Latest Articles
Hindustan Times: Is kaali-dal the McDonalds of North Indian food?
To me, the next bastion of North Indian food is to look to the light flavours of U.P vegetarian food
For India Currents: on dance
About a dance theater production based on my book, Food & Faith
Exhibition celebrates vessels as repositories of stories
“Vessels have contained community, connections, family, emotions and the warmth of the hands that crafted them."
Why Bangalore traffic is so great….
Recently there is some rather unwarranted talk about Delhi pipping Bangalore as the top contender for this position. I would like to submit that this is just plain wrong.
The Chef as Artist or Businessperson
Are you a chef-as-artist or a chef-as-businessperson? Of course, the easiest answer is that you need to be both, but some lean towards one or the other side. Let me explain.
When the comments are better than the article
My previous column on idli and dose (Karnataka) or dosai ITamilnadu) or dosha (Kerala) or dosa (North India) brought forth so many comments. My head is spinning. Please read. Many call me out on my biases, which is great. Many offer critiques of this "stupid" article. Some link it to history, mean sea level, Dravidian roots, fermentation methods and ingredients. scroll all the way down below "Recent articles" for the comments section. Enjoy.
Which idli-dosa is better? Tamilnadu or Karnataka?
In Karnataka, breakfast is a duet whereas in Tamilnadu, it is an orchestra. I may be wading into the Kaveri here, but a question arose recently in a mixed group about whether the Karnataka or the Tamilnadu interpretation of the classic idli-dosa breakfast was better.
Where to shop in Bangalore
Where to shop in Bangalore? This is one of the most frequent questions that I get asked by visiting friends: where do you shop in Bangalore? And the answer in the great Indian tradition is “Depends on what you want to buy.” The problem is that most visitors don’t know what they want to buy because they don’t know what’s available.
Hindustan Times: Goa versus Bangalore
What does it take for a city to catalyze creativity? Which are the global cities known to foster a creative ferment—like Florence did in the 15th century? In India, only five cities are mentioned in UNESCO’s list of Creative Cities.
Wisdom Circle: What does your soul want?
What are you going to do with the rest of your life? These are questions for the ages; questions that every religion attempts to answer. At the same time, these are urgent, immediate questions that each of us contend with every single day.
Deccan Herald on Namma Bangalore at the Bangalore Literature Festival
Where I spoke about the Kannada language and how it shaped my experience of Bangalore.