Vegan Richa

Vegan Food Blog with Healthy and Flavorful Vegan Recipes

About Contact

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Contact me:

email: veganricha at gmail dot com (No Guest Posts Please)

Richa Hingle

Bio short:

Hi, I am Richa.  I am the award winning recipe developer, blogger, and photographer behind VeganRicha.com. My instructions are easy to follow and step-by-step photographs welcome the uninitiated into their kitchen as vouched by many. Iloves to show people how easy it is to cook vegan Indian or other cuisines. I have been featured on Oprah.com, Huffington Post, Glamour, Babble, VegNews.com, Rediff.com (top 50 Indian food blogs), TheKitchn, Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, and many more. My first book Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen, about easy and delicious Indian Vegan recipes, is in stores and is a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. I live in Seattle. The cookbook was Top Cookbooks 2015 by Vegetarian times and in Peta’s Must have 7 Cookbooks. My second cookbook Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen is available everywhere as well.

Connect with me about recipes, books, projects at [email protected] .

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/veganricharecipes

A portion of the proceeds from the blog and my cookbooks Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen and Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen go to the following organizations.

 

About and My Story:

I live in Seattle with my husband and a fluffball named Chewie.

I started up my cooking experiments once I took over most of the daily cooking from Vivek, who had been our resident chef in 2007(mid 2007 to early 2008). The problem with experimenting with dinner dishes at that time was that, even if the dish comes out good, we might just not like it taste wise. And that puts the dinner at risk. So I thought and thought and picked up baking. Baking helps me make snacks/breakfast/tea-time things which can always be substituted with something else if the taste buds reject the final product:)

I have been blogging since 2009. I like to keep it healthy. Vegan Richa is my baking, cooking blog and Hypnagogic is the random life blog.

I used to be a Software Developer, recovering (almost fully recovered as much as possible) from a Craniotomy done in 2006 to remove a meningioma(brain surgery to remove a tumor). Balance and vertigo issues post surgery kept me from going back to work. I started cooking and blogging as a hobby after a while.

I am a foster parent for a Dog Rescue and also with the Seattle Humane Society . I have some balance issues and fostering and baking are helped me get back on my feet. We were fostering dogs till mid 2010, then I was hit by panic disorder brought on most likely by the follow up MRI. Everything is clear, but my brain refuses to listen. So I am working on calming it down and getting life back on track.

My right eye nerves were affected during the surgery so that limits my reading, writing, browsing in general, online or books. I do read a lot of blogs intermittently and some books a couple of pages at a time, but since the eyes get tired very easily, I am not so active in the world of blogging, connecting and commenting. I am slowly trying to get more out there.

Food photography works a bit like Tai-chi for my eyes, getting better at browsing and editing pictures and such. Reading long pages is still a pain. I love reading everyone’s stories and posts, and try to spread it out during the day to help me get to as many blogs as I can.

We are on a plant based diet (transition started in 2010 by eliminating things one by one). All the current the recipes on the blog are now vegan. Some Recipes from the archives are non vegan, but can be veganized with simple substitutions. The connection was made because of being associated with rescue and foster of dogs, getting to know about puppy mills, associating and understanding chewie and the fosters, and finally realizing that the pain, suffering, feelings are the same for all animals. Read the detailerd Our  Journey here.

I try to use whole, organic as less processed as possible ingredients. I do use some new products and substitutes to find out how they taste and work, but eventually phase them out with home made or unprocessed options. Our food philosophy keeps changing based on things that make sense to me and you can notice that in the posts and recipes over the years.

Update 2013: this year I have been able to read more and more and spend a lot more time on the computer as you can see from the blog post frequency. Though more time in the kitchen is still a higher priority. :). Standing and cooking up a few dishes in one day is something I would love to do almost every day.

