In India, food isn’t just food-it's identity, tradition, and sometimes, divine. For many who follow strict religious vegetarianism, the mere presence of meat in the kitchen can be unsettling. So the question arises: should such diners avoid restaurants that serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare?

Purity concerns are valid in many traditions-Jainism, Vaishnavism, certain sects of Hinduism. But in modern urban life, mixed-menu eateries are often the norm, not the exception. From mall food courts to Zomato orders, the lines blur. Some argue that eating from a kitchen that also handles meat defeats the purpose of religious abstention.

But others say it's impractical and even classist to expect every vegetarian to choose only pure-veg places, especially when dining with diverse groups. After all, the control over your plate ends at the table, not in the kitchen.

So what’s the solution? Better transparency? Labelling? Or a rethink of what purity really means in a shared world?