Deepavali memories of Indian chefs behind Michelin-star restaurants
The Hindu
Indian chefs behind Michelin-starred restaurants across the globe on their festive memories, and how to curate a Deepavali feast worthy of that elusive star. These chefs are Garima Arora, Vikas Khanna, Vineet Bhatia, Sriram Aylur, and Srijith Gopinathan.
Garima Arora
Having grown up in Mumbai, with her extended family in New Delhi, Garima’s festival of lights was all about firecrackers, the puja, and mithai. “We headed to Delhi every year, and it was a very traditional affair,” says the chef who now lives in Thailand and runs the one Michelin-star modern Asian restaurant Gaa.
The mornings were spent cleaning, she says, adding, “we were all given rags and brooms to clean the house”. As a treat, her grandmother would make the children “cheeni ka paratha”, a layered flatbread topped with sugar. Lunch was always methi paratha with homemade butter.
After the evening’s Lakshmi pooja, Garima recalls how everyone looked forward to the halwa and dinner feast. “I still remember the one Diwali when our dog got to the halwa before us and passed out happily after finishing the bowl!”
As for the feast, there was always the much-loved rajma chawal, jeere wale aloo, puri, raita, salad, and kheer. “My biggest weakness was the motichoor ladoo!” says the chef who also helms Marigold, a chaat and mithai cloud kitchen in Bangkok.
Garima, who has not been to India for Deepavali for the last 14 years, says this year the festival is special in more ways than one. “My son Aham will complete six months on Diwali day, and we will start his first solid food then.”
Garima’s festive menu: dahi bhalla papdi, and sev batata puri for starters to mark a mix of her upbringing in the capital and Mumbai; an Asian-inspired bowl meal of rajma chawal with sabzi, pickle, and curd; a motichoor ladoo smash with raspberry granita for dessert.
Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln are two of the greatest presidents that the U.S. has seen. You probably know that already. But did you know that Jefferson made what is considered the first contribution to American vertebrate paleontology? Or that Lincoln is the only U.S. president to receive a patent? What’s more, both their contributions have March 10 in common… 52 years apart. A.S.Ganesh hands you the details…
Preprint papers are publicly available scientific papers before peer review, popular among open-access advocates and scrutinizing peer review practices.
Discover the fascinating world of river dolphins in India, facing threats but captivating hearts with their unique features.
L&T, India's largest private defense manufacturer, expands into aerospace industry to capitalize on growing global launch vehicle market.
The BMW C 400 GT: A stylish scooter with premium details, advanced safety features, modern technology, and improved ergonomics has arrived in India
With the rise of the women’s liberation movement in the West, and some parts of China, activists fought for separate rooms, separate bathrooms, separate swimming pools, separate vehicles, separate roads, separate cities, even separate countries
Himmat Shah refused to be part of the mainstream, instead focusing on metamorphosing his medium and materials in the most versatile ways — with a distinctly Indian aesthetic
Celebrate Alexander Graham Bell Day on March 7, honouring the inventor of the first telephone nearly 150 years ago.
SpaceX's Starship spacecraft explodes in space, causing FAA to halt air traffic in Florida, marking second failure this year.
Trump's firing of NOAA employees sparks discussion on climate predictions, highlighting the need for global, high-resolution models for resilience.
At The Sarvato, the new seasonal restaurant in Jaipur’s City Palace, recipes dip into the royal kitchens, and menu experiments begin in the desert when it’s offseason
Sci-Five | The Hindu Science Quiz: On National Parks
Uncover the hidden science in everyday objects, from soap to smartphones, shaping our lives and driving innovation.