Vegetarian food? An Indian mosaic artist finds everything she wants in the city

Editor’s note:

Shanghai has been enriched by the many expatriates who have come from all over the world to sink roots in the city and contribute to a melting pot of ideas and cultures. This series introduces you to some of them.

Suchita Mahajan was originally intimidated by the idea of moving from India to China, fearing, among other things, that her vegetarian diet couldn’t be sustained here.

But her unease has become something of a family joke now.

Mahajan has had no problem finding Indian groceries or vegetarian menus in restaurants. Her favorite is a spicy soup called malatang, a popular street delicacy.

Local eateries she frequents close to home know her well. When seated, a knowing look to shop owners brings forth an extra spicy stew of vegetables only.

She has also learnt from her ayi how to cook the dish at home. Soy sauce, pickled chillies, pepper oil and other Chinese condiments are kept on a shelf.

“These two,” said Mahajan, pointing at peppercorn oil and Lao Gan Ma hot sauce, “are products I take back to India with me so I can satisfy my craving for malatang when far from China.

Uprooting the family and moving to Shanghai had not been the family’s original plan.

In 2011, her husband was sent to work in Shanghai. She, then 32, followed him with their first son. The temporary assignment was supposed to end after two or three months, but the family found life in Shanghai so inviting that they decided on impulse to stay and establish roots.

Thirteen years on, Mahajan has two children and has taken up work as a mosaic artist.

“It’s easy to live and integrate into the local community,” she said. “We expats learn how to adapt.”

Her second son, who was born in Shanghai, is almost more Chinese than Indian. Like most kids his age, he’s really into Chinese social media, like dance challenges on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. He’s also fluent in Chinese, acting as a teacher of sorts to his mother.

Mahajan said she finds learning Chinese hard but she has managed to master the social necessities of the spoken language – at least enough for some basic conversation with locals.

She has found some Chinese habits to her liking, like drinking liquid hot even during warm weather.

“It’s a good, healthy habit,” she said. “I carry these ideas when I go home to visit India.”

She said she’s also delighted by traditional Chinese massage and acupuncture, which help relieve her back pain.

“It’s very different from India’s traditional therapies, like homeopathy and Ayurveda medicine, but it’s very useful,” she said, adding that she does draw the line at Chinese herbal medicine, which she finds too bitter.

Mahajan shops online on Taobao and Pinduoduo platforms, but her favorite shopping venue is the market at Yuyuan Garden, where she buys home decorations and gold.

“We Indians love gold and wear it every day,” she said, dressed in hand-crafted, traditional Indian lakhnavi attire covered in golden sequins, with accessory gold ornaments like necklaces, bracelets and rings.

“There are several gold stores at Yuyuan Garden that sell pure gold at a good price,” she said. “I always take visitors from India there.”

In an underground mall near Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, she bought a qipao, the traditional cheongsam. She said she used to wear it when playing ukulele with others from a community-based international music group that visits nursing homes, hospitals and special schools.

“I wanted to give something back to my local community, where I have been living in the same compound for 13 years,” she said. “It’s truly good here. People are very helpful and friendly.”

She invites Chinese neighbors to join in celebrations of Hindu festivals like Diwali and Holi, and gets reciprocal invitations to join in traditional Chinese holiday celebrations.

“I love Shanghai,” she said. “It’s convenient. We can travel easily. We can feel safe. Also, you can start anything in Shanghai because there are so many opportunities.”

By chance, she learned mosaic art from an Indian friend, just for a hobby. But gradually she found she had a talent for it and turned it into a career. In the past eight years, she has created mosaic art, such as plates, lamps and vases — all inspired by Indian myths, Chinese cultural symbols and Shanghai landmarks such as Lujiazui skyline on the eastern shore of the Huangpu River.

“They’ve sold well,” she said. “Both Chinese and foreigners love mosaic art.”

Beginning in 2021, she started teaching courses in the craft at the community center in Jinqiao Town.

“If some day we move back to India, I may open a store to sell mosaic artwork of Shanghai landscapes to my countrymen,” she said.