Update 2017: I can read a lot more of course. I developed some sinus issues(Apparently, I am allergic to Seattle weather :)) which affect my balance but thats life. Depending on the day I can, or cannot deal with small crowds, shopping, get togethers, long drives and such. This is the new normal now, taking things as we go and being ready for most things. If you happen to meet me and I suddenly look for something to sit on or whip out my own cushions and proceed to sit right there on the floor/road wherever, thats normal, as I cannot stand for too long and talk. Or if I close my ears and eyes for a bit, If I request a few minutes of no talking, thats normal too. For eg, In events with more than a few people/children and consistent noise and stimulation, My ears and eyes start to ache, my eyes eventually shut down after a while and all of this affects my sleep and things calm down sometimes next day depending on many factors. Also, I might not look at you while talking if you are not already in my existing line of sight. Lots of peculiar things, just roll with it.

Why Vegan:

Me: I realized I couldn’t directly or indirectly cause extreme suffering and death of any other animal or human when there are alternatives. Hubbs, found about the impact on our own health and environment because of our food choices and decided. a little bit of my compassion rubbed off too. Animals are sentient, self-aware, and capable of experiencing both pleasure and pain. They deserve our respect and deserve a natural life and freedom. We choose less cruelty and we do it all without sacrificing taste, habits and pleasure. For our  Journey details see here.

What keeps this food blog going, is to prove, that any food choice, is not about giving up something, it is about finding something better.

About food:

I cook very intuitively. On the blog, you will find many cuisines, mains, snacks, desserts, breads, Vegan-ized Indian and fusion foods, cookies, cakes, breakfast, bakes, and more.

What do we Eat:

We eat a lot of different legumes, beans, lentils, pulses, veggies, whole grains, whole grain flatbreads, nuts, seeds, greens, and rarely use processed vegan meat substitutes, processed soy, vegan cheese, mayo, butter etc. What it does include is bold flavors, variety, healthy food with a bit of indulgence once in a while. More than 1000 recipes and counting. 🙂 Please see the Recipe Index or Category Menu on to top of the page.

Thank you for stopping by. and please do let me know how you like the blog and the recipes!
xoxo

-Richa Hingle-Garg

e-Mail: veganricha at gmail dot com , No Guest Posts please.

I’d love to hear from you!

Feeds:

http://www.veganricha.com/feed

 

FAQs

Would you do a book Review?

I do review books occasionally (very few in 2016-17). The book has to be vegan. If I like the book, recipes and can make most of what is in it, then yes. I am put off by excessive use of fake meat, cheese or ready/boxed ingredients, sauces and too much sugar. I also take my time for the review because my time in the kitchen varies depending on my health. Please email me for inquiries.

Would you do a product review?

Yes. I do feature products occasionally on the blog that I can use in my recipes. Again, it depends on the product, its usefulness in everyday life, nutrition value, and the company values. See my review post rates here.

I dont do product reviews anymore. I mention some products that I like on my Instagram stories.

Do you advertise on the blog?

See this page for details.

Can I post your recipe on my site, blog, newsletter?

For most cases, please link up the original post instead of copying the recipe. For other feature requests, please email me for permission.

e-Mail: veganricha at gmail dot com

On Facebook 

I’d love to hear from you!

Richa Hingle

⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Comments

  1. Hi Richa,
    I receive your emails and look forward to seeing the new things that show up in my inbox.
    I am so sorry to hear about your tumor, that sounds like a hard thing to have to deal with. I am very happy that your recovery is gracing us with recipes though 🙂

    Your neighbor to the the north (Everett)

    Reply

  2. decided I would roast a cauliflower for Thanksgiving…. googled recipes and yours came up. I love
    Indian food so the masala sauce sounds like a great idea. Hope your head stays healthy- you are such a creative cook… and I have a dog too, but he is a carnivore 🙁

    Reply

  3. Richa, I tried the broccoli fritters and the lentil rice casserole with chickpea dumplings. So good!!!! I’m always disappointed with various recipes but you obviously have the right flavourful tastebuds. Yummy!!!!! Thank you so much!!! Recipe development is definitely a path please consider most seriously. 🙂 I wish you a fantastic lovely day!!

