About The Vegan School
India's First Plant-Based Culinary School
The Vegan School is an 8-week, fully hands-on plant-based cooking program based in Goa, India. Since our first batch in September 2022, we've trained over 200 students from more than 25 countries across six continents.
We didn't start with a grand business plan. We started because the course we needed didn't exist.
Our Story
In 2021, Nisha — a passionate home cook and longtime vegan — wanted to study plant-based cooking professionally. We looked for a structured vegan culinary course in India. There wasn't one. A few vegetarian workshops here and there, but nothing rigorous, nothing full-time, and nothing built around plant-based food from the ground up.
So Nisha went abroad. She enrolled at Vegchef Academy in Sweden, completed her diploma in plant-based cooking, and began working at Vaxthuset, a well-known vegan fine dining restaurant in Stockholm. She was building her skills. But back home, I (Ashish) kept thinking — there must be others like her. People who want to learn vegan cooking seriously but can't find a proper course in India. Not everyone has the means or the opportunity to fly to Europe for it.
That thought became a plan. And the plan became The Vegan School.
We built the website in January 2022, announced our first batch for September, and on the 5th of September 2022, we welcomed our first students in Goa. The school has been running ever since — batch after batch, growing steadily through word of mouth, honest teaching, and food that speaks for itself.
Today, The Vegan School is India's first and only structured vegan culinary school. Our students fly in from across the world — the US, UK, Sweden, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and over 20 other countries — to train with us in Goa.
Meet The Founders
Chef Nisha Garg
CHEF INSTRUCTOR
Nisha has over 10 years of experience working in kitchens around the world. She holds a diploma in plant-based cooking from Vegchef Academy, Sweden, and has worked at Vaxthuset, a vegan fine dining restaurant in Stockholm.
She is the heart of The Vegan School's kitchen. Nisha designs the curriculum, leads the hands-on classes, and trains every batch personally. Her teaching style is patient, precise, and generous — she wants you to understand the "why" behind every technique, not just follow a recipe.
Students often say that Nisha's classes feel less like instruction and more like cooking alongside someone who genuinely cares whether you get it right.
Ashish Santhalia
COURSE DIRECTOR
I bring over eight years of experience in education. Before The Vegan School, I spent four years helping run the operations of a chain of primary schools. I hold a Master's degree in Global Sales and Marketing from Austria and a B.Ed degree from India.
At The Vegan School, I handle everything beyond the kitchen — admissions, student experience, marketing, partnerships, and making sure each batch runs smoothly. I'm deeply passionate about plant-based whole food and its ability to change how people feel, think, and live.
I'm also your first point of contact. If you reach out to us, you'll likely hear from me.
What We Believe
Good food can change lives. We've seen it happen — in our kitchen, with our students, batch after batch.
Our mission is to make plant-based culinary education accessible, practical, and world-class. We teach people to cook with plants — not as a compromise, but as a craft. Whether you're here to build a career as a vegan chef or to cook better meals at home, the skills you develop with us are real, lasting, and transferable.
We believe in cooking for health. Every module in our program is rooted in whole-food, plant-based principles. Our students learn not just how to cook, but why certain foods support gut health, cardiovascular wellness, and long-term wellbeing.
We believe in cooking for the planet. A plant-based diet is one of the most direct things anyone can do for sustainability. We don't preach — we teach. And the food does the convincing.
We believe in learning by doing. Our course is 100% hands-on. You cook every single day. There are no lectures to sit through, no theory-only weeks. You learn with your hands, and you leave with skills you trust.
Our Track Record
Numbers tell part of the story.
Our alumni are doing meaningful work across the plant-based food world.
Some have opened their own cafés and restaurants. Others work as personal chefs — including for Virat Kohli and his family. Several run cloud kitchens, host pop-up dinners, develop recipes for brands, and lead wellness retreats.
Not every graduate goes the professional route — and that's equally valid. Many came to The Vegan School for personal growth, better health, or a deeper love of food. They cook for their families, host dinner parties, and share what they've learned with their communities.
What connects all of them is this: they left The Vegan School cooking with confidence, creativity, and purpose.
Our Chef Instructors
We've brought together some of the best chefs currently based in India. Each one is a specialist. Each one teaches with passion and precision.
CHEF INSTRUCTOR
Diploma in plant-based cooking. Worked at Vaxthuset, a vegan fine dining restaurant in Stockholm. Designs and leads every module of the course.
MUSHROOM SPECIALIST
Brings deep expertise in cooking with mushrooms — varieties, techniques, and flavour possibilities. Runs a Tamil-style vegan restaurant in South Goa and OG Mushroom, a ready-to-use processed mushroom brand.
SUSHI & JAPANESE CUISINE SPECIALIST
Spent time in Japan studying the craft. Known in Goa as the Sushi Queen. Runs a cute cafe called AVZ in Goa. Has helped multiple restaurants design their sushi menus.
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
A professional food photographer who teaches storytelling through food photography. Runs AceArcher Media, a media house. Brings a sharp eye for composition, lighting, and making plant-based food look as good as it tastes.
FERMENTATION & SOURDOUGH
A sourdough baker and fermentation specialist. Runs Fermenstation and FTR, India's first vinyl record bar. Deep understanding of cultures, starters, and the science of fermentation.
COFFEE WORKSHOP SPECIALIST
Takes students through the complete bean-to-cup experience — from farming, processing, and drying to roasting, cupping and brewing using different equipment. Runs Full of Beans, a roastery in Goa.
Goa is one of India's most food-forward, culturally vibrant states — and it's where The Vegan School is based.
For international students, Goa is easy to reach, welcoming, and affordable. The e-Visa process is straightforward, English is widely spoken, and the cost of living during the course is manageable.
For Indian students, Goa offers a change of pace — a focused, immersive environment away from daily routines, where you can give the course your full attention.
The food scene here is diverse and growing. From local Goan cuisine to international restaurants, Goa has become a destination for people who take food seriously. It's a fitting place to study plant-based cooking — surrounded by fresh produce, coastal energy, and a community that values good food.
We also offer limited on-campus accommodation just 1.5 km from the school, with a daily pickup service.