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Priyanka Naik is an accomplished chef who has achieved great success in the culinary world. She is a self-taught vegan and sustainable chef who has won numerous awards, including a Food Network championship and a Quibi Dishmantled competition. In addition to being a TV host, she is also an author, columnist, public speaker, and world traveler. Priyanka's cooking style is influenced by her Indian heritage and her love of travel. She is committed to using sustainable and low-waste cooking practices in her recipes, and she is passionate about animals, sustainable fashion, cars, bad movies, dramatic reality shows, bright lipstick, and bold red glasses.
What made you decide to enter the culinary world and why did you want to become a chef?
I was born and raised in New York City as a first generation IndianAmerican. Our strongest connection to India, our culture and extended family was through food. From as far as I can remember, I spent my days in the kitchen (I am the youngest of three girls) observing my mom cook and began helping her and learning through action. I became obsessed with the creativity of cooking and soon thereafter began watching tons of cooking shows in America. This led me to continue cooking on my own, creating a blog www.chefpriyanka.com 12 years ago for my original recipes and my culinary career took off from there! I am a self-taught chef and I focus on vegan and sustainable global cuisines. I am a Food Network champion, an author, writer, TV host and world traveler.
What do you do to stay on top of the new cooking trends?
Browse social media! That is the best way to discover "trends." I follow a ton of accounts who are chefs and food content creators. Once the social platforms see who I'm following, it'll get a sense of my interests and show me relevant and trendy content related to my interests!
Eat with your eyes first: A multi-color plate of foods means a healthy and delicious plate of food! Treat every being as you want to be treated - with respect and compassion.
If you could give one piece of advice to new vegans, what would it be?
Have FUN and experiment! This is your opportunity to think of vegetables as the star of the plate. Using whole dry spices to flavor your food; experiment with a new vegetable every week.
You seem to focus a lot on providing nourishing foods sourced from plant-based ingredients. How did you become vegan yourself?
I became vegan about 5-6 years ago for environmental and ethical reasons. I am an animal lover at the core and I can't bear to see another being harmed just for our consumption. Plus, I grew up vegetarian, so I knew the versatility of vegetables, their benefits, and their delicious taste!
When did you realize you wanted to write a book?
Tell us a little about your book "The modern tiffin"?
I've wanted to publish a cookbook probably since the age of 12, ha! I think it's a dream for most cooks, aspiring chefs, and professional chefs. Having your recipes in a keepsake book that the world can read and cook from is one of the most gratifying feelings. The Modern Tiffin is a true culmination of me - a combination of my regional Indian heritage with my world travels and experiences
I've been to 40 countries globally and have learned a tremendous amount about varying agriculture, approaches to cooking, new dishes, and sustainability. The reason the book centers around the 'tiffin' is because I grew up taking my lunch everyday to school (my mom packed us a gourmet Indian inspired lunch everyday) and even when I entered the workforce after college, I packed my lunch every day for work.
I understand the value of cooking, how it made my body feel, and the ease it had on my wallet. So I wanted to combine all of those aspects into one book - The Modern Tiffin!
As a cook, how do you stay energized and motivated to produce quality dishes throughout your shift?
I am not a line cook or a restaurant chef - most of my work involves developing recipes for brands, building on brand partnerships, writing for my books, and creating/hosting restaurant pop-up events. I like to challenge myself by incorporating new ingredients and produce that I don't use often; I lean heavily on my memories and experiences from my travels; and I lean the most on cooking sustainably - low-waste cooking.
What is your most popular dish and dessert? What sort of flavors do you think really entice consumers?
My most popular dish is my viral Spinach Jalapeno Pesto pasta My most popular dessert Cornmeal Gulab Jamuns from my cookbook The Modern Tiffin. I think people like the ease, look and taste of these recipes.
BY- ADRIAN HANKS
‘Wow, I’m in Africa,’ she said, with tears rolling down her cheeks. ‘And I’m on top of a beautiful sacred mountain.’
She was standing on top of Table Mountain, in Cape Town, South Africa, shoulder to shoulder with Dean and Adrian, the tour guides, and in the company of several others, who had also booked up for the 21-day Spirit of Africa Journey.