    Reply

  4. I found your website and book and want to try a lot of your recipes, but there’s one problem. So many of them have cauliflower as an ingredient, and that’s just about the only food item I simply cannot eat – one touch on my tongue sends my entire body into “must expel the vile invader” mode. Is there a good substitute? My first thought is broccoli, which I have no trouble with (go figure).

    Reply

  5. I love your recipes. Thank you for all of the time and energy you put into this. You’re amazing and your food is representative of that.

    Reply

  6. I bought your Indian cook book and was disappointed to find that there were no pizza recipes in this like I saw on your website. Hard to access your recipes online as the website keeps shaking and going back up to the top and so I can’t read your posts. I have to end now because I lose this page.
    D. Elkington

    Reply

    • Hi Doreen, The first book was Indian and indian fusion recipes and Pizza doesnt feature in Indian food. My next book will have many pizzas. You can sign up to get updates about it here. http://www.veganricha.com/vegan-richas-everyday-kitchen

      As for the site shaking, can you tell me what browser and machine you are using? The site should not do this. I checked on some browsers and it works fine. We can fix the issue once we see it.

      Reply

  7. Hi There! I just wanted to drop a simple note to say that I really enjoy your blog! I’ve tried a few of the recipes, plan to try others and have played around with still more…sometimes I just pop in to see what creative new things are going on. Thanks for the work you put into it. It’s very much enjoyed – and my husband often sends me updates from the site with pictures and a “Let’s try this!” caption underneath!!

    Reply

  8. At the age of 55 and 58 years of age, my husband and I began our journey to health through a plant based whole foods diet. Thank you so much for the amazing recipes you’ve developed and shared. We can’t believe how well we eat because of dedicated folks like yourself.

    Reply

  9. I am new to eating food from India. Learning to make flat bread and the spices used. Yesterday I purchased your book on Amazon and downloaded it. What a great wealth of information and I haven’t even started on the recipes. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply

  10. I honestly do not know how I happened upon your blog and your great recipes but am so very thankful I did! I made 6 of your recipes in one day for meals for my work week. Oh my goodness–each one was even better than the last. I immediately ordered your book and am going to be working my way through the wonderful recipes in that, too. Although I will be busy with all these recipes, I will be purchasing your new book as soon as it is released. Thank you very much for sharing your awesome recipes–I am a much happier vegan with your easy and delicious recipes. Wish you every success.

    Reply

  11. Hi Richa, I just discovered your blog. Such amazing recipes! I just do not know where to start. It really helps me to make my new vegan life nicer. Thank you! Best wishes for you from Germany.

    Reply

  12. Hi,
    I love your book Indian Kitchen and I have a question about the Potato Quinoa Patties. I would like to make and freeze some so I wondered if you recommend freezing before or after pan frying? Looking forward to getting your new cookbook.
    Thank you

    Reply

  13. Love what you mention as : any food choice, is not about giving up something, it is about finding something better.

    We recently made a transition to gluten-free and dairy-free and our ourselves noticing the changes in our health and also environment with those changes.
    Your blog is really inspiring!

    Reply

    • I dont say that anywhere. I provide Options for soy-free for people who might have allergy/intolerance to soy, or have to restrict soy for other reasons. For eg, my mom and sister both have thyroid issues and they have to eat minimal soy. They eat tofu, soy sauce here and there but have to be mindful of the amounts they are consuming in total. There could be other conditions that require minimal or no soy as well. People search for soy-free options. so i add those options if possible in the recipe, and label them when the recipe is soy-free.

