu is at the core of the newly minted Bloom Conscious Eatery and Cafe in Bandra, Mumbai, made with Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh’s plant-based Imagine Meats.
When asked if she is vegan for the animals, for the planet, for health or for herself, actress and entrepreneur Genelia D’Souza’s swift response is, “I am vegan. Everything else just falls into place on its own.” On World Vegan Day, D’Souza engages in an all-facts and equally fun conversation on what it is like being a vegan.
We also get a first-hand peek into the vegan menu at the spanking new Bloom Conscious Eatery and Cafe in Bandra, Mumbai. Conceptualised with a focus on clean eating, chef Rahul Desai plates up visually enticing and surprisingly palatable plant-based dishes made from the many green kebabs, nuggets, keema and patties by Imagine Meats.
Genelia, what’s cooking at Bloom Conscious Eatery and Cafe?
Imagine Meats products have been made into these really fancy dishes, which I am really excited about. Bloom Conscious Eatery and Cafe has put together a very conscious eating experience and I am sure you’re going to like it.
What made you switch to veganism?
I think Covid made the change for me. It was during Covid I had the time to concentrate on making recipes and figuring it all out. The first few times when I tried to do this, I failed often because I was trying to do it without all the conventional things we know of. I started making my butter, ghee, cheese at home and I realised the many possibilities. I think everyone during the pandemic tried to get one per cent healthier, and as a family we took the plant-based route then and we stuck to it ever since.
What would you choose if you could eat only one vegan recipe for the rest of your life?
Why just one, I’ll eat all (giggles). I am very excited to know that they’ve used the nuggets in the falafel wraps at Bloom Conscious Eatery and Cafe. For me, I’d want to be a company at some point, to be able to drop the prices and have as much vegan meat for people to make. But if people don’t know the experience of veganism, they’ll never know.
Is it challenging being a vegan in India?
I think India has always been vegan. From north to south and east to west, simple recipes like rajma chawal, misal, chhole bhature, idli sambhar, are all vegan if you bar certain ingredients like dahi during the preparation. I remember visiting Kolkata once and having mustard potato that was so yummy, which again was vegan. So eventually you realise, India already is practising being vegan.
What have been your personal roadblocks as a vegan?
I feel there are a couple of challenges. There are some restaurant chains that are not yet serving vegan. But I have seen a positive change, in my timeline of being a vegan for three years now. The restaurants are now willing to adapt to a consumer’s food patterns. It does require a little preparation like informing the restaurant before visiting, but it happens.
What’s next for Imagine Meats?
So, I am probably soon launching three more products. There’s Veganuary coming up in January, so I am hoping to have two products for sure and more possibly.
Read more:
24 hours in the life of chef Raveena Taurani of Yogisattva
TD Conversations: Breaking down vegan myths with Veg’d and Chef Matthew Kenney