In this special 100th episode, the 2Gs, our gourmands and geeks, Sadaf and Archit, are spreading some love with ghee. Together, they explore: What did Ibn-e-Batuta find out about ghee in India? Are there health benefits to consuming ghee? What is Bilona ghee? What do the texts of Ayurveda, Rigveda and other Indian mythologies say about ghee? How is ghee used in Hindu rituals? What are the scientific properties of ghee? Sit back, enjoy this century-worthy effort and make some laddus while our 2Gs...
Apr 26, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 46
In this episode, the 2Gs, our gourmands and geeks, Sadaf and Archit, speak with Charmaine O'Brien, an award-winning author, chef, and Ph.D. candidate in creative writing. Together, they explore: Her new book, Eating the Present, Tasting the Future: Exploring India Through Her Changing Food, The evolution and understanding of "Naan" and "Curry" in Australia and India Can you make naan on a barbecue grill? The uniqueness of Delhi’s street food culture Regional differences and similarities in India...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 45
In this episode, the 2Gs, our gourmands and geeks, Sadaf and Archit, speak with Asma Khan, author, chef, and founder of Darjeeling Express. Together, they explore: What made Asma switch from academia to the kitchen? How is Darjeeling Express breaking the barriers and pushing for women's rights and empowerment? What is more important to Asma: maintaining the real flavor of the food or giving it a modern take to make it look more ‘presentable’? The misconceptions around Indian food that she tackle...
Apr 05, 2023•56 min•Season 2Ep. 44
In this episode, Sadaf and Archit explore one of the most underrated cuisines in India - Kashmiri. They’re joined by Nalini Sadhu, Hans Sadhu and Mikhail Sadhu, who are the proprietors of one of India’s top Kashmiri restaurants - Matamaal. They discuss: What is the difference between Kashmiri Muslim and Kashmiri Pandit food? Why did Nalini start a Kashmiri restaurant in Delhi? What do Kashmiri Pandits eat during Mahashivratri and other festivals? What is a Wazwaan and how is it served? What is t...
Mar 29, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 43
In this episode, Sadaf Hussain explores food trends and fads with culinary expert and writer Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal. Together, they discuss: How does data help us analyze the mood and behaviour of diners? Which food trends are likely to take over India's eating habits? Do food trends change year after year? How does Godrej facilitate the recording of the data and food reports? What is the Godrej Food Trends Report 2023 and how is it different from 2022? Important links to geek out more: Socia...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 42
In this episode, Archit is joined by Jarrod Kimber, cricket writer, analyst, podcaster, Youtuber and filmmaker. They discuss: Why is cricket the only sport with lunch and tea breaks? Which stadium in the world serves the best food for the press and players? Do cricketers drink alcohol? When did cricketers start hiring professional nutritionists? Eating a fine-dining meal at the Melbourne Cricket Ground Why does Jarrod love Pune’s food? Important links to geek out more: - Jarrod Kimber’s Youtube ...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 2Ep. 41
In this episode, Archit lists all the top foods of Delhi and is joined by physicist, cricket analyst and Delhi-food romantic Himanish Ganjoo. They discuss: The overrated, underrated and the best (properly rated) places to eat in Delhi Why are there so many diverse butter chicken recipes? Where can you eat the best kebabs, chaat and nihari in Delhi? Are some food joints in Delhi still running on nostalgia? Why did Himanish write a letter to Wenger’s? Delhi vs Lucknow Food Important links to geek ...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 40
In this episode, Sadaf Hussain explores Gujarati cuisine and food writing with UK-based author, writer, and BBC’s Great British Bake-Off contestant Urvashi Roe. Together, they discuss What is Gujarati cuisine, and how much is it popular in the UK? Is Gujarati cuisine simple or complex? Why are Gujaratis big on snacking? What is 'Katak Batak' and her book 'Biting Biting'? Important links to geek out more: Social Media | Instagram | Twitter | Website Book: Biting Biting: Snacking Gujarati-Style by...
Feb 28, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 39
In this episode, the 2Gs, our Gourmands and Geeks Sadaf and Archit are exploring the cuisine of Rampur; one of India's lesser-known cuisines, with Dr. Tarana Hussain Khan, writer and cultural historian. They discuss: What differentiates Rampur cuisine from Mughal, Awadh, Deccan, and others? Royal and commoners’ food of Rampur Project Forgotten Food: A project on the forgotten foods of India such as heritage rice Rampur’s popular ‘Taar Gosht Korma’ and various kinds of halwas, including sohan and...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In this episode, Sadaf Hussain is exploring one of the most underexplored cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, Sindhi cuisine, with Chef Jyoti Vishnani. Together, they discuss: How Sindhi cuisine is different in different regions of India, Pakistan, and the diaspora Sindhi’s love for fish and the folklore around it Stereotypical dishes undermine the flavors and cooking techniques of Sindhi cuisine. Is Sindhi cuisine mostly fried? Sit back, relax, pour some Sindhi Thadal or Khirni, crank up the v...
