Plant-Based Himalaya: Vegan Recipes from Nepal
SynopsisPlot
The art of healthy cooking is all about loving yourself and spreading that love to those around you. It's even better when you can cook a delicious meal and also help protect the environment. In Plant-Based Himalaya, Nepalese author Babita Shrestha shares 38 vegan recipes from her home country that she has been cooking and eating since she was very young, including mouthwatering grains, dal, curries, greens, sauces, and desserts. In addition to food, Shrestha introduces her beloved Nepal along with her personal goals for a plant-based diet: decreasing mass production and consumption of unhealthy processed food in plastic packaging.
Story
About this book
Plant-Based Himalaya is a vegan cookbook by Nepalese author Babita Shrestha, collecting 38 recipes drawn from her own upbringing in Nepal. The dishes cover grains, dal (slow-cooked lentil preparations), curries, greens, sauces, and desserts, all prepared without animal products. The book includes 250 full-color photographs intended to guide readers through each recipe visually.
Shrestha frames her cookbook around two connected concerns: personal health and environmental responsibility. She argues for reducing reliance on mass-produced processed foods, particularly those sold in plastic packaging, and positions traditional Nepali home cooking as a practical alternative. Many of the recipes reflect everyday meals rather than restaurant-style dishes, rooted in ingredients and techniques common across Nepal's kitchens.
Beyond the recipes, Shrestha introduces aspects of Nepal itself, offering context about the country alongside the food. The book sits at the intersection of regional food tradition and contemporary plant-based eating, presenting Nepali cuisine as naturally suited to vegan cooking. Dal and grain-based meals have long been central to daily life across much of Nepal, making the shift to fully plant-based versions a relatively short step from established practice.
