Vegan diet

[Das Devaraj]

(This query may only be somewhat related to Indology.)

I am a vegan living in CA, USA.  (A vegan is a strict vegetarian,
who does not even eat dairy products or honey.)  As you can imagine,
ordering food in restaurants take a long time for me :-)

Onto my question.  Recently, I was talking to a priest who had come
to USA very recently.  When he heard that I was vegan, I believe he
asked me whether I was a "Palghat Iyer." Again at an Indian restaurant
here, a waiter (who apparently came to US only 8 months ago) asked me
whether I was a Palghat Iyer, hearing my vegan request.

Is this something new Palghat Iyer's are starting to do in India?
(I have been a vegan for ethical reasons for many years and nobody
has asked me this particular question before).  Also, are there any
books or papers, which discusses in a factual manner, vegetarian
diets or better yet vegan diets in India?

das