No paneer, no honey, no milky chai? The real challenge of going vegan in India

Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty. It includes food choices, but also products made from animals, products tested on animals and entertainment involving animals. This makes veganism broader than simply avoiding meat.

A vegan diet excludes meat, fish, eggs, dairy and honey. Familiar Indian foods can remain on the menu when their animal-derived ingredients are removed. Dal, rice, roti, rajma, chole, idli, dosa, poha, upma and vegetables can all fit a vegan diet.

India has a long vegetarian tradition, but veganism goes a step further. It excludes milk, curd, ghee and paneer, which many vegetarians still eat. The distinction matters because becoming vegan involves changing everyday habits and examining clothing, cosmetics and other products too.

The article identifies milk, curd, ghee, paneer and honey as animal-derived ingredients that vegans avoid. Meat, fish and eggs are also excluded. This can make the change feel significant in India, where milky chai, ghee-based breakfasts, curd, paneer and chicken curry are woven into familiar eating habits.

Traditional dishes themselves do not always need to disappear. Dal, rice, roti, rajma, chole, idli, dosa, poha, upma and vegetable dishes can remain vegan when they are prepared without dairy, meat, eggs or other animal-derived ingredients. Tofu can replace paneer, and plant milks can replace dairy milk.

The article also stresses that direct substitutes are not essential. Sarahana relies on dal, rice, roti, vegetables, chickpeas, rajma, seasonal produce and legumes. Vegan cooking can therefore use everyday Indian ingredients instead of expensive imported or packaged alternatives.

World Population Review estimates that around 9% of India’s population followed a vegan diet in 2021. That amounted to an estimated 121.5 million people. The figure provides a sense of scale, showing that veganism is not limited to a tiny group within India’s diverse food culture.

However, the number is not a definitive count. Veganism surveys often ask people to describe their own diets, so the results depend on self-reported responses. Different surveys may also use different definitions, samples or methods, making direct comparisons difficult.

The estimate should therefore be read as an indication rather than exact population data. India also has a substantial vegetarian population, but vegetarianism and veganism are not identical. Veganism excludes all animal-derived products, including dairy and honey, while the broader vegetarian tradition may still include them.

Traditional Indian meals can remain familiar while becoming vegan. Dal, rice, roti, rajma, dosa and poha are naturally plant-based when prepared without dairy, meat, eggs, honey or other animal-derived ingredients. The same applies to chole, idli, upma and vegetable dishes.

The key mechanism is ingredient choice. Cooks can use vegetables, chickpeas, legumes, grains and seasonal produce as the foundation. Tofu can take the place of paneer, while nut and soy milks can replace dairy milk. Plant milk can also be used to make curd at home, according to Sarahana.

The article presents this approach as accessible rather than dependent on costly imports. Sarahana mainly eats dal, rice, roti, vegetables, chickpeas, rajma and legumes. Utkarsh includes tofu, soybeans, dals, rajma, vegetables and tempeh. Vegan food can therefore be built around familiar Indian cooking.

When veganism extends beyond food, it becomes a wider way of making daily choices. The Vegan Society definition includes excluding products made from animals, products tested on animals and activities that use animals for entertainment. A person must therefore consider more than ingredients on a plate.

In practice, this means examining clothing and other purchased products, alongside cosmetics. The key mechanism is checking whether animals were used in making, testing or providing an item or activity. Food remains one part of the decision, but the same concern about exploitation guides other choices.

This broader scope explains why the article describes veganism as a change in everyday habits and perspective. It also means there is no single food swap that completes the transition. People who adopt the lifestyle continually rethink familiar products and activities, while using available alternatives where possible and practicable.

People choose veganism for different reasons. The article names animal welfare, environmental concerns and health considerations. These motivations can overlap, but they do not carry the same weight for everyone. For Utkarsh, the central reason has always been concern for animals and the connection between food and the animal it came from.

That connection began in childhood, after Utkarsh watched a chicken being slaughtered. He became vegetarian that day and later went vegan. The experience changed how he viewed the food on his plate. Other people may be guided more strongly by environmental concerns or by health considerations when deciding to change their diet.

The article presents the transition as both practical and personal. People must change ingredients and routines, but also reconsider their relationship with animals and products. Veganism can therefore grow from one powerful experience or from several concerns combined, with everyday habits reflecting that underlying perspective.

Avoiding dairy matters because veganism excludes all animal-derived products, not only meat. The Vegan Society definition focuses on reducing animal exploitation and cruelty as far as possible and practicable. Milk, curd, ghee and paneer therefore remain outside a vegan diet, even though they are not meat.

This distinction is especially important in India. A person may avoid chicken, fish and other meat while continuing to drink milky chai, eat curd or use ghee. That pattern can fit a vegetarian diet, but it does not fit veganism. Vegans instead use plant foods or alternatives, such as tofu for paneer and plant milk for dairy milk.

The article shows that dairy avoidance does not require copying every familiar product. Sarahana builds meals around dal, rice, roti, vegetables, chickpeas, rajma and legumes. The choice reflects veganism’s broader principle: changing everyday habits to avoid animal-derived products wherever possible and practicable.