For a long time, they had all been planning this tour. Adrian had interviewed and stayed in touch with them for many weeks. Now it was finally happening. Adrian had flown in from Australia, as did five of the others. A couple had flown in from the United States and one from the United Kingdom. Eight people had booked to be with Adrian and his guides for 21 days. They would travel several thousand kilometres together to several countries.
This was not just any old travel tour. This was a spiritual journey. It was advertised as a journey of self-discovery and connection to the magic and sacred wonder of Southern Africa. The guides had been chosen for this very reason. Dean was a man steeped in Cosmic Wisdom, and Sicelo (Black Lion), was a man of the wilderness. Adrian with thirty years of personal and spiritual study and work behind him, taking on the privileged role as the main tour leader.
Cape Town was the starting point. It was where they got to familiarize themselves with the people, the land, and the culture. In South Africa. 60 million people. 1.2 million square kilometres of land. 11 official languages. Many cultures. It was a good place to start the woman thought. It was a good place to ‘feel’ into what she was about to get herself into. Penny had never been to Africa before, and, although excited, there was an element of trepidation and fear there too. She had heard it was not always safe. This was true, it was not the safest of places to visit in the world, the animals were wild and there was a high crime rate.
‘That’s why we travel with our eyes and ears open,’ Adrian had explained to them the previous morning, over breakfast, in the Botanical Gardens, where they all first met up as a group. ‘We stay focused and alert and stay present to our surroundings, whether we are in the city or out in nature. And, to reassure you, Dean has lived in Cape Town for over 50 years, and I lived here for 2 years myself,’ said Adrian, in his most reassuring voice.
By the end of day three, they were all feeling very safe and comfortable. Sitting around an open fire, eating dinner, they were discussing all they had experienced in the Sacred Caves. For tens of thousands of years, people had conducted their ceremonies in this region. The energy of the place had stirred everyone’s souls.
It’s a Rhino,’ he yelled. ‘Shhhh,’ said Sicelo bringing his finger to his lips to emphasise his command. Ron was one of the three men who had signed up for the Africa Journey with Adrian. He was excited. It was the first time he had ever seen a Rhino in the wild, yet alone up so close. The Rhino was only thirty metres away. Sicelo, Adrian’s Zulu friend (brother), was the leader of the three-daythree-night Wilderness tour in Kwa-Zulu-Natal. This place is where people get up close to the Rhino and many other animals like Giraffe, Buffalo, Hyenas, Zebra, and even Lions. It’s safe. Sicelo and the other guides are very experienced.‘No one on my tours has been eaten – yet!’ says Sicelo with a big roaring laugh, as tumbles out the word, ‘yet!’
The children were excited. They had been waiting for days for Adrian and his friends to arrive. Some of the children remembered the other times he had visited. Some of the older children, or adults, as some of them had now become, had known Adrian for a long time; some, as many as nearly twenty years. The orphanage, a good hour’s drive from Johannesburg, was one of the special experiences he loved to offer the people who joined the tour group.
‘There’s no other place quite like it.’ He had shared with them when they first asked about it. ‘It’s one of my favourite people places on the planet.’ They were all about to find out why!
The plane touched down at Kasane airport in Namibia. It was more like a small country airport than an International one. The drive to the lodge was eye-opening. Traditional life, with the mud and thatched huts, was still very much part of the region. If the vehicles, cell phones, and cell phone towers were taken away, there would not be much difference from what these travellers were seeing from those who visited the region one hundred years ago.
The Zambezi River was as spectacular as they had all expected, and the Crocodiles and Hippos in it made it even more incredible and exotic. They were shocked to see the Zambian fishermen with their nets paddling their wooden canoes in the river close by them. The great Zambezi River was the border for many kilometres between Zambia and Namibia.
Victoria Falls, one of the most beautiful and spectacular waterfall systems in the world, was breathtaking. ‘It’s just magical how the rainbows appear across the mists.’ Said John, one of the other men on the tour.
The Namibian Culture Village was fun. Penny and Gillian were in hysterics as they tried to play the traditional drums and dance with the half-naked Namibian women, whose breasts were large and steadily swaying as they moved to the music.
Botswana. Chobe National Park is the home of over one hundred thousand elephants. The boat and driving tours around the park were a fantastic prefinale to a wonderful 21 days of exploration and insight into some of Africa’s gifts.
