Dosas and idlis not the end of South Indian cuisine : Chef Hari Nayak
New Delhi: South Indian cuisine is "very underrated" and goes much beyond idlis and dosas, says New York-based Indian chef Hari Nayak, who he is also working hard to dispel misconceptions about Indian food in general in the West.
"South Indian (style of) cooking is very underrated. People think that South Indian dishes are just dosas and idlis. But I grew up eating fish and other non-vegetarian food items -- apart from the vegetarian ones," Nayak, who grew up in Udupi in Karnataka, told IANS during a brief visit to the national capital.
"I would like to build a concept around it and make it more exciting to people (of North India) so that they can try something which is also Indian food and is tasty and healthy. For instance, we use coconut milk instead of cream. It is lighter and healthier," added the restaurateur.
There is the same misconception about Indian food in New York and other parts of the US and the UK as well.
"If we talk about Indian food, it's all about Punjabi 'khana' in the West. If I open a South Indian restaurant serving just Kerala or Goan food, the Westerner would come and ask for naan, chicken tikka masala and dal makhani. That's what they are exposed to.
"If I don't serve that, they won't come back. They would say, 'This is not an Indian restaurant'. So, misconceptions are there."
Chefs like him and the others, he says, are trying to change the thought process of "what a Westerner thinks about Indian food".
"We are working hard to change the perception of Indian food -- that it not greasy, not always curry-based. There is so much more to Indian food than that. Hopefully, in the next 10 years, Indian regional food items apart from Punjabi will be enjoyed by Westerners as well," said Nayak, who shares a strong bond with popular chef Vikas Khanna.
Would he blame Indian chefs for emphasising more on North Indian cuisine in the West?
"In the early 1960s, when Indian cuisine started getting popular in the West, chefs focused only on that (North Indian food). Nobody tried to do something different. Since the last 30-40 years, chefs have been serving the same things, so people have preconceived notions about Indian food.
"I think Indian chefs are to be blamed -- but that's what was selling. After all, it's business. Even now, if you go to a Kerala restaurant, you will still find naan, rotis, chana masala and tandoori chicken on the menu because they don't want people to walk out.
"There are Chettinad restaurants in New York but the last two pages of the menu are dedicated to North Indian food. It's unfortunate," said Nayak, who moved to the US over two decades ago.
How does he plan to bring about change?
"It won't happen overnight. I do a lot of pop-up events. I use scallops, an ingredient which is familiar to the Western palate, and I make Indian food with that. I never use North Indian flavours much. That's how I create awareness," he said.
Nayak was here for the launch of The Trial, which is a blend of chefs, entrepreneurs and innovative food concepts. It is a delivery cum dine-in kitchen concept on Golf Course Road, Gurugram.
"We are at a nascent stage. If somebody comes in with a concept that's interesting to me, then I will help," he said.
"The chef can interact with about 15 customers at a time at The Trial, which is counter style. Serving just 15 people is not enough to sustain a business. So, there is a delivery model too," said Nayak, who plans to launch his own restaurant in Bengaluru soon.
Before that, he will unveil his book -- "Spice Trail" -- which has "100 modern global recipes to excite and inspire home cooks".
"I have written five books for the Western market, but my new book is for the Indian market. It will release in the beginning of 2018," he said.
"It will teach home cooks to prepare food by adding new ingredients to their pantry... ingredients that are available in supermarkets. Using them while cooking will make their everyday food more exciting," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Trump arrives in China for talks with Xi
Beijing (PTI): US President Donald Trump arrived in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit during which he will discuss a host of global issues, including the Iran war, with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump, who is visiting China at the invitation of President Xi, was received by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng at the airport.
The leaders of the world's two largest economies will hold their seventh face-to-face talks. They last met face-to-face in October 2025 in Busan, South Korea.
The US President arrived in China on his second visit in nine years to clinch a trade deal, to end the frictions over tariffs that affected its over USD 525 billion exports to the US.
Trump, who is accompanied by top CEOs, was the last US president to visit China in 2017, during his first term.
President Trump would have a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday, US Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said on Sunday.
The two leaders will meet again on Friday for a bilateral tea and working lunch, she said, adding that the US plans to host the Chinese leader for a reciprocal visit later this year.
Ahead of Trump's arrival, Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Scott Bessent completed the final round of trade negotiations in South Korea, details of which are not known.
The talks focused on trade and tariffs, Artificial Intelligence and technology, Taiwan and US' arms sales to Taipei, Iran and West Asia security and rare earths and supply chains.
Trump's schedule included a visit to the Temple of Heaven, a complex of imperial temples where emperors would pray for a good harvest.
ALSO READ: Four militants arrested in Manipur
Ahead of his departure for Beijing, Trump told the media in Washington he would be talking with Xi about trade more than anything else.
He plans to sign more deals with China to buy more American food and aircraft. The two countries also plan to set up a Board of Trade with China to address differences between the countries.
From a trade point of view, China looks to reap a rich harvest as Trump is accompanied by top CEOs of US multinational giants, including Tesla chief Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook, who have well-entrenched business in China.
Apple has regained the top spot in China's competitive smartphone market as of early 2026, driven by a 28 per cent surge in iPhone shipments.
In April, Tesla's China-made vehicle sales (including exports) reached 79,478, a 36 per cent year-over-year increase, signalling a production rebound.
The top US business leaders will be allowed to mingle with their Chinese counterparts at an exclusive international business club, according to Chinese officials.
The global focus on the summit, however, would be on any possible outcome that could end the US-Israeli-Iran war and end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Ahead of Trump's visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made his first visit to Beijing after the war and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
The US watched his visit closely as China is the largest importer of Iranian oil and shares strategic defence ties with Tehran, and has considerable influence over Iran.
After talks with Araghchi, Wang called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, even as it appreciated Tehran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, a prime demand of Trump to end the war.
Commenting on Wang-Araghchi talks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told. And that is what you are doing in the Strait, which is causing you to be globally isolated. You're the bad guy in this."
China's anxieties over the Gulf war increased, especially after Trump imposed a blockade of Iranian ports, restricting Iran's oil exports to China.
Bert Hoffman, former World Bank country director for China, said China wants the Iran war to end because it has many partners in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. "So they don't like to see wars, they like to have stability," he said.
In its editorial on Trump's visit, state-run Global Times said Xi has held multiple telephone conversations and meetings with him, which have helped correct the course of the bilateral relationship and steer it clear of hidden dangers at critical moments.
For China-US relations to truly stabilise and improve in the future, the most fundamental step is to fully and faithfully implement the important consensus reached by both leaders, it said.
From China's point of view, the Taiwan issue was expected to figure prominently in the talks.
Last week, China's Foreign Minister Wang told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during their telephone talks, that the US should make the right choice about the self-ruled Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan as part of its own and has been ramping up military pressure on the island with periodic military drills around the island.
VIDEO | Beijing: US President Donald Trump arrives in China for high stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 13, 2026
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/ceEJGDipbm
