By Editor-June 23rd, 2023.
For the first time in recent history, the White House is hosting an entirely plant-based state dinner: no meat, no dairy and no eggs. That’s thanks to the guest of honor, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is strictly vegetarian.
The gala dinner for 400 VIP guests on Thursday night is the highlight of Modi’s visit in Washington, one that’s has been regarded as important as the White House tries to strenghten its trading and diplomatic ties with India.
Having called President Xi of China a dictator this week, President Joe Biden has now turned his attention to India, which is a major trading partner with the US.
“We have curated a menu that showcases the best in American cuisine also then seasoned with Indian elements and flavors,” Chef Nina Curtis, who was brought in as a guest chef for the dinner, told reporters. Curtis specializes in plant-based cuisine.
“Throughout my culinary career, I have witnessed the remarkable power that food has as an equalizer,” Curtis added, saying that the menu for the state dinner allows guests from both countries to “experience something of the other’s culture.”
The first course includes a salad made with marinated millet, grilled corn, and compressed watermelon with an avocado sauce.
The main course is a stuffed portobello mushroom with a creamy saffron-infused risotto.
The dessert is an Indian-spiced take on American classic: a rose- and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake. White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison said the dessert features a decorative sugar twist; they made 900 of them for the dinner.
None of these dishes are specifically Indian dishes, so guests can be reasonably sure that they will not be at risk of ‘Delhi belly’ or indigestion caused by excessively spicy dishes.
Modi is seeking to raise the status that India, the world’s most populous country at 1.4 billion and fifth-largest economy, has on the world stage as a manufacturing and diplomatic powerhouse while navigating tensions with China.
His participation in a White House press conference itself was a reflection of contrasting political traditions. This was the first time Modi has taken questions in such a format in his nine-year tenure.
He responded to one question apiece from an American and an Indian journalist selected in advance, and dismissed criticism about India’s human rights record regarding the treatment of Muslims in the largely Hindu nation.
Washington has reportedly been frustrated by India’s close ties with Russia while Moscow wages war in Ukraine.
Modi avoided direct mention of Russia, but told lawmakers the Unkraine conflict was “causing great pain in the region. Since it involves major powers, the outcomes are severe.”
Sources: NPR, Reuters, news agencies.
