Damini Ralleigh
Damini works as a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express.
Articles By Damini Ralleigh
At His Table
Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia on the inception of modern Indian cuisine, his rebellion against parochial prejudices around food and the need to respect indigenous produce.
Farm to Fork: The Healthy Route
Tasting India, which turns three, puts the farmer at the centre while pitching food as one of India’s soft powers.
Her Tryst with Destiny: Dancer-historian Swarnamalya Ganesh redeeming a space for the devadasi narrative
Dancer-historian Swarnamalya Ganesh, who has been at the forefront of #MeToo movement in classical music, on the fluidity that democracy affords and redeeming a space for the devadasi narrative.
The Diary of an Artist
Sohrab Hura’s photobook, Look It’s Getting Sunny Outside!!!, offers a peek into the life within his mother’s home
‘Veganism is a reflection of a value that was born in India’
Dr Melanie Joy's book, 'Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows (2010)', comments on industrialised animal food production that chases cost-effective methods with an absolute disregard for animal rights.
The Diary of an Artist
Sohrab Hura’s photobook, Look It’s Getting Sunny Outside!!!, offers a peek into the life within his mother’s home
Sound a Metaphor
Navin Thomas presents engaging mechanics of aural forms in his first solo in the Capital.
A Star in Her Own Right
The first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star, Garima Arora on her Bangkok restaurant Gaa, her journey, and why cooking is more than just physical work.
Classic Contemporary: Sujan Sarkar brings a taste of progressive Indian restaurant to the Capital
Marrying modern cooking techniques with regional Indian flavours, Sujan Sarkar stirs up ingenious inventions in his kitchen, as witnessed in the Kadak Naan and Charred Corn Roti, served with corn mousse.
Traditionally Speaking
Diwali is marked by lights, colours and flavours. We speak to artists, designers and chefs on the significance of each of these elements
Let’s Talk About Bread
Unlike most bakeries, their goods don’t arrive in the morning to be polished off through the day. Instead, they float out of the kitchen, perennially, impregnating the air with the distinctly comforting smell of freshly baked bread.
From saatvik to sinful, the thali is as varied as Indian culture and geography
While it may not be fitting to suggest that the modern thali descended from the temple thaal, some of earliest records of food assembled on a platter, called naivedya, date to the 11th century.
Pho the Better
The Embassy of Vietnam puts its best plate forward in its canteen.
Food Wisdom
In Ultimate Grandmother Hacks, nutritionist Kavita Devgan makes a case for the traditional eating wisdom from our grandmother’s kitchens.
A Wilted Green
Purple Greene makes a case for an entirely vegetarian fare, but rather unconvincingly
Sometimes it’s better to be sober
The Drunken Botanist in Cyberhub scores high on drinks, but fails the food test.
Before the Lights Go Out: Ketaki Sheth on her latest exhibition
Photographer Ketaki Sheth’s new show goes in search of the flickering life in forgotten photo studios. Her latest book and exhibition make a spirited defence of that which has, under the onslaught of the digital medium, been eased out of the spotlight.
Makhana is the New Snack
The heady ascent of the humble makhana is indicative of the superfood’s promising future.
The Act of Cooking
Actor Adil Hussain takes over the Nimtho kitchen to knock up dishes from Kashmir to Kerala
Section 377 verdict: Love finds a way
From a man jailed for 46 days under Section 377 to an IIT graduate who almost left the country, from an activist who began decades ago to the first transgender to register her marriage — the petitioners and their counsel who scripted history.
