Hello! I'm Vaishali, the author and recipe creator at Holy Cow Vegan, where I share tasty Indian and global vegan recipes. My recipes are designed to be alluring enough for the discerning cook but easy enough for a beginner. There are more than 1,000 recipes on this blog and I hope everyone--vegan, vegetarian or omnivore--will find something here that they will love.
Many of these recipes have featured in publications around the world but more importantly, they have been tried, tasted and loved by thousands of home cooks looking to add more plant-based food to their diets.
Here are a few more fast facts about Holy Cow Vegan and me:
- I live in Silver Spring, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
- I was born in Bombay (or Mumbai), India's busiest megalopolis and a salad bowl of Indian culture. Growing up in Bombay meant I had access to the many diverse cuisines that make up "Indian cuisine."
- My family is my husband Desi (also the photographer for the blog), my son Jay, and my four divine fur babies, all rescues -- Lily and Leo (dogs) and Billy and Kala (cats).
- Holy Cow Vegan was born on November 28, 2007. At the time it was the first vegan recipe blog on the web. I've been posting global and Indian vegan recipes here for more than 17 years now.
- My favorite foods are savory. And they usually have potatoes in them. French fries and samosas are especially unsafe around me.
- The foods I cook are healthy, easy and delicious and always free of animal products. Most of the recipes on this blog are kid- and adult-friendly.
- In my former life I worked as a political journalist navigating political shenanigans in Congress and the Maryland statehouse, and I've worked as a reporter in three countries--India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- My idea of bliss is spending time with my family or relaxing with a good book or the New York Times crossword. When I cook I listen to old Hindi songs (especially by Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar). I also love bingeing on YouTube videos about simple living and minimalism -- while I am not there yet, I hope to be some day.
- My pet peeve is when people forget the first "r" in turmeric. It's not tumeric, guys, and the first four letters are pronounced just like "term" 😉 And oh, while we're at it, I have one more --it's not a chai tea, it's not a chai latte: a chai is simply a chai. Chai means "tea" in Hindi, and in India, a chai is always made with milk. Calling it a chai tea or a chai latte is like calling an apple pie "an apple pie pastry made with apples". See? Redundant. And I don't care if Starbucks thinks "chai tea" or "chai latte" are right--they aren't.
My Story
I started to write this food blog in 2007 shortly after becoming a vegan and about four years after going vegetarian. I've loved the alchemy of cooking for as long as I can remember, and I enjoyed eating meat as much as I enjoyed using it in the meals I made for myself and my family.
That changed when Desi and I adopted our great old dog Lucy (scroll down for her picture). Loving her -- and my second adoptee, Opie, who followed soon after -- as much as I did set me thinking about the complex intelligence of animals. The more I thought about it, the less I wanted to participate in the cruelty of meat production where billions of sentient animals just as sweet and wonderful as my dogs and cats are killed every year. In 2005 I became a vegetarian and two years later I had transitioned to a fully vegan life.
Because of how much I loved food, I challenged myself to create recipes that would taste as good as anything I'd ever cooked or eaten in my past life. Because I loved to write, I thought it would be a great idea to start a food blog to share these recipes with others who were looking for ways to either cut out or cut down on meat.
Today, Holy Cow Vegan reaches millions of readers with original, fresh and healthy recipes that I cook up in my kitchen.
What you'll find on Holy Cow Vegan
- Easy, quick, healthy and hassle-free plant-based recipes, many Indian. This is food we eat in our home every day, food you can cook whether you are a novice or an expert, and food you will love whether you are an omnivore or a vegan or somewhere in between. All recipes use clean, wholesome, natural ingredients, most of which are already in your pantry.
- Recipes for special diets. More than half the recipes on this blog are gluten-free and vegan (including lots of gluten-free vegan desserts!). You will also find many recipes suited to a low-carb and keto vegan diet.
- Kid-friendly recipes. As a mom, I focus on creating recipes that are kid-friendly as well as adult-friendly!
- Global recipes. We love to travel, so I often post recipes from around the world, including Mexican, Italian, Irish, African and Mediterranean. You can also browse tons of vegan Indian recipes, from traditional and restaurant favorites like chana masala and vegan butter chicken to more modern dishes with my own spin, like this tasty vegetable curry and chickpea curry.
- Vegan baked goods. I love to bake, so you'll find lots of recipes for homemade vegan cakes, vegan cookies, vegan pies and vegan breads. I've been baking with sourdough and nurturing a sourdough starter long before it became trendy to do so.
