Gunaabaai, the mother of "Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada" author Shahu Patole, prepares food at her home in Osmanabad, India. (Photo by Bhushan Korgaonkar)
ZINARA RATHNAYAKE, Contributing writer
December 11, 2024 08:00 JST
MUMBAI -- The first time I encountered Dalit food was a recipe for blood fry, a goat-blood dish often prepared by Dalit communities across India in the absence of meat.
Indian restaurants have spread across the world, serving everything from butter chicken to mutton _biryani_ (a rice dish) and saffron-scented chai (Indian tea). Within India, restaurants embrace the country's diverse geography, religions and cultures, while cookbooks, magazines and coffee-table books preserve centuries-old culinary legacies, family rituals and heirloom ingredients.