"No Plan B. Just Dosas and Belief."

Interview with Nisha — Co-founder of Indian Dosa Kadai & Veg Nation 📍Utrecht, Netherlands

POV: You love cooking. People say you should start a restaurant. Deep down, you want to. But doubt keeps showing up louder than courage.

-If that feels like you, then this story is for you.

Why we’re talking about small restaurants (and why they matter)

In a world where fast food chains multiply and everything’s available with a few taps on a screen, something essential is quietly being lost: the connection between food, people and place.

Small, independent restaurants,  the kind run by real people with real stories,  are more than just places to eat. They’re spaces of memory, culture, and creativity. They help keep food systems diverse and rooted in local communities.

In one episode of The Market Gardener Podcast, this very idea came up: when we support small restaurants, we support food sovereignty. We give space for traditions to thrive and allow local ingredients, methods, and stories to continue.

Trust the research:

Academic research backs this up, small restaurants:

• promote biodiversity in what we eat,

• preserve family recipes and cultural flavours,

• contribute more to local economies than corporate chains,

• and most importantly, create spaces where people feel they belong.
  
  

And that’s exactly why, at LEF, we take time to celebrate the stories behind small, independent restaurants, stories like Nisha’s.

Because behind every plate of dosa or bowl of chutney… there's a story of resilience. Of belief. Of someone who didn’t give up, even when the odds were stacked sky-high against them.

In the spotlight: Nisha, chef, co-owner India Dosa Kadai food truck  and Restaurant Veg Nation

"The Beginning: from five plates to a food truck"

Q: How did this all begin? What do you remember from those early days?

Nisha: So... I moved to the Netherlands after marriage. Like many of us.
I used to teach engineering students back in India. I loved it. But here? I didn’t speak the language, didn’t know many people, so I had to start from zero.

But I didn’t want to sit around waiting for something to happen.
So I asked myself: What do I have? What do I love?

The answer was always food.

Cooking has always been a part of me. I grew up watching my grandmother and mother in the kitchen, their hands never used measuring spoons, but somehow, everything came out perfect. I loved recreating those recipes, adding my own twists, experimenting with flavour.

Friends here would often say, “Can you cook for our get-together?”
So I did. First for five people. Then ten.

And then people began saying, “Nisha, you should start something of your own!”

One day, I just said — okay, let’s try.
No business plan. No big pitch. Just me and three friends… and this crazy idea.

We started a food truck — Indian Dosa Kadai.
No Plan B. Just dosas. And full belief that we could do it.
That’s really how it began.

"The Spark: A show, a couch, and a quiet dream"

Q: But why a food truck? What inspired that idea?

Nisha:
It sounds funny, but it started nearly 15 years ago, I used to watch a food show on Fox during my lunch breaks, all about food trucks.

Every afternoon, I’d sit down with my plate and watch these people cooking on wheels, serving food with heart. I didn’t even realize it then… but something about it stayed with me.

I didn’t know a dream was forming back then. It wasn’t loud or planned.
It was just… simmering.

Years later, when I was thinking, What next? I remembered that show.
And just like that, I thought: I’m going to have my own dosa truck.

"The Grit: two Customers, full Belief"

Q: What were some of the hardest moments along the way?

Nisha:
Oh, so many! (laughs)
Some days I made way too much food. Some days, it wasn’t enough.
Measurements would go wrong, timing would be off, and of course, there’s the unpredictable Dutch weather. Rain, wind, cold… you name it.

And I was also raising a family. I had to be a mom, a cook, and a business owner, all at once.

But I showed up. Every single day.
We’d wake up at 4AM to prep. Open the truck at 10. In the early days, we’d sometimes cook everything… and serve just two customers.

But I didn’t close early. I didn’t pack up.
I waited. I believed.

And those two?
They still come for dosa. Every week.
Maybe they didn’t realise it at the time, but they were my motivation.

"The Belief: ‘it’s more than just food’"

Q: Was there a moment you felt: This is working. Is this real?

Nisha:
Yes! It was a small, beautiful moment.
A customer brought his parents and said, “This tastes like home.”
That meant a lot to me.

I realized then: it’s not just about food.
It’s about creating a space where people feel at home, even when they’re far from home.

We weren’t just serving dosa.
We were serving memories, comfort, belonging.

And slowly, the locals started connecting too.
Now, we’re part of the Vegan Food Tour, where we get to show people how Indian food can be fully vegan, and most of all, super tasty.

I experiment. I reinvent.
Like our chutney, people say it’s the best with dosa.
The secret? I add peanuts.
That’s what gives it that nutty, spicy richness.

But again, it’s not just about food.
It’s about creating a place where everyone feels welcome.
A place of comfort. Of culture. Of care.

"Still rolling, now rooted"

Q: Tell us where things are now  and where they’re going.

Nisha:
Today, I run Veg Nation with Jyoti, a restaurant rooted in South Indian tradition, but reimagined through vegetarian and vegan dishes from our childhood kitchens.

We still have the food truck, that’s where it all started.

I don’t make big plans.
The dream? To keep going. Keep growing.
To build a community.

And now, we also want to host community events, storytelling nights, and chai circles.

Honestly, I don’t think much about what “success” really means.

 “If you’ve found something you love and you get to do it every day… you’re already successful.”

“Looking Ahead: wisdom for new beginnings”

Q: Looking back now, what would you say to women who are just starting out?

Nisha: You know, this is actually the first time I’ve shared my full story like this.
And to be honest, it feels really good.

Sometimes we don’t pause to reflect.
We’re so busy doing, cooking, solving…

But now, sitting down and looking back, I realise how far we’ve come. And yes, I think I should do this more often. (smiles)

If my story can inspire even one woman, someone who’s unsure, standing at the beginning, I’d be so happy to help.
Because I’ve been there.
I know how that beginning feels. All the doubts. All the unknowns.

But what I’ve learned is:
You have to keep going. Keep believing. Keep doing.
The connections, the people, the answers, they’ll come.

And no, I didn’t do it alone.
My husband, my kids, my friends, the Indian community here, they helped in ways big and small. Whether it was with staff, paperwork, or just showing up with kind words.

But it started with me asking.
That’s so important, to ask, to reach out, to say: “Can you help?”
Things begin to move when you do.

It really is like growing a plant.
You don’t see results every day, but you still water it.
You trust that something is happening under the surface.

🌿 Closing Thought: for the dreamer in the kitchen

If you’re unsure right now… still standing between a quiet dream and loud doubts, let Nisha’s story remind you: You don’t need a perfect plan.
You just need to begin.

Cook for five.
Then cook for ten.
Ask. Reach out. Keep going.

And never underestimate the power of a good chutney,
and a whole lot of belief.

Excited to try Nisha’s dosa and chutneys?

You can visit Veg Nation in the heart of Utrecht, NL or visit their foodtruck Indian Dosa Kadai every Saturday at the Vreedenburg market in Utrecht.

LEF & Nisha

So, how did we at LEF meet Nisha? Well, it's a simple story, really. LEF was founded by two of us: one a Dutchie whose love affair with Indian food began when she lived with an Indian roommate, she'd honestly never eaten better in her life! The other founder? She's from India herself, and let's be real, if you're from there, a craving for authentic Indian food hits you every now and then.

Nisha's amazing restaurant, Veg Nation, just happened to be in the very same city where we both worked, making the connection as easy as enjoying a perfect dosa. We genuinely love Veg Nation. And yes her dosa does hit differently.