      Reply

  16. I just bought your book and I find it tremendously inspiring. I have decided to try all recipies. Today I did the cabbage koftas. Great – and for me a totally new way to use cabbage. The sweetness of the cabbage goes very well with the spices????. I am vegan and have been for two years after having been a vegetarian for 30 years. Your book is the best vegan cookbook I have bought so far! Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for the wonderful note! Indian food uses vegetables in many various ways and the book is a collection of a few of them 🙂 Happy Cooking! <3 <3 Richa

      Reply

  17. Love your blog so much great information. Really well organized on the website. I just started my own food/adventure blog and am looking for some feedback. If you have time to check it out that would be much appreciated. its plantfueledginger.com
    I was also looking for some advice on how you went about writing your cookbooks. Also how you got some of the inspiration to create a website. thanks! looking forward to hearing from you

    rebecca may gennett

    Reply

  18. Hey Richa, Not sure if you would remember but long back I dropped you a message to interview you. And look I am again on your blog for a different reason. I have been advised to be off-dairy for few months and when I was asked for this, guess what I just thought about you. And Now I am checking your blog to find more and more Indian recipes which are Vegan. Thanks for the wonderful blog.

    Reply

  20. H i Richa,

    Want to buy your Traditional and creative recipies from the home cook on Book depository as I have delt with them a few times, the cover is totally different to the one on your website so Im hoping it is the same cook book ???
    Thanks for your blog great recipies you have made my journey to veganisum so much easier

    Reply

  21. Good Evening Richa,

    I am looking at purchasing an Instant Pot due to seeing you use it for many of your recipes.
    I try not to have a cluttered kitchen and I am hesitant to purchase anything. Please can you tell me the benefits of an Instant Pot?

    Thank you,
    Ellen

    Reply

    • Hi Ellen, it depends on how much pressure cooking you do or would do on a regular basis. Pressure cookers are generally great at cooking beans and lentils quickly and cooking them well. You can also use it for other things such as making yogurt, steaming etc, or batch cooking beans etc. I have been using pressure cookers since I started cooking as they are frequently used in Indian cooking. So it really depends on the kind of food you eat and cook.

      Reply

  22. Hi Richa, I am very happy to stumble into your website today while searching for vegan recipes. I am very moved by your story and I am myself a cancer survivor and I really loved my dog who passed away 6 months ago. I am not 100% vegan yet, but working on it. With all your yummy vegan recipes, I think it will help me a lot to achieve my goal. Thank You.

    Reply

    • I am glad you found the blog! Thats amazing that you are transitioning to a vegan diet. It takes time, all the best.
      I am so sorry that you had to deal with cancer and also for the loss of your dog.

      Reply

  23. Just wanted to let you know that Amazon closed their personal stores. Your link at the top to your Amazon store is now coming up as a 404 error.

    Reply

  24. I made the Smoky Vegan Cheese Sauce from your book Everyday Kitchen. It was very good. Loved it. And so much better than processed stuff in the grocery store. I am taking it to potluck today :).

    Reply

  25. Richa I just discovered your blog and am very glad I did. Your recipes are wonderful (especially the Indian ones) but I’m also just so inspired by your personal story and your strength! Thank you for sharing with us!

    Reply

  26. Hello Richa,

    I love your book Everyday Kitchen and I always go to your website first when I am ready to try a new vegan recipe. One of my favorite parts of your book is the wonderful picture of your parents and Chewie in the Preface. This is a wonderful photo and they look like very nice and caring people. Your website photos are also very nicely done. Keep up the good work and thank you for the wonderful recipes.

    Reply

    • Hi Cynthia,
      Thank you for this wonderful note. Yes, my parents love him a lot too. Although it took some time for dad to warm up to him, but now they are inseparable when they visit.

      Happy cooking!
      Richa

      Reply

  27. Hi Richa!
    I love your recipes and your blog! I dream of standing in the kitchen cooking vegan food all day long everyday-and usually I do! It’s therapy:-) Can I get paid to do that??!!
    I am very interested in the surgery you had. I am seeing a neurosurgeon next week to discuss the same surgery. Any words of advice on how to prepare or recover? Did you loose any of your sense of smell or taste? Difficulty remembering which spices go well with certain ingredients?
    Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes!

