I adopted a vegetarian lifestyle around the age of 10. Being vegetarian in India has always been manageable, thanks to the rich variety of delicious vegetarian dishes in our traditional cuisine. However, over the past decade, I’ve observed a concerning trend: an excessive reliance on ‘paneer’ or ‘cottage cheese’ as a vegetable substitute in Indian vegetarian meals.
It all began with Paneer butter/makhan masala becoming the staple Indian dish. On one occasion, during an outing with friends and their families, I was taken aback when a friend’s wife ordered this dish for all the children without inquiring about their preferences. It was assumed that the cottage cheese would be universally favoured. This incident marked just the beginning of a worrying trend.
Subsequently, during a visit to Radisson Blu Mamallapuram, I was disappointed to find that their vegetarian special day featured no dishes without paneer. This was followed by numerous instances where the cottage cheese found its way into virtually every vegetarian offering, from Veg Pulao to even replacing Veg Biryani with Paneer Biryani.
Perhaps the most disheartening experience was on an Emirates Airlines flight, where the vegetarian main course was Paneer Gravy with Rice.
In response to this trend, I now opt for the Vegetarian Jain Meal on flights in hopes of enjoying a variety of vegetables rather than cheese. I find myself increasingly drawn to non-Indian vegetarian dishes these days for their diverse vegetable selections. There seems to prevail a new notion in India that paneer equates to vegetarianism. I wish to assert my stance as an Indian vegetarian who prefers a colourful array of vegetables over cheese.
In essence, I wish to convey that there are still Indian vegetarians who cherish the vibrant palette of vegetables available to us.
Photo by Suchandra varma on Unsplash