Feb 08, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 37
In this episode, Archit speaks with Lokesh Rao, founder of Trace Network Labs - a venture working on fashion and lifestyle in the metaverse through real-looking avatars. They demystify how the metaverse works and discuss some of its use cases in the food industry. So sit back, and relax, while you dive deep into technology that’s here to stay. Important links to geek out more: Social Media: Lokesh Rao | Twitter | LinkedIn Trace Network Lab’s Website OneRare: Meet the world's first food metaverse...
Jan 31, 2023•46 min•Season 2Ep. 36
In this episode, the 2Gs, our Gourmands and Geeks Sadaf and Archit are trying to understand the business of agriculture with Mark Kahn, co-founder of Omnivore, an agritech venture capital firm, based in India. Together, they discuss: What inspired Omnivore? How is tech solving the issues faced by stakeholders in the agriculture space What will help farmers better; subsidies or direct cash transfer? What has been the impact of Agritech in India so far? What is universal farmer income? So, sit bac...
Jan 18, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 35
In this episode, the 2Gs, our Gourmands and Geeks, Sadaf and Archit get together to chat about butter. They discuss: The documented history of butter Why do some parts of India consume more butter than others? Is butter healthy? Why are fats necessary for the human body? Amul butter’s genius marketing campaigns Why do economists care about butter? So sit back, relax and drop a dollop of white makkhan on whatever you’re eating while you listen to this episode. Important links to geek out more: Bo...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 34
In this episode, the 2Gs, our Gourmands and Geeks Sadaf and Archit explore centuries-old traditions and modern interpretation of food with Rahul Punjabi, the executive chef of fine dining Indian restaurant Masala Library. Together, they discuss: Why did Rahul shift from Google to the culinary world? What was it like to work at Australia’s best restaurant? How does he research Masala Library’s menu? What's unique about the culinary tradition of Australia? How does he recreate old dishes with mode...
Dec 28, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 2Ep. 33
In this episode, Sadaf Hussain is hosting, writer Nilosree Biswas and photographer Irfan Nabi, co-authors of Calcutta on Your Plate. Together they discuss: Who all have played a role in influencing the food of Bengal? Is Bengal food inclusive? How can one define Calcutta cuisine? Is Bengal food evolving or is it stuck in time? So, sit back and relax, and cook some Aloo Posto while you let this discussion tantalize your palate. Important links to geek out more: Social Media | Nilosree Biswas: Ins...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 32
Our 2Gs, Sadaf and Archit are hosting two international desis; restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and Chef Vijay Kumar from the New York-based Michelin Star restaurant Semma. Together they discuss: Why is Roni unapologetic about the Indian food he serves? What are the influences behind the food served at Semma? Why does it make no sense to demarcate Indian menus into courses such as appetizers and entrees? How is Semma redefining southern Indian cuisine beyond the stereotypical dosa-idli-vada? Is it nec...
Dec 14, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Our 2Gs, Sadaf and Archit are hosting Eshwar Vikas, the co-founder & CEO of Mukunda Foods - which is revolutionizing the food-tech space and introducing automation in cooking. Together they discuss: How are Mukunda Food robots printing dosas, making biryanis, and stirring up noodles? What problems do the Mukunda Food robots solve for restaurants? Will robots replace chefs or will they complement each other? Can you differentiate between the food cooked by a robot and by a human chef? So, sit...
Dec 07, 2022•42 min•Season 2Ep. 30
Our 2Gs, Sadaf and Archit are hosting American chef and podcaster Keith Sasarin this week. They discuss: How did Keith become a chef? How did he discover Indian food? What are the biases against Indian food in the west? What is the link between mental health and eating? Why did he name his restaurant Aatma? Important links to geek out more: Twitter: @keithsarasin Instagram: @keithsarasin Keith’s Website A Love Letter to Indian Food by Chef Keith Sarasin Keith’s Podcast: More Than Masala TV Show:...