My fur family
Desi and I have rescued nearly a dozen dogs and cats since 2002. Each of our fur kids has filled our life with beautiful memories that we hold close to our hearts. Here is our current group of four troublemakers:
Leo was rescued from a dog meat farm in Korea by Humane Society International. He flew halfway around the world to find a home with us. Lily was a street dog rescued from Puerto Rico by the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation. Billy, our adorable tuxedo cat, was found roaming the streets of Virginia and he came to us courtesy PETA. Kala Jamoon, our resident black cat, simply wandered off the streets to settle into our hearts and home.
Frequently asked questions
I add new recipes at least twice every week. You can sign up here to get notified about new recipes by email (it's free!). Or you can follow Holy Cow Vegan on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.
The blog's name calls out the dichotomy in the Indian diet and religious belief system. Cows are worshipped as holy but hundreds of thousands of cows are also tortured in factory farms to supply India's love for milk and milk products. I try to show, through this blog, that Indian food can be just as delicious without the dairy.
Yes! Indian food might appear difficult but there are many recipes that are quite easy and can easily be made by someone new to Indian cooking, like this basic but delicious dal or this easy vegetable curry. You will need a few spices that can easily be found at Indian grocery stores or through online retailers, including Amazon.
You can leave a comment on the recipe (it's the quickest way to get a response and I read and appreciate every comment). Or you can email me at MyVeganWorld@gmail.com. If you'd like to share a photo of the recipe please post it on Instagram and tag me @HolyCowVegan.
Useful links
Check out some of my top recipes
She passed away in 2012, but lives in my heart forever. Thank you, Lucy. I love you.
Holy Cow! has featured in:
bekti spicer
hi, i like the idea of making eggless cake when i run out egg at home or at work. my step kid is bugging me to make her a birthday cake so she can share it with her friends at school. the problem is, many kids here have allergy, so it has to be eggless, no nuts or its kind and gluten-free. i am still looking for easy cake recipe that fits all of that. so, if you come across such recipe, would you kindly share it in your blog? thank you so much. best regards from Australia. Bekti.
Vaishali
Hi Bekti, I definitely will. Cheers. 🙂
John Riley
Dear Vaishali: I am so glad I found this site! My daughter is vegan, and I am a sometimes vegetarian (and growing more). I have had a difficult time finding easy, good vegan recipes, and your site is just great! I have visited India (4x), and I am planning to move there for work in a few years. Regards, John
Vaishali
Hi John, thanks for your kind words! I hope you will try some of the recipes, and always feel free to ask if you have questions. Also great to meet an Indophile, and so wonderful you plan to go live there some day. I am counting the days till I can visit next! 🙂
Sunitha Kasiraman
Oh! And I forgot to mention that I live in the DC metro area too! In Virginia.
Thanks and I look forward to being in touch.
Vaishali
That's great!Hope our paths cross some day.
Matilda
Not sure where to comment but I discovered your blog today and have already made the Greek Lima bean recipe which is so delicious and easy. Too delicious. I've had three bowls of beans in two hours! Can't wait to try some of the other recipes.
Sunitha Kasiraman
Hi Vaishali!
I stumbled upon your website while looking for a vegan Aviyal recipe. I am a Tamilian and have been a vegetarian all my life. I recently switched to Veganism since I was already eating predominantly vegan foods. Just thought I'd make the jump and see how I feel. Physically, I feel great and seem to have a lot more energy.
I've been trying out a lot of recipes but my husband, who is also a Tamilian, loves all the traditional foods. My kids are all over the place when it comes to foods that they like and agree on. So I find myself quickly becoming a short order cook. Thankfully they are all vegetarians and are willing to put up with my experiments. So far they have liked all the vegan recipes I've tried out. Cooking without ghee and milk is easy but yogurt is another story. So I am very excited to try out your Aviyal recipe. Also, I do have a sweet tooth and I was feeling a bit despondent that I'll be missing out on all the Indian sweets. But now that I've found your website and all the delicious recipes for gajar halwa, etc., I can't wait to try them all out.
One quick question, I tried warming up some dates with almond milk for a vegan date cake recipe that I found on another website and found that the almond milk separated and looked most unappetizing. I saw that your gajar halwa recipe asked for the carrots to be cooked in the almond milk and was curious to see if you had any separation of the milk.
Also wanted to mention that we have a couple of connections: I have two friends named Vaishali, both from Bombay, one of whom is my best friend! Also, I have a dog too (not vegan or even vegetarian) who we adore. I know you lost yours a couple of years ago. I am sorry for your loss. I dread the day when our Sparkie will leave us to go to Puppy Heaven. He is almost 13 and we can't imagine a life without him.
