Planted Priyanka

ABOUT ME

Growing up in Alabama, I was an artist. Whether it was dabbling with paintbrushes or perfecting pirouettes in my ballet shoes, art was a creative expression for me in all its forms. It enticed me to slow down, focus, and do something innovative where I was creatively indebted to myself only. Several years later, my expression of art manifested itself in the kitchen where I started recipe testing after transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle. Experimenting in the kitchen then became my new escape as I began graduate school. It allowed me to decompress after being buried nose deep in books (yes, I’m talking to you, Patho!) and ensured I lived a more balanced life. Ultimately, I fell in love with this different form of art – the art of cooking. And I’m so excited to be able to share this passion with you!

Why plant-based?

For most of my life, I believed three things: the false advertising of the dairy industry, all vegans are self-righteous, and cheese is life. But after educating myself about the hidden world of factory farming and its effects on our environment, I no longer wished to justify my consumption of dairy products. I knew I wanted to make better food choices for myself, so I eventually adopted a plant-based lifestyle. It wasn’t an easy transition by any means, but with continued education and support from family and friends, I embarked on this journey in 2018 and have not looked back since!

 

Why allium-free?

 Allium is a family of plants that includes onions, garlic, scallions, shallots, chives, and leeks. So why do I avoid them? I know, I know, onions and garlic are known to have several health benefits. However, they also bear negative effects. According to Ayurveda, onions and garlic are Tamasic and Rajasic by nature. Meaning that aside from their healing properties, onions and garlic can increase ignorance, aggression, and cloud the mind if consumed. Allium vegetables may also cause gastrointestinal (GI) distress for those with sensitive GI tracts or conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although I personally ditched alliums for spiritual beliefs, I have learned to use other flavor-rich ingredients to create food that is just as delicious and nourishing. 

 

Through this blog, I hope to inspire you to give plant-based and allium-free recipes a try, experience how abundant and delicious this lifestyle can be, and feel happy about making choices that benefit us individually, and as a whole. 

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I enjoy creating them. 

Lots of love & gratitude,