BIPOC Portraits is a series in which Best of Vegan contributors Val & Mani Latifi of Plant-Based Passport profile one BIPOC vegan creator each week over the course of 16 weeks, to shed light on the unique challenges BIPOCs face in making the decision to embrace veganism. For BIPOCs, the prevailing narrative that veganism is a white-dominated movement can often mean a perceived loss of cultural identity. The hope of this profile series is to make veganism a little less lonely for BIPOCs and to give courage to vegan-curious BIPOCs out there. In the fifteenth installment of BIPOC Portraits, Soofia Akram of My Plant Based World shares her journey to veganism as a Pakistani-Brit. She also provides a delicious recipe for Channa Gobi (Chickpea and Cauliflower Protein Curry).
[The acronym BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color]
Soofia Akram is a Management Consultant based in London, U.K. Three years ago, Soofia adopted veganism to proactively manage an illness she was diagnosed with. Going vegan has enabled her to make a positive contribution to our environment and reduce animal suffering. Additionally, it’s inspired her creativity in the kitchen! Soofia created an eBook titled My Plant Based Indian Kitchen, with over 60 easy-to-follow recipes. When she’s not making magic in the kitchen, Soofia participates in a book club and volunteers for The Samaritans.
When you first went vegan, did you see the vegan community as diverse? Did you see yourself as having a place in the vegan community as a BIPOC?
I know the vegan community had a reputation as being the preserve of mainly white women. However, my own experience is that the vegan scene embraces everyone, every cuisine, and every ethnicity, and is super welcoming. There are so many fantastic BIPOC vegan cooks and creators out there, and I find their cooking incredibly inspiring. There is a place for everyone!
I firmly believe you can veganize anything!
Did you have any fears or reservations about going vegan? Did you feel like you might lose part of your cultural identity in your transition to veganism?
I firmly believe you can veganize anything! There are so many meat and dairy alternatives, that you can totally recreate all the dishes you may have loved before becoming vegan.
Did you worry about how your friends and family would react to your decision to go vegan? And how did they react?
My family and friends were very supportive and understood my reasons for moving to a plant-based diet. My family, in particular, enjoys my culinary experiments and has become much more experimental with plant-based eating.
It’s never too late to start to eat in a more plant-based way. Every plant-based meal you eat is a positive step forward for your health, the environment, and reducing the demand for intensive animal farming
Did you have challenges finding vegan substitutes to make your cultural dishes? What substitutes did you make?
I did not have much trouble finding vegan substitutes; there are so many accessible and delicious options available. I have recreated and veganised many of my childhood pre-vegan favorites in my ebook My Plant Based Indian Kitchen, including Malai Kofta Curry, with the kofta made from chickpeas, and Chick’n Biryani made using seitan.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?Â
It’s never too late to start to eat in a more plant-based way. Every plant-based meal you eat is a positive step forward for your health, the environment, and reducing the demand for intensive animal farming. If you would like to recreate some of my favorite veganised Pakistani and Indian dishes, you can find over 60 classic and more contemporary recipes in my eBook My Plant Based Indian Kitchen, available on my website or Amazon.
Article by Val and Mani Latifi. Recipe and photos by Soofia Akram of My Plant Based World.
 