I hope you keep posting new recipes and I look forward to trying them all out. I will be making Aviyal (as an accompaniment to Adai) tonight and will let you know how it was received by the rest of my family 🙂
Vaishali
Hi Sunitha, lovely to hear from another vegan, and Tamilian. I've done a lot of veganizing of Tamil foods over the past few years because of my Tamilian hubby, Desi. Since you mentioned missing yogurt, you might want to check out my recipe for Curd Rice which I know every Tamilian adores-- Desi loves the vegan version more than the traditional yogurt version. Search for "curd rice" in the search box.
The almond milk can separate while making the halwa, but keep in mind that dairy milk also separates when you cook carrots in it. In the end, the liquid is all going to evaporate anyway and the solids will be left behind, so it doesn't really matter.
That Avial recipe is one of my and Desi's favorites, so glad you are trying it out.
And nice to know of our connections! Your Sparkie sounds adorable, and he is lucky to have a family that loves him so. My dogs have never been vegan or vegetarian either-- it didn't seem right to impose on them my food choices once I went vegan.
Finally, welcome to the blog! I post regularly, so do come back. And there are a ton of Tamil recipes on the blog.
Take care! 🙂
Ripal
Thank you for a delicious recipe. I am pregnant and have lost appetite for lots of food. I was craving palak paneer but I have gluten and dairy allergies. I put in keyword search and appeared holy cow recipe. It was healthy and delicious. Instead of tofu I substituted chickpeas for protein and instead of almond milk and corn flour I just chopped up almonds and used a two spoons of frozen corn. Did the trick with more natural ingredient. I suppose it was more like a palak chickpea subji. Nonetheless, it's great that've a health Indian god recipe sight. Great job starting site and sharing,
Vaishali
Hi Ripal, Welcome to the blog! Your chickpeas version of the Palak Tofu Paneer sounds delicious. So glad you tried it, and thanks for your kind words! Also, congratulations on the baby. 🙂
s
Hi there. Have just come across your site. I'd love to see recipes using no oil or oil replacers like apple sauce. A healthy diet shouldn't include oils. Thanks
Vaishali
Hi, thanks for the suggestions. I do have many fat-free and low-fat cooking and baking recipes in the archives, and I will continue to post more.
Niyati
Would love to get menu ideas from you for vegan kiddie lunch boxes! Love all your entries. Your Sheera and Pooran Podi post really took me back home 🙂
Vaishali
Would love to post more kiddie lunch box ideas -- stay tuned. So happy you liked the Puran poli post. Although fiction, that society and its residents were very much out of my childhood and I am happy it took you back home. 🙂
Valerie
For the past few years I have been hesitant to make homemade bread, but you have completely changed that mindset for me. I recently made your Whole-Wheat French Bread and it was surprisingly easy to make and tasted amazing! I shared the bread with my co-workers who love it as well. Today I began my sourdough starter shown on your website and I look forward to trying new recipes!
Vaishali
Hi Valerie, so good to get your feedback-- and so happy the bread worked for you. That french bread recipe is probably the one I make most in my kitchen. I think you're going to have a lot of fun with the sourdough! 🙂
Samanna Paramasivam
Hi Vaishali Periodically I check your site, read anything new ( I do like your writing) and Look at your food . we go to Treatment once a week, while a sweet woman process our co-pay we talk about food, this past two visits i had given your site to look for good vegan recipes, her young daughter is vegan. There is a catch,She is white,I am from Chennai so we don't keep the same spices at home. In short I have given her some spices one time so that she can try at home. Americans buy garbanzo beans but not chenna dhal or the flour. If you ever made dhoklas one with garbanzo beans , It will also be a good part of Vaishali's vegan barking . By the way maintaining spices and ingredients is a full time job. Wish you for Christmas and for new year 2014. Paramasivam
Vaishali
Hi Paramasivam, thanks for your kind message. A dhokla with garbanzo beans sounds very doable, and I promise to try making-- and posting-- one soon. And you're right-- keeping up with spices and other Indian ingredients is a full-time job indeed, but an enjoyable one as I'm sure you'll agree. 🙂 Happy holidays to you too, and a great new year!
Mohinj
Hi Vaishali
I love your blog!! I am going to try the masala recipes( esp goda masala). Thanks so much for all the recipes....
Mona
Vaishali
Thanks, Mona, so happy you like the blog and plan to try the recipes. Happy cooking, and happy holidays to you.