    Reply

    • I am so sorry you have to go through it. I met couple of neurosurgeons to get their views on what needs to be done and what will the outcome be. All of them thankfully said the same procedure was required. They did differ a bit in their views of how things would go, what kind of decisions they will need to make during surgery, what will they choose to do, and what can be expected post. Some had an aggressive point of view, ie, they will try to get all of the tumor out as much as possible which means higher risk of damages to nerves surrounding it, while others would choose to be more cautious. you want to discuss their point of view on this and why they would choose to be aggressive or not, a lot depends on the location and other things in the brain. We eventually went with the more confident aggressive surgeon, however his bedside manner wasnt as great. But he is very well known for successful surgeries. You also want to talk about who will be performing everything. Some surgeons are attached to universities and they have to have some students do portions of the surgery, which we had to be ok with, but as an afterthought later, we should probably not have gone that route. Now with the balance problems that i have post surgery i always wonder if that had anything to do with it. Brain is super complex, so you never know what happens either ways.

      No i did not have difficulty remembering things, or smell etc (but all of this again is dependent on if there was damage to those nerves). You do slow down a bit for a month or 2 post surgery, somewhat like an overloaded computer which is running lots of processes, so it is slower to respond. Remember to rest. People might want you to move and exercise etc, just do limited stuff and listen to your brain and body. Do not tax the brain. If you feel like you are getting tired, rest. Every small thing like meeting a couple of people, watching a loud movie etc is taxing as the brain has to process a lot more information. Keep the month after surgery super chill, rest, eat well, do calm and light things, read, watch light non loud romantic movies, have someone with you in the house just to give you company or chat a bit etc. You can email me at veganricha at gmail for more info. All the best. Hugs

      Reply

  28. Hi Richa. I am planning on very short trip to Seattle to visit my family. I am thinking about cooking some creamy pasta dish for my cousin (non vegan) who will be mainly looking after her Mother in the hospital after surgery… My Cousin I know allergic to nuts, hates mushroom and tomato but loves other veggies. Do you think I should go with the “mushroom alfredo” sauce and just toss other veggies she likes? Or do you have another creamy pasta sauce (nut free) you would recommend for me that will wow non vegan that likes chicken alfredo =)

    Reply

    • I also have a Cauliflower alfredo and pumpkin seed alfredo. Pumpkin seed might be an acquired flavor. https://www.veganricha.com/?s=alfredo Try both before making it for him. and add some of the flavoring ingredients from the mushroom alfredo recipe, like vegan Worcestershire etc. You can also try the rose sauce from the blog. Nut-free option is in the notes.

      Reply

  29. Thanks very much for your time and effort. And specially thanks for providing awesome recipes to make going vegan easier. We can talk about the health benefits, the environment and the animal issues but if you really want to catch people, show them how delicious vegan cooking can be. This is what you are doing. The blog is easy to follow, beautiful photos and the food looks as good as anything anywhere in my opinion.

    Reply

  30. Hi Veganricha,
    My spouse and I love your recipes and you have made our meals so much better!

    Just wanted to say thank you for all the creative recipes! Everything we have tried on your web site has been delicious 🙂

    Reply

  31. Dear Richa, tomorrow is the sencond time I will be baking your vegan chocolate cake. First time was for my husband and this time is for some vegan family friends that are visiting are for couple or days. Just wanted to say the chocolate cake was the best I have ever had so far. My husband shares my opinion. Thank you!

    Reply

  32. Richa,
    I love your website and recipes! I use the Instant Pot primarily and am always looking for new recipes. Your recipes are usually a cut above the rest! Your views on diet and being a vegan are very much appreciated. You are definitely proving that vegan diets don’t have to be bland and boring.
    Thanks so much.

    Reply

  33. Just wanted to say that your recipes have been immensely helpful to me since making the transition into a vegan lifestyle. I never properly read your bio until today, and just wanted to send you all my blessings and love. I can’t believe how much you’ve been through. So amazed at how God is using you to change people’s lives by showing them how to live a healthy, ethical lifestyle. 🙂 There is a silver-lining to every cloud. God bless.

