Vegan vacations in India

It probably won’t come as much of a surprise when we tell you that eating vegan in India is both easy and fantastic. Mahatma Gandhi didn’t eat meat or dairy, and vegetarianism has long been rooted in national culture. In the major cities you will find many vegan restaurants, and across the country many vegan dishes are a staple, while others can be easily be veganised. Still, if you want to be sure of eating well as a vegan in India, it’s best to travel with someone who knows where to go and what to try.

Small group vegan tours take you around the classic Golden Triangle route and beyond, from the atmospheric backstreets of Old Delhi to the iconic Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and the majestic ‘Pink City’ of Jaipur. Group numbers are capped at 12, making for a very sociable experience on an itinerary that has been perfected with the help of leading figures in the vegan movement.

You’ll visit several small restaurants to learn the nuances of flavours here, because of course India being such a vast country, the cuisine is extraordinarily diverse. You will also learn how to cook authentic vegan dishes from different regions of India with local chefs. You may even visit family homes to see the ingredients that are used on a daily basis local people.

Naturally, while there is a strong foodie element to your vacation, the Golden Triangle is fascinating in its own right from a cultural perspective. Highlights include the stunning Taj Mahal, and the option to go ballooning over Jaipur, or catch a colourful Bollywood film with its energetic song and dance routines.

You will be accompanied by expert guides and a tour leader, but it’s worth doing a bit of research on how to ensure your food in India is vegan, such as by requesting daal and roti without ghee, and avoiding any dish with paneer cheese in it.

Dive into the delights of Gujurati, Rajasthani and Mughlai (the food of kings) cuisine. Just a few examples of the kind of dishes you might be purring over here include: roti bread made with pearl millet; sev tamatar, a tomato-based curry flavoured with cumin and ginger; gatte ki curry, spiced gram flour dumplings in an aromatic turmeric gravy; and traditional paratha bread that has been shallow fried.

Naturally, you’ll never be far from a tasty vegetable samosa, or a fresh salad of berries and beans, and you will be sampling no end of spicy curries that burst with fragrance from turmeric, cardamom and cloves. Besides fun cookery lessons and meals in restaurants and community kitchens, you will also wander lively markets to learn about the different fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and spices all around. One of the most affecting and inspirational visits is sure to be lunch at a start-up café that serves vegetarian and vegan food, and provides employment for survivors of acid attacks.

“This trip is full of highlights, but the street food provides some of the most exciting. I think that a lot of travelers – vegan or not – have certain apprehensions about eating street food. The diligence of our local leaders in vetting the stalls and vendors we take travelers to can’t be overstated. The goal is to take that apprehension out of the equation to allow people to safely and confidently experience the delights of India’s street food without having to question whether what they’re eating is safe or vegan.”

“We’re looking to provide holistic experiences for vegan travelers where they can come away with an enjoyable and educational experience of a cuisine just like any other person who loves to travel and eat, regardless of their specific diet or lifestyle. Among the coolest things we do on these departures, in my opinion, is that our leaders bring along soy or almond milks and vegetable oil so that travelers can enjoy traditional things like chai on the streets of Delhi, without worrying about whether something is or isn’t vegan. They can see each ingredient and have complete trust in their leader. We’ve received amazing feedback about how our leaders go ‘above and beyond’ like this to ensure that travelers have the best possible food experiences.”