Christine M. Kirzek
As a first-generation Indian-American growing up in New Berlin, Sheil Shukla sometimes envied the meals his friends ate.
He couldn’t wait for Tuesday. At that time, his family moved away from the traditional Gujarati food made by his mother and bha (grandmother) and tried things like pasta and pizza.
The family always cooked vegetarian, but after he left home for college and found his options limited, he started cooking for himself. That’s when he really started digging into a plant-based diet and the traditions and flavors of his Indian roots.
After a little encouragement from friends and family, he started taking pictures of his food and sharing them on Instagram and his website as @plantbasedartist. sheilshukla.comAs his audience grew, so did his awareness of the effects of nutrition, health, and a plant-based diet.
Now a Northwestern practitioner in Glenview, Illinois, Shukla has just published his first cookbook. Balancing his roles as a doctor, recipe developer, and food photographer, he authored “Plant-Based India: Rooted Nutrition Recipes in Tradition” (August 2022, Experiment Books, $30).
A graduate of Brookfield Academy, Shukla lives in the Chicago area with his wife, Rachel, and son, Shree. His book launch was August 3rd at his Elephant Restaurant in Spirit of Winnetka, Illinois.
Q: What are your childhood dining experiences? How did you learn to cook?
answer: Growing up, my grandmother lived with us. She did most of the cooking at her house. She didn’t even think about food. I was just going to school and studying. It never occurred to me that it might be something I did for a lifestyle. After moving to Chicago, I started cooking for myself. When I moved into the dormitory, I was a vegetarian at first. Choices were limited. I started cooking for myself in the dormitory.
Q: What was the first recipe you mastered?
A: The first one is Chilean Paneer, which I actually modified to create a vegan option with cauliflower.
Q: What made you grow this on social media and websites?
A: I became vegan in 2015, my senior year of undergraduate studies, and have been since.
I just started posting photos on my Facebook account, but it didn’t reach many viewers. We were just friends. I was encouraged to open an Instagram account. I remember it was after I took the MCAT. I was just relieved that the exam was over. Why don’t you open a social media account and post your photos for fun?
Q: I intentionally use the term plant-based rather than vegan or vegetarian in this book. Why does it make a difference?
A: These are very deliberate choices from the start. When I was exploring veganism, at the time there were a lot of negative connotations about vegans taking an overly aggressive approach and graphic depictions of animal violence. For me, I wanted to distance myself from that approach to promoting veganism. I was fascinated by those words.
I was able to practice my own vegetarianism, but I think I would invite others in a respectful way.
Q: One of the things you talk about is how medical students and programs don’t spend a lot of time focusing on nutrition. What motivates you to reach out?
A: A lot of it stemmed from being able to reach an audience that the patient alone couldn’t reach: his own family and friends. My time is limited. Actually, I just started full-scale practice this week, so I can understand it well.
Social media is a way of getting to know so many other people and sharing what I’ve learned about nutrition and food.
Q: These recipes are based on Indian cooking traditions, but I’m assuming you’re in the Midwest. You grew up in the Milwaukee area and now live in the Chicago area. How has this region known for cheese and sausage influenced your approach to food?
A: Honestly, I grew up eating all of that too. I’ve been to the State Fair and had everything State Fair is known for, fried butter and more. I’m familiar with that Milwaukee culture, but for me, who grew up in the area and is connected to my own culture, I’ve learned to connect both worlds.
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My ba, she used produce and her Gujarati recipes and roots. . He grew peppers, zucchini, and other produce. He brought the box to my place. She took advantage of it by substituting zucchini for the gourds used in India. For me, it helped blend those two influences.
Q: How would you define your approach to cooking?
A: A seasonal approach to health, holistic health, taste and good taste. If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be consciousness.
Q: Let’s talk about ingredients. What do you want people to know?
A: Things can be easily adapted to different diets. I could call it cashews, but there are many things that can be used in place of cashews. Even cooked, steamed, or blended potatoes can be used as substitutes. I want to be prompted to make changes instead of
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Q: You include ingredient references, noting some ingredients that people may not be familiar with or find in some grocery items, like Eno fruit salts, which are leavening agents. . Where do you buy the materials? What should people know about adding these ingredients to their pantry?
A: When I was under 12, ingredients were harder to find in the Milwaukee area. My family was traveling to Chicago to source ingredients. Interestingly, I ended up in that exact area, Devon Ave., to attend school. It was where the Midwest had the first Indian grocery store and has become a hub for the entire Midwest. Then there were several grocery stores in the Milwaukee area. When I started cooking for myself, Devon Avenue was a major shopping destination. Now there are tons of Indian groceries everywhere.
Q: Who or what has had the biggest impact on your approach to food?
A: Regarding who my ba and my mom, as they make it pretty clear in the book. When it comes to plant-based diet ideas and the health benefits that surround them.
Q: What is your favorite recipe or ingredient to share with others?
A: My go-to recipes when cooking for others are creamy North Indian dishes, like gravy-style dishes such as matar tofu, one of my favorite dishes. Garam Masala is a home spice blend that combines cinnamon, cloves, coriander and cardamom. …is an easy way to introduce a taste of India without buying a lot of ingredients.
Q: What do you make after a long, hard day? What’s your comfort food?
A: I don’t always reach for Indian food. For me, after a long day, it’s a robust stir-fry with whatever I’ve taken out of the fridge. Khichadi in India is a hearty stew-like dish made with rice, lentils and sometimes vegetables. You can make it in the microwave, but you can also make it in a pressure cooker. When I traveled to Mumbai, you heard them ringing all day long.
Q: Are your parents and family still in Milwaukee?
A: They are still in my New Berlin home where I grew up. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is the newspaper that comes to our homes every day, so doing this interview is special.
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