Cooking is my inspiration to make art, and it is where I find joy. I grew up with my grandfather and younger sister in Kalaiya, a remote village situated in Nepal's Bara district. Helping my grandfather in the kitchen is where I learned basic cooking skills and discovered my lifelong devotion to savory sustenance.

I moved to the metropolitan city of temples, Kathmandu, at the age of twelve to live with my parents. It is there I had the opportunity to cultivate my culinary techniques with my mother. Aama (Nepali for mother) cooked many delicacies from different parts of Nepal and India. She is a first-generation Nepali-Indian who often worked as a private chef. At that time, those chefs were viewed more as servants than artisans, as they are known today.

Years later, a deteriorating political situation in Nepal and my interest in the visual arts led me to study graphic design and photojournalism in the United States. Previously, I was acquainted only with Nepali and Indian fare. As an international student living with people from around the globe, I expanded the scope of my eating habits to include different cultural dishes. The decade I spent in the United States opened my eyes to endless possibilities in culinary artistry.

Creating recipes has always been an integral part of my life. After converting to veganism in 2016, I became even more passionate about cooking delicious and healthy, plant-based meals. Combinations of ingredients that I had never imagined in the past became more common in my daily life.

My personal cooking journey started more than twenty years ago, so if you fail a couple of times when trying to cook a new recipe, it's all right. You will get better with time. The key to success is to never stop cooking! Good food will heal you from inside and help shape your life for the better.

Plant-Based Himalaya is my love letter to Nepali cuisine and to you. My hope is that you will enjoy this book, savor the dishes you create with it, and experience the bliss of a sublime meal made with compassion.

-Babita Shrestha

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