Skip to main content

A learnable evening - Listening to Madhur Jaffrey

DLF 5 and Tasting India Symposium recently organized an evening session with a featured talk with the great Madhur Jaffrey (the global first lady of Indian cuisine) and Kaveree Bamzai, the reputed editor of Robb India.
                                                   
It was 8. 15 by the time I reached the famed DLF Country and Golf Club, the venue of the talk. The courteous staff at the place welcomed me into a meet and greet party. The guests were all assembling, sampling some fine wine and Indian starters. I met people I knew, circulated around and saw Kaveree and Madhur sitting in a corner, talking. A friend and I debated to intrude or not, but eventually, we just went ahead to introduce ourselves. And like good fans requested a photograph for memory which was so graciously permitted, that it left us truly humbled. 

                                       

The program started with an introduction by Sanjoo Malhotra, Co-Founder Tasting India who passionately spoke about the Farm to Table concept which was being worked about by Tasting India and the efforts they were putting into it. They have an impressive advisory board which is working with the government on this concept.

This was followed by Madhur Jaffrey in conversation with Kaveree Bamzai. She spoke about in detail of her journey and her work. Her opinions on food and philosophy of life are so well regarded and it was a learnable delight. We had a Q & A round after Kaveree concluded her questions, wherein guests asked intriguing questions.

DLF Country Club had arranged for a detailed Drinks & Dinner program, with authentic Indian food including a special chicken curated from Madhur's own recipe.

Indeed a splendid evening at an ideal location and a great mileu of people.

Comments

Also read

Cutting people off isn’t strength—It is a trauma response

Your ability to cut people off and self-isolate is not a skill you should be proud of—It is a trauma response Cutting people off and self-isolating may feel like a protective shield, but it is often rooted in unresolved or unhealed trauma and an inability to depend on others. While these behaviors seem like self-preservation, they end up reinforcing isolation and blocking meaningful connections. Confronting these patterns, seeking therapy, and nurturing supportive relationships can help break this unhealthy cycle. Plus, a simple act like planting a jasmine plant can symbolise the start of your journey towards emotional healing. Why do we cut people off and isolate? If you’re someone who prides themselves on “cutting people off” or keeping a tight circle, you might believe it’s a skill—a way to protect yourself from betrayal, hurt, or unnecessary drama. I get it. I’ve been there, too. But here’s the thing: this ability to isolate yourself is not as empowering as it may seem. In fact, i...

Does India need communal parties?

I think, it was Tan's post on this blog itself, Republic Day Event, where this question was raised. My answer. YES. we need communal parties even in Independent, Secular India. Now let me take you, back to events before 1947. When India was a colony of the British Empire. The congress party, in its attempt to gain momentum for the independence movement, heavily used Hinduism, an example of which is the famous Ganesh Utsav held in Mumbai every year. Who complains? No one. But at that time, due to various policies of the congress, Muslims started feeling alienated. Jinnah, in these times, got stubborn over the need of Pakistan and he did find a lot of supporters. Congress, up till late 1940's never got bothered by it. And why should we? Who complains? No one. But there were repercussions. The way people were butchered and slaughtered during that brief time when India got partitioned, was even worse than a civil war scenario. All in the name of religion. And there indeed was cr...

Sex without intimacy: A Spill the Tea story about modern loneliness

Tara meets someone through a matrimony broker. They quickly decide marriage isn’t on the table, but spend a night together anyway. What follows isn’t regret or drama, but an unsettling emptiness. Over tea and samosas, she tries to understand why physical closeness left her feeling more alone than before. Spill the Tea: When Closeness leaves You Feeling Further away The tea was too sweet. Tara noticed it immediately but didn’t say anything. She sat on the verandah chair, one foot tucked under the other, the plastic creaking every time she shifted. She wore a black cotton top with sleeves pushed to her elbows and denim shorts that left her knees bare to the evening air. She didn’t look uncomfortable. Just slightly unfinished, as if she’d left in a hurry. Between us, a steel plate held two samosas, already cooling. The chutney had begun to darken at the edges. She broke a corner of the samosa. The crust flaked onto her plate. She dipped it into the chutney, carefully. “You know,” she said...