    Reply

  34. I just purchased your cookbook yesterday and found myself up past 1 am reading recipes and contemplating cooking although no one else was awake. I find the variety and uniqueness of the recipe selection exceptional and very intriguing. Also love that the ingredients are what I normally have on hand! Can’t wait to sample the recipes!

    Reply

  35. I am transitioning to vegan. I will be eating paleo on the weekend until I get used to cooking vegan. I was looking for recipes for hemp tofu and found your blog and your wonderful recipes. When I read your bio, I knew I found the right place. (I don’t usually read bios). We both have health issues in the brain, although my symptoms were not that strong. I have been dealing with a slow growing tumor on my brain stem for 40 years. I discovered the tumor 1 month before surgery due to balance issues. I had surgery in 1993 and the change was incredibly good. 25 years later I am still doing well but slowing down. Thanks for the recipes. Next for me is your cookbook. I wish you good thoughts for your health.

    Reply

    • Thank you Kath. Hope you keep doing well. I have quite a bit of balance and vertigo issues so its a pretty limited life in some ways.

      Reply

  36. Hi Richa, I have been reading your blog for awhile now but I am just now commenting. I hope your balance and vertigo symptoms continue to improve and that you don’t have to have any more surgeries. My brother had to have brain surgery recently for epilepsy and he has to have another surgery because he is still having seizures. The brain is so complex. But constantly changing and creating new neural pathways so never give up on it! I have balance issues too and I find that yoga and balance exercises (especially bosu ball) has been slowly (very slowly, but progress!) improving things for me. Maybe it could help you too. I wish you a healthy and happy life! Thank you for your dedication to this blog, it is beautiful. Very excited to try the recipes. The photography is gorgeous. Meghna

    Reply

  37. I am a born vegetarian and struggling to get vegan. But looks like my daughter will eventually nudge me in being one!
    I simply love you recipes.
    Your journey to where you are now is awe inspiring! So much to learn on resilience, perseverance and positivity!
    Stay healthy, stay blessed and keep creating magic!

    Reply

    • Thats awesome! Keep doing it one ingredient or dish at a time. Too many changes at once can be overwhelming and hence more prone to failure. Good luck!! Thank you for the sweet note.

      Reply

  38. Hey Richa, its an awesome blog. I am just trying to follow you but a long way to go.

    I am inspired by you I was reading the blog and was concerned about your health as i could not see any recipes posted for a couple of years or maybe i am looking at a wrong place.

    Hope you are doing better! 🙂

    Reply

  39. Hi Richa you are the most inspiring cook ever I am not that good of a cook but I aspire to be a better cook to get up to you. Thank you richa for being the most inspiring cook! P.S. can you suggest a beginner cook recipe. Thanks!

    Reply

  40. I am new to your site but the food and recipes look amazing! Thank you for sharing this with the World and really enjoyed reading your Bio. Love and Light to you!

    Reply

  41. Hello my Dear! I’ve been vegan for 7 years now and am passionate about food. I tried your mung bean and lentil omelette and WOW where has this been all my life? Thank you for your brilliance!

    Reply

  43. The banana oatmeal pancakes are delicious. However, a lot of the batter stuck in the vitamix container. Could I use the same recipe using the kitchenaid mixer on high speed?

    Reply

  44. Hello Richa. I found out about your blog through Netflix Game changers recipes. I am interested to purchase your book “Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen”. Does it contain nutrition facts information about each recipes? Thanks !!!

    Reply

  45. Dear Richa ,

    Bravo !!! I must say Girl you are a real warrior ! True inspiration ! This reminds me of Sunil Gavaskar who had a unbearable tooth ache , but he had scored some 220 runs ! Same is your case , you are a fighter !
    Best wishes for future dear !
    Would try your recipes for sure !!

    Reply

  46. You are so inspiring Richa! Your journey and all the work you have done for making our earth a kinder place, it’s admirable!
    Keep posting, I love to see your words pop on my Instagram feed♥️

    Reply

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