PETA India Animal Times Summer 2020

Workshop Stresses Humane Treatment of Retired Elephants

Vegan Abundance at Rare Earth If you can’t find what you’re looking for, create it yourself. That’s how India’s first all-vegan online grocery store, Rare Earth , came to be. When Shammi Sethi first went vegan, he found reading labels and tracking down vegan products in traditional supermarkets tedious. So he decided to put everything vegan under one roof. Today, Rare Earth is a one-stop all-vegan shop, carrying fresh curd, “meats” and “milks”, sweets and snacks, health and beauty products – you name it. Last year, Rare Earth Café opened its doors, and it has quickly become a popular vegan hub. PETA friend and Game of Thrones star Jerome Flynn has even eaten there! Find out what all the buzz is about: try these two delectable recipes, adapted from Rare Earth's menu, and check out RareEarthTheOrganicStore.com .

Many captive elephants have endured decades of abuse before finally being rescued and moved to a sanctuary. These intelligent, empathetic, family-oriented animals are kept constantly chained with spiked hobbles on concrete flooring and beaten with ankuses, clubs, and nail-studded sticks – all just to make them give rides to tourists or perform demeaning stunts. PETA India partnered with the Uttarakhand and West Bengal forest departments to ensure that elephants’ lives in retirement would be free from pain and stress. Held at the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand and Jaldapara National Park in West Bengal, the workshops featured presentations on handling elephants humanely with a “hands-off” approach. Attendees included officials from the forest departments, the Wildlife Institute of India, zoos, and veterinary colleges as well as veterinary students, mahouts, and representatives of major wildlife-protection non-governmental organisations. Among the speakers was internationally renowned elephant behaviourist Margaret Whittaker , who discussed protected-contact management, a modern, compassionate method designed to improve elephants’ welfare and keep humans safe through the use of positive reinforcement. In this system, which has been employed in other countries for nearly two decades, handlers operate from a position of relative equality, not one of dominance. Instead of ankuses, ropes, or chains, barriers (such as metal screens and bars) are put in place to separate elephants from humans. Handlers elicit cooperation from the elephants through positive reinforcement in the form of treats and simply ignore self-protection non-compliant behaviour, rather than meting out punishment.

Margaret Whittaker gives a demonstration on the trimming of overgrown nails to vets and other staff from the elephant camp at Corbett Tiger Reserve.

© iStock.com/subodhsathe

Biryani Makes 8 servings

Rogan Josh Makes 2 servings

“All captive elephants can

benefit from this system, which uses rewards – not intimidation, abuse, or ankuses – to manage animals.”

Ingredients 1 pkg Chetran’s SoyaGurt Dahi 2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste Pinch salt ½ Tbsp turmeric ½ Tbsp red chilli powder ½ Tbsp garam masala Lime juice, to taste 2 pkg Vezlay Soya Chikka ½ cup caramelised onions ½ Tbsp cooking oil 1 Tbsp cumin 1 Tbsp cinnamon 2 whole cloves 2 bay leaves ½ Tbsp cardamom powder 2 cups basmati rice 2¼ cups water

Ingredients 2 cinnamon sticks 2 bay leaves 4 green cardamom pods 2 whole cloves 1 tsp salt 1 tsp asafoetida 1 pkg Vezlay Soya Chikka ½ cup mustard oil or other refined oil

© Gauravmasand | Dreamstime.com

– PETA India CEO Dr Manilal Valliyate

1 Tbsp red chilli powder ⅓ tsp saffron, optional 1½ cups water 1 Tbsp fennel powder 2 tsp ground ginger 2 tsp cumin

Q A

Are carbohydrates fattening, and should they be avoided?

No and no. Here are the numbers: carbohydrates – whether from potatoes, rice, bread, or anything else – have only four calories per gram. Fats have nine calories per gram, making them more than twice as calorie-dense and, by extension, more likely to lead to excess weight. So if you slather butter on your toast, grate cheese over your pasta, or put meat on your pizza, the animal fats contain a lot more calories than the carbohydrate-rich foods they were added to.

Method • Add the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, salt, asafoetida, and soya chicken to a large pan. Add the oil and fry until heated through. Drain the excess oil. • Add the chilli powder, saffron (if using), and the water. Cook for 1 minute, or until the liquid has a reddish tinge. • Add the fennel powder and ginger. Cook over medium heat until thickened into a gravy. • Stir in the cumin and simmer for another minute. Serve hot.

Method • In a wok, combine the dahi, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, and lime juice. Stir in the soy chicken and top with the caramelised onions. Cover and let marinate for 1½ hours. • Heat the oil in a pressure cooker then stir in the cumin, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and cardamom powder. Add the rice and water, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. • Spoon the cooked rice over the soy chicken mixture. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 10 minutes over high heat. Serve hot.

Studies show that people who eat the most carbohydrates – especially those found in whole, natural foods like legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables – have a lower risk for weight gain. Low-carbohydrate diets, though faddish, are actually associated with heart disease, stroke, and even early death. For weight loss, the best options are getting regular exercise and eating vegan meals – especially those incorporating healthful complex carbohydrates. Skipping the animal-derived ingredients helps you avoid truly fattening foods.

Neal Barnard, MD, author of Power Foods for the Brain , answers your questions about nutrition and health. DOCTOR in the House

Order Vezlay’s Soya Chikka online at Rare Earth Organic Store, Amazon, or BigBasket. It's also available in some Nature’s Basket and Reliance Fresh stores.

Summer 2020 • PETA India’s Animal Times ® 7