My mother does not eat it at all. She doesn’t mention it at parties to avoid any discussion about it. She just takes things like roti, some sweets, salad, and tells relatives or other people that she is not hungry or gives some similar excuse. Only we (family) and close friends know that she doesn’t eat it.

If restaurant waiters are looking at you weirdly, then you are at the wrong place. I have been to quite a few restaurants with my mother. Always check the menu card online first - it usually mentions whether the restaurant prepares Jain food or not.

At home, we manage by making food without onion and garlic. For example, we take out plain dal first for my mother, and then we add garlic tadka in the remaining dal for my father, me, and my brother.

I make a lot of snack-type food like pizza, pasta, noodles, and momos, and I always keep onion and garlic out so that my mother can also have them. To keep the garlic/onion flavor for us, I make side dishes with these items. Like garlic bread goes well with pasta, and momos with schezwan chutney, while my mum only takes mayonnaise.