Not a complete vegetarian but, on the journey to become one :-). This blog is about me sharing recipes I create on a weekly basis which inspires me to include more veggies in my diet. Currently, its 80/20 ( 80% veggie diet and the aim is to move towards a 100% veggie diet and therefore, working on exciting recipes which will get me there ! ❤

Welcome to my blog everyone !!! 

Born in India, ( specifically, in the eastern region ), but, having lived across Indian due to my work has exposed me to various cuisines from northern, southern, western part of the colorful country. As, you know by now, Indian food thrives with spices and herbs which are known to be medicinal for many generations. Eg:  Turmeric, Tulsi (known as ‘holy basil’ in India ), fenugreek seeds etc.  I had grown up being a meat eater , as celebration in the family was associated with cooking a ‘ chicken curry ‘ :-).

When I met my partner 3 years ago, I was disappointed to hear that he was a vegetarian and wouldn’t eat meat. So, I was even reconsidering whether our relationship would work, given my love for meat and that he doesnt eat it. And, imagining what our dinners would look like, with only broccoli and other veggies would scare me off. However, we agreed never to persuade each other to switch our diet choices to please the other. Although, I was always tempted to get him to start eating meat. After 2 months of getting married, I found a job which required me to travel 2.5 hours each way , which totals 5 hours everyday. Very soon, I realized that I was unable to keep up with the travel, energy levels were extremely low, productivity at work was helpful, my skin was starting to react and was putting on weight. More than anything, I was feeling very irritated the whole time.

This continued for 5 months and I couldn’t figure out what could I change. Alternately, I used to see my partner always high on energy and a positive frame of mind. So, I decided to start experimenting with vegetarian recipes which would increase my veggie intake but are exciting enough for me to not to miss my meat. This included a combination of Indian meals flavored with lovely spices alongwith with not so spicy meals from british, european, italian and jamaican cuisines. I would try  recipes with different permutation combinations to excite my taste buds. While, this include a longer prep time, to my surprise, I started to love my meals, from veggie breakfast, lunches , juicing at lunch and followed by a colorful dinner. Not only that, I also tested my nutrition profile before and after to see a shift from when I change my diet to being a vegetarian. To my surprise, I started getting compliments on my skin, hair, productivity at work, my confidence level was sky high…and most importantly, I felt so much better about myself than I ever did before. The travel didnt hurt anymore and infact I would always still have enough energy to go out with my partner and spend time together.

This change has been an eye opening / life changing experience for me and our relationship…and, now, I am a believer..

Nirvana Living is a place where I share how I make vegetarian food exciting for myself through curating recipes which inspired me include more vegetarian food in my diet.