Vegan Chef

Who am I?

What am I doing here?

What is the purpose of my existence?

Born to humble hardworking parents who strived to give us the best they could in life, I am the eldest of four siblings. We grew up in Grasmere, Finetown where there was a population of barely 30-40 families. Later we moved to a small holding in Geluksdal. As a family we enjoyed our farm lifestyle; drinking borehole water, eating fruit from our trees, veggies from our garden and just living our best lives. I particularly enjoyed the space, the silence, the sound of the birds, and the daily visits of the neighbour’s cows grazing at the dam. This place was magical.

My parents were self-employed and family life was good, however school life was never easy for me. I was always challenged by teachers and schoolmates as I was a shy, withdrawn little girl. There was one teacher whose cane was her best friend, and I always found myself at the end of that stick. Academically I did well in school even though I was prejudiced by this teacher. My favourite part of school was sport as that was one area where I excelled. Still humbled and very shy, my love for athletics grew stronger in high school. I recall the first three years in high school, when I meritoriously received the sports girl of the year trophy three years in a row. One of the best memories for me was the principal calling me his star pupil however I still convinced my dad to allow me to complete my matric through a long distance college. My dad agreed, and I dropped out of school. During this time in my life I also found myself searching for something bigger, spiritually. I found myself drawn to Buddhist teachings and the introduction to meditation. This was quite intriguing as I always felt the need to connect to a higher power.

The first few months being out of school were exciting. I submitted a few assignments, but I later got distracted by the desire to work in corporate companies. Not having a matric certificate limited my career options in the work environment. But nevertheless, I was quite content as I still had the safety net of staying with my parents.

In my early twenties my spiritual journey continued, and I found myself drawn to a movement that followed a pure vegetarian diet. A practice that I took to very willingly, however after ten years I left the organization as I felt I needed more.

It was at this time, two years into me being a vegetarian, that I met my now ex-husband who was from India. We had a beautiful fairy-tale wedding in India witnessed by both our families and friends. Living in India was a beautiful experience. What stood out for me was the variety of vegetarian food and the colourful culture. This food experience in India is what further ignited my zest for cooking vegetables.

My mother in law at the time noticed my love and eagerness to learn how to prepare authentic South Indian food. She would wholeheartedly share her cooking secrets with me, as we shared the same passion for food.

The weather in Mumbai was extremely hot and humid, something I struggled with but managed. It was the monsoons that got to me. The first year I was exposed to days of rain and flooding. It was the second year of my stay during the monsoon season, I cried and just wanted to return to South Africa. The event that led to that decision was walking in a hip high flood to get home when my husband just sank into an open manhole.

Thankfully we were holding hands. I recalled the fear that rushed throughout my body and I instinctively just pulled him up. Within a month from this incident we moved back to South Africa. We started our lives all over again. The initial plan was to continue the same automation business we had in India, but skilled draftsmen were quite difficult to come by. My dad came to the rescue and lent us two sewing machines and we ran a successful bag manufacturing business for a few years.

Times were good until imports started to infiltrate and impact our business. Every year the cost of materials, salaries and rent would increase but we would decrease our product prices just to bag an order and try to compete with the cheap imports.

I’ve had countless sleepless nights trying to strategize and find a solution to a business that once flourished. I could feel my heart pound when I thought about our employees. They were good people and I felt responsible for them. To make matters worse our factory and office were burgled. All our machinery and computers were stolen. Once again during this very low time in our lives with limited money, we had to start all over again. Orders were few, monthly expenses were high. We just persisted. I recall one afternoon sitting with my beloved pet babies and suicide crossed my mind. I just wanted to end it all for me and my babies. I felt helpless and weak but staring into their loving eyes gave me the strength and courage to continue life. We shut down the business. My husband (now ex) formed another business partnership which thankfully kept us afloat. I worked temporarily for a while and then found myself at home. Yoga and meditation became a big part of my life. It was during that time I would post my vegetarian meals on social media and people took quite an interest in my culinary creations. They’d look forward to my foodie updates and I felt their enthusiasm and appreciation with the positive feedback I received. One afternoon I was visiting my mother when I came across a curry competition in a newspaper. There was a sense of excitement that rushed throughout my body. I entered, my recipe was selected, and my vegetarian dish won the Gauteng regional round in the cook-off. The next year I entered Mrs India SA (MISA) where I won Mrs. Personality 2010. Two years later I was invited to be on their panel of judges.

While all of this was happening in my late 30’s, I went back to school and completed my matric. I felt on top of the world with that accomplishment. I then registered for my degree. I recall sitting for my first exam. I looked around the room and I felt overcome by a wave of gratitude. Tears of joy flowed uncontrollably. Another integral part of my life was working as a research assistant for a Sociology lecturer at a university. She was my mentor and well-wisher who paid my final semester fees with the money that her late mother had left her. That act of kindness was in honour of her mum who strongly believed that women should be educated. While studying I continued to develop, cook, create and post my meals online. I always felt that many people had a disinterest in cooking vegetable meals and later learnt that the lack of interest stemmed from the lack of awareness of vegetarian food and its wide variety. Hence my purpose and mission were born, to provide a veggie option to whomever wishes to cook a veg meal.

I entered another curry competition where my vegetarian dish took top honours beating all nonveg dishes. Following my win, my recipes aired on television for a month and I was awarded a column in the food weekly column in a newspaper. Meatfree Monday recipes were shared weekly on Facebook and free on my website, which was my contribution to society and still is. There was no monetary exchange, just wholeheartedly sharing what I love to do. Two years later I won another title. Bagging these titles,

I earned the respect in the food industry as “SA’s Savvy Vegetarian”

Many local newspapers requested and published my recipes. Another one of my highlights was when I was asked to do a meat-free Monday segment on radio. I had no idea what to expect as there was no briefing. I managed to compose myself and successfully completed my recordings. A year later I was doing live radio on several radio stations, joyfully sharing my journey and recipes on air. “I am a master of persistence, I do what it takes” is an affirmation which I applied from the very core of my being. While doing radio I was approached by a UK brand specializing in meatfree soy free vegan alternatives. I represented the brand by doing more radio shows and live food events.

Thereafter I received more television opportunities. On the food front, life was good. I was doing what I felt passionate about; cooking and creating fabulous plant-based meals. On the personal side, my husband and I divorced but we remained good friends. We have been through the toughest times and it is through those trying times that unbreakable ties were created. I have been very lucky to have met my current partner. We both follow a vegan lifestyle and he supports my vegan culinary venture all the way.

In 2020 I hosted my first vegan cooking class. Developing recipes, cooking, creating and teaching people how to do it, fills my heart with joy. That year was also a defining moment in my life. I completed my Bachelor’s degree and passed with distinction. (B.A. – Applied Psychology – Cum Laude).

Earlier this year I received my yoga teacher certification. My purpose and mission are to create a yogic community that is fun, friendly and approachable to all people. I believe that being in a healthy community is good for us. Surrounding ourselves with positive minded people raises our vibrational frequency, thus uplifting our spirit.

Who am I?
I am a master of persistence – I do what it takes.
What am I doing here?
I am here to swim the deepest seas and to smoothly glide through life’s challenges.
What is the purpose of my existence?
I am here to have fun. Turn my fears into my best friend. Dream a dream – explore and discover even though I may fall and stumble at times.

Life is a remarkable journey that should be embraced with open arms. The deepest, darkest, toughest times are there to strengthen you and help you build courage and good character. When you are honoured for your achievements and good work, celebrate it with humility and gratitude.

Facebook (Videhi Sivurusan)
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(Vegan Chef Videhi)
Website: www.videhi.co.za