The final evening arrives. It’s back to the lodge on the Zambezi River in Namibia. Adrian, and his eight tour guests, board a small boat. It’s time to bring their adventure to a close with a boat cruise into the sunset …
People talk about their Spirit of Africa Journey experiences for weeks, months, and even years. Thousands of photographs get taken. Hours of video recordings. However, the greatest memories people have are locked away in their souls … That’s the aim. That’s the outcome.
Every human being should enjoy Right to Life. Article 21 of the Constitution of India and Article 3 of International Convention Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 guaranteed the Right to Life. Every aspect of Right to Life has always been subject to consideration of Judiciary and depends upon the facts and situations. Right to Die is also claimed under this situation. The concept of Euthanasia originates through Right to Live with dignity in a dignified way. The origin of the concept of the Euthanasia as well as giving the legality to it, has been a topic of debate all over the world. An unfortunate situation may arise in one a million cases, that a person is in a vegetative state and keeping such person in such a state for a very long period of time is neither in the interest of such person nor in the interest of the family members as they have to live with a trauma of seeing their loved ones in such a state of life. Thus, the question of Euthanasia become important for the lives of persons involved in such situation. Euthanasia involves deliberate action or inaction to end or to assist in ending the life of a person on compensate grounds.
Euthanasia has been derived from Greek word “eu” (Good) and “thantos” (Death), put together it means good death. Euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of a patient to limit the patients suffering. The idea is that instead of condemning someone to a slow, painful or undignified death, Euthanasia will allow the patient to experience a relatively “good death”.
Euthanasia and its type:
It is classified into four different types and they are:
1.
Active Euthanasia: Active Euthanasia means when the medical professionals or other persons, deliberately do something that causes the patient to die as soon as possible.
2.
Passive Euthanasia: It is an act of killing the patient by the medical professionals as they stop doing something that is keeping the patient alive for example, they switch off the life support machine; Don’t give life extending drugs; Disconnect a feeding tube; Don’t carry out life extending operation.
3.
Voluntary Euthanasia: Voluntary Euthanasia is given to the person who is very sick and is on support bed or machine and if removed they will automatically die.
4.
Involuntary Euthanasia: It is the killing of the patient which is conducted against the will of the patient and is illegal worldwide.
Background:
Euthanasia is not widely accepted by people or by societies throughout the world. However, in ancient Greece and Rome, helping others die or putting them to death bed was considered permissible in some precarious situation. The Netherlands became the first country to decriminalize voluntary Euthanasia and assisted suicide by passing a law on 1 April 2002. The Lower House of Parliament approved a “mercy killing” Bill by a 2/3 majority. The bill went to Dutch Upper House, the senate, for the approval before becoming law. Following vocal protest, while the Bill was being debated, the Dutch coalition government dropped a proposal to allow terminally ill children as young as 12 to decide on euthanasia against the parents wishes. Under the new legislation, a doctor will not be prosecuted for terminating a person’s life providing he or she is convinced that the patient is facing unremitting and unbearable suffering. As of March 2023, active human Euthanasia is legal in Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg, some States of Australia, Canada and Spain.
The constitutional validity of Euthanasia in India:
Chapter III of the Constitution of India guarantee Fundamental rights. Under Article 21 of Constitution of India, the protection of life and personal liberty is guaranteed and it is stated that no one shall be dispossessed of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure enacted by laws.
Apart from the aforesaid, the holistic Constitution of India has little to offer for the concept of Euthanasia. Even the Constitutional Courts in India are in a fix over the said subject matter. The discussion in P. Rathinam vs. Union of India and Anr., 1994 SCC (3) 394 and Gian Kaur Vs State of Punjab, 1996 SCC (2) 648, brings out the difference of opinion between the different benches of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. Section 309 of India Penal Code (IPC) deals with punishing attempt to suicide. In P. Rathinam (supra), the Hon’ble Supreme Court had held that the Section 309 of IPC is unconstitutional and the said judgment was overruled in 1996 in Gian Kaur’s Case (supra). Further, it was held in Gian Kaur’s Case (Supra) that Right to die is not included in Right to Life. Thereafter, Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, has been passed to provide a solution to this situation. Section 115 of Act, 2017 says that notwithstanding anything contained in Section 309 of IPC, any person who attempts to commit suicide shall be presumed, unless proved otherwise, to have severe stress and shall not be tried and punished under IPC. Though this provision has made Section 309 of IPC redundant but the suicides are still being reported by the medical practitioners under Section 309 of IPC.
