G20 Summit: Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur brings millets to the global palate

Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur, who got to serve the first ladies of the UK, Japan, and Turkey at the G20 summit, impressed UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty with millet dishes like the mushroom-jowar khichra.

Kapur said: “I am honoured to cook for the first ladies, celebrating the International Year of Millets with authentic Indian flavours. This is a moment of pride for all Indians - let’s celebrate Indian flavours.”

“The next decade belongs to Indian food, especially regional delicacies,” he said. “If you trace our roots, most of our foods were designed by vaids and hakims. These date back centuries. Indian food is very scientific… we know what to add to each dish to make it healthy and yet taste well. The knowledge of the science of Ayurveda has been passed on over generations. India can teach the world not only the kind of food and ingredients to use but also when to have a food type and which food suits a body type,” Kapur added.  

On millets, he said these are rich in minerals and iron. Our cuisine started with millets... the highly refined flour that the world uses is not great for health.