SAN DIEGO — Not many people walk away from a Harvard Law Degree to pursue a vegan cooking career. In this Zevely Zone, I met a rising YouTube star.
When you hear the word vegan, it's easy to get lost in the weeds so why not simplify the concept with a YouTube channel?
Nisha Vora put her law degree on the back burner along with a job in corporate America because it made her feel, "Anxious, miserable, just searching for something else," said Nisha. She started working at a vegan food store and cooked up a new career.
"Hi. Today we are going to be making vegan pancakes," said Nisha on her YouTube channel. She asks her parents to be taste testers.
"These are my parents please introduce yourselves, I am Dipak. I am Neela, Nisha's mom, Mom and Dad yes correct," they said. Nisha's parents immigrated from India and often times are more colorful than the food.
"Alright come on over let me show you what we are making," said Nisha from her North Park home. During our visit, Nisha prepared her famous Red Lentil Curry. Nisha combines her Indian heritage with plant-based foods.
This recipe alone is downloaded a 100-thousand times a month. YouTube recently honored Nisha for surpassing a million subscribers.
She's making more money now than she did with her Harvard Law degree. "Vegan food can be extremely delicious, so fun, so satisfying," said Nisha who is laying down a new law when it comes to eating healthy. "Does it taste vegan to you?" she asked when we sampled her curry. "Not at all," I said. She then told me, "This is what I call a vegan gateway recipe."
"That is delicious, really exceptional," I said. If you don't believe me, take it from Nisha's biggest fan. "The best vegan chef in the world," said her father on Nisha's YouTube channel.
Nisha is a vegan recipe developer, food blogger, and cookbook author. On her website Rainbow Plant Life, she shares unique flavor-packed plant-based recipes.
Nisha's first cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, was published in 2019. Her next cookbook will be published in 2024. For more information click here.