Nov 30, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 29
Our 2Gs, Sadaf and Archit are hosting nutrition coach and animal-based diet advocate Sangeetha Aiyer on the Naan Curry podcast this week. They discuss The futility of measuring calories Did Indians eat more meat historically? Sangeetha’s nutrition journey Is an animal-based diet healthy? Is an animal-based diet sustainable? The problem with ‘plant-based meats’ So sit back and relax, while Sangeetha butchers nutrition myths on this episode. Important links to geek out more: Twitter: @saaiyer Sang...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Our 2Gs, Our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks are joined by Roshan Cariappa, the host of two podcasts - Bharatvaarta and The Startup Operator, and VP of Marketing at Vymo. They discuss: Why is Roshan optimistic about Indian startups? Is the concept of 10(ish) minute food and grocery delivery really incredible? What are the logistical and supply chain challenges associated with it? Why is it getting so much flack? What are the second-order effects of 10(ish) minute deliveries? So sit back, relax, a...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 27
Our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks are joined by the ‘Spice Mistress’ - Sarina Kamini. Sarina is a teacher and author. She writes spice books, and easy-to-follow spice-blend-specific recipes. They discuss: ● How is taste different from flavour? ● Indian vs Western frameworks of eating ● Spice as medicine ● Salt as a microphone ● How do you dispel fears of having spices? ● How can spices help us understand someone’s personality So sit back, but don’t relax, because this conversation will get spic...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks are joined by another G: Ramya G. Sri, brand consultant and founding partner of Bruite, an online food publication. They discuss: Why did Ramya start Bruite? Should you get attached to the stories you write? Being more grateful for the food your mother cooks at home The Khomchawallahs of Old Delhi Why does Ramya believe that Idli is underrated? So sit back and relax while the episode takes you around India through fascinating stories. Important links to geek ou...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 25
This week Archit is joined by Elizabeth Yorke, chef turned food researcher and the founder of two initiatives: Saving Grains, a food upcycling initiative, and Edible Issues, which is an online collective about the Indian Food System. They discuss: Why is there so much food waste? How can food waste be upcycled? Research opportunities for food geeks What is spent grain and how can it be used? So sit back and relax, order some spent grain laddoos, and listen to how we can sustainably use our food....
Oct 19, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks - Sadaf and Archit are having an unfiltered conversation with Mallilka Basu, author and food consultant based out of London. They discuss: · How Bengal and Delhi influenced Mallika’s food choices · Indian food outside India · Are regional Indian cuisines popular outside India? · How to get your kids to be excited about food. So sit back and relax, grab some mishti, brew some chai and listen to this no holds barred conversation. Important links to geek out more:...
Oct 12, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 23
In the latest episode, Sadaf goes solo to discuss the age-old story of dumplings. In this short episode, he discusses: - The origin of dumplings- Different nations and their dumplings - Innovation in dumplings - Indian flavours in dumplings So sit back and relax. Don’t dump anybody. Order your favourite dumplings, bao or momo, and enjoy this dumpling wrap. Important links to geek out more: Video: Ted Video | A brief history of dumplings - Miranda Brown Video: The Original Chinese Dumpling Had a ...
Sep 28, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks - Sadaf and Archit are feeling salty and are exploring the ingredient that was once worth its weight in gold (quite literally) - salt. They discuss: The global history of salt Why salt is connected to your salary in ways you didn’t know The difference between table salt and rock salt? Why salt is iodized Why salt taxes have always been controversial The real story of the salt satyagraha or Dandi March So sit back and relax, don’t rub salt on people’s wounds, cr...
Sep 21, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In this freewheeling episode, our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks - Sadaf and Archit chat with standup comedian Aakash Mehta. They discuss: Late-night eating in every Indian city Weird food combinations Where do comedians eat after standup shows? Why do Gujaratis put sugar in everything? Can Mumbai serve decent butter chicken? So, sit back and relax while we serve an absolutely "Kuch Bhi" episode. Important links to geek out more: Instagram and Youtube: @KuchBhiMehta Podcast: Varta Lab Podcast Wh...
Sep 14, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this episode, Archit chats with Samanth Subramanian, writer with Quartz and Guardian and the author of ‘Following Fish’. They discuss: How does Samanth manage to write about so many diverse topics? How did you strike up conversations with people with alien territory? Why does India pride itself on being a vegetarian country? What makes Toddy shops unique? Why is hilsa so hard to eat? So sit back and relax, while you go on a virtual boat ride with these two geeks and coast around India. Import...
Aug 31, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this one of a kind episode, our Our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks - Sadaf and Archit are welcoming back Swetha Sivakumar to discuss the science and art of pickling. Together they talk: The history of Indian pickle The common Indian myths The science of making a delicious pickle jar What are its health benefits? How is Indian pickle different from western pickle? Can meat be pickled? So sit back and relax, take your favourite pickle out and elevate your meal to the next level while you listen...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Our 2Gs, the Gourmands & Geeks - Sadaf and Archit are feeling romantic and talking about a utilitarian flower - the cauliflower. They discuss: The global history of cauliflower How did cauliflower come to India? What is the scientific composition of cauliflower? Why do mathematicians love cauliflower? The diverse ways to prepare and consume cauliflower (think manchurian, mussalam and rice) So sit back and relax, fry some gobhi pakoda or smash a plate of gobhi paratha with some butter while o...
Aug 17, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 16