In the Year 2005, an NGO, Common Cause had approached the Hon’ble Supreme Court praying for a declaration that the fundamental right to live with dignity under Article 21 of Constitution is inclusive of the right to die with dignity and sought directions for adoption of suitable procedure for executing the “Living Wills”. In a path breaking judgment of Common Cause (A Regd. Society) vs. Union of India & Anr. (Writ Petition Civil No. 215 of 2005 dated 09.03.2018), the five judges’ constitution bench of Hon’ble Supreme Court has declared that passive euthanasia is permissible, using the rational that failing to save a person could never constitute a crime.
On the other hand, active euthanasia is still illegal or prohibited in India and in many other Countries. Hon’ble Supreme Court states that active euthanasia involves deliberate action by the third party which amounts to death or murder.
Leading case - Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug vs Union of India:
Aruna was a nurse in the King Edwards Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, in 1973 (November) she was assaulted by Ward boy, Sohanal Bhartha Valmiki, of the same hospital while she was changing her clothes in the basement. Valmiki strangulated Aruna with a dog chain around her neck. The attack halted the oxygen supply from her brain and leaving her blind, deaf, paralyzed and was on ventilator at that time in a vegetative state for next 42 years, from the day of her assault till the day she renounces the world. Aruna could only survive on mashed food. Aruna could not move her hands or leg, could not talk or meet the basic function of a human being. In 1974, Valmiki was charged with attempted murder and for robbing Aruna’s earrings, but not for rape. The police did not take into account that she was sodomized. Ld. Trial Court sentenced Valmiki for seven (7) years imprisonment and his imprisonment was reduced to six (6) years, as he had already served a year in lockup. Valmiki came out from jail in 1980 and after that he still claims that he had not raped Aruna. The Hon’ble Supreme Court accepted the petition seeking euthanasia for Aruna and constituted a medical board to report back on Aruna’s health and medical condition. The medical board reported that a patient was not brain dead and responds in her own way. They felt that there was no need for euthanasia in the case. The staff at KEM Hospital and the Bombay Municipal Corporation filed their counter petition in the case, opposing euthanasia for Aruna. All the staff were quite happy to look after the patient (Aruna) and they had been doing for so many years. On May,18, 2015 Aruna then 66, renounced the world.
that the life is precious gift of God and no one has right to die or take his or their life by its own. Everyone should deal all the situation come on their way. The sanctity of life should be respected in every situation. The government should provide and develop the means and measures in such a way that every person whether poor or rich can get assistance in this regard. The law does not grant any right to kill any person, neither humanitarian, constitutional, legal, nor religious beliefs allow a person to kill the other person whatever the situation maybe. In India, in our society Euthanasia cannot be allowed merely on the wish of relatives.
People who are in favour of euthanasia have several arguments that support their stance. One of the most common argument is that it will end great suffering and pain that is caused by serious illnesses. Patients who are diagnosed with serious diseases that may end their lives, the pain that they have to go through is unthinkable by anyone else..
If euthanasia was legalized, then a lot of people will not have to go through that amount of pain as when there is no chance of survival and the patient is in a permanent vegetative state; they could use the option of euthanasia and end their own lives. Speaking from a financial point of view, all these medical treatments do cost a lot of money and for many people, it is quite impossible to sustain such treatments for a long period of time. Some families just are not able to pay such high amounts for treatments and in the end, it might be all for nothing as that person might end up dying and all that money might just go to waste
As of this day, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has declared that passive euthanasia is allowed and also Hon’ble Supreme Court declared that the individuals have the right to die with dignity under strict guidelines. Fundamental Rights are necessary for leading a dignified and fulfilling life. Probably the most important Fundamental Right in the Indian Constitution is the Right to Life under Article 21. It is a right that encompasses within its broad domain the right to legal aid, right to a clean environment, and a plethora of other rights. The question that needs to be understood is whether right to die is inherent in this sacred right to life and whether a person can be allowed to control his death and can decide his end.