Gilly
Hi V, Love your site. I had a question from the Lotus Seed Curry...I'm assuming I could sub in pure cashew butter (just ground up raw cashews) for the cashew paste. In your recipe, you have 1/3 cashew + 1 cup water...do you recall just how much paste you ended up with? Thanks!!
Vaishali
Hi Gilly, cashew paste is just cashews, no water, so it would be far more dense than a paste made with water and cashews. Just use 1/3rd cup of cashew paste mixed with a cup if water.
Gilly
Thanks for that! I've made this twice now and both times it's turned out great!
Jane
Just to thank you for this blog - it's a pleasure to receive it into my inbox, and every best wish to you
Vaishali
Thanks, Jane. 🙂 It's lovely to hear that.
Anonymous
thanks for the great article on cast iron pans in indian cooking. i wanted to purchase an enamaled cast iron casserole pan. will that work with indian food. i am also trying to stop using a non-stick and start using other products.
thanks!!
Vaishali
Hi Anon, yes, you can definitely use a enameled cast iron pot for Indian foods. Happy cooking!
Jocelyn Graef
I wanted to thank you for this wonderful site! Each recipe looks more delicious than the last. I keep getting distracted - and now there is a banana cake with peanut butter frosting!? Are you kidding me?! Thank you, thank you. I am delirious.
Vaishali
Thanks for your kind words, Jocelyn, and I am so happy you like the site. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Irene Muthe
How can I change my email address. I love your site and do not want to miss one meal! Thank you
Vaishali
Hi Irene, You can enter your email in the Get New Recipes by Email box in the right sidebar. I will go ahead and add your email to it now. You will receive an email asking you to confirm the subscription which is completely free. Once you confirm you will start getting each new recipe as I post it.
Hope that helps. Thanks for your lovely words, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
Vaishali
I think I totally misunderstood your email-- I guess you are just wanting to add a new email and unsubscribe the old one you already have in the system? In that case can you just go ahead and enter your new email in the subscription box in the right sidebar and confirm the subscription. For the email you want to remove there should be an unsubscribe link in the email-- typically it's at the end. Hope that helps. Let me know if I still didn't get it. 🙂
Katie
Hi! Love the site! Did you recently remove a recipe for vegan banana cake with peanut butter frosting? My husband is vegan and I kind of promised to make it for thanksgiving and I can't find it on the site! We have made it before, for vegans and non, and everyone loves it!! Thank you, in advance, so much!
Vaishali
Hi Katie, I changed my blogging platform recently and some things went a bit askew, which is probably why you couldn't find the recipe. Glad you've enjoyed making it--just search for "banana cake" in search bar. A happy Thanksgiving to you!
Priya
Vaishali, I love this blog. I'm a first gen Indian-American and vegan for 3years. Found you when I googled vegan gajar halwa--my fav dessert. Thx for the recipes. Was browsing some comments (some are old) and had a couple comments.
First, my dogs are vegan, mostly due to food allergies, but also because the crap in dog food is horrific. Worst quality meat, and usu made in china so risk of toxic kidney injury is a real fear. I buy a vegan dog food. I don't work for them or anything, but they are a small company out of Cali, where the food is made, and they ship for free via FedEx. I won't name them as this isn't meant to be a sales pitch, but I figure if peeps are interested they can find the company with minimal Internet research.
Second, I can't believe some of the inane things people say about being vegan, such as plants feel pain etc. even if that we're true, I usually ask how that is a logical argument for supporting animal cruelty. It's like saying "it's ok that I murder people because you rob them."
Third, for folks in India, it is definitely harder to be vegan. The PCRM has a kickstart India 21 day program with recipes and encouragement on being vegan. I also recommend looking at recipes for almond milk that can be made really easily at home (I prefer almond to soy milk in my tea).
Finally, thanks again for such an upbeat and informative blog. I'll probably bug you again when I go up to NoVa to visit my sister.
Vaishali
Hi Priya, thanks for your lovely message. And for the information about vegan dog food. I have seen some dry vegan dog food brands at a small boutique pet store that's near my home but never tried because I've been making all of Opie's food and also his treats myself-- not vegan, unfortunately, because he won't eat it. Does this California company do dry food or wet or both?
Agreed on the plants feeling pain argument-- and I like your counter-argument. 🙂
I am glad you recommend PCRM's India Kickstart. I worked for PCRM many years -- in communications -- and worked on recipe development and all the media outreach for India Kickstart when we launched it. It was fun, and I think we came up with a really good product.
Feel free to bug me anytime. 🙂 Always happy to answer questions.
vimla
hi vaishali for the seitan briyani ,what measurement cup was used
Vaishali
The standard U.S. 1 cup measure!