Pooja Pillai
Pooja Pillai is a Special Correspondent working with The Indian Express.
Articles By Pooja Pillai
Fates and furies
Anger is a powerful emotion, but it seems a little reductive that a show of female power should occur mainly within this paradigm of violence and retribution.
Why poha, the light and tasty breakfast staple, remains a classic
This breakfast dish has recently been in the news, thanks to an application made by the Indori Mithai Aur Namkeen Nirmata-Vikreta Vyapari Sangh to grant a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to the Indori Poha. “
The enduring appeal of artist Jitish Kallat’s lunar rotis
Jitish Kallat's interests lie in celestial cycles, circadian rhythms and the mysterious orbital geometry of the moon, earth and sun.
Chef Dhruv Oberoi on his favourite equipment
Food isn’t just meant to be sweet or spicy: umami is an essential, but underestimated aspect of good food.
Despite being one of its birthplaces, India has forgotten many varieties of rice
The story of rice in India is complex, influenced as much by geography as by taste, faith, politics and contemporary nutrition science. But, after years of getting panned for being unhealthy, it is finally making its way back to the centre of the table.
From my pantry: Chef Hussain Shahzad on his favourite technique
Making poee, the staple Goan bread
Cheese, No Please
Nut and Bowls, a raw vegan cafe in Delhi, is hit-and-miss with its food and philosophy
The body electric
Bhupen Khakhar had worked out that he was gay fairly early, but it wasn’t until he travelled to the UK in 1979 that he became aware of the gay rights movement.
The Man Who Rejigged Our Palate
Jiggs Kalra, who toiled to get the perfect meal and put Punjabi food on the global culinary map, leaves behind an incredible legacy.
Sun and Shade
In Beyond the Boulevard, Aditi Sriram offers a deeper look at this quaint little town — aspects of which, the average tourist might catch a glimpse of as she speeds down the narrow streets on a hired bike.
A Bite Too Large
The food at La Roca is sophisticated and delicious, but it is not necessarily tapas
Jiggs Kalra: The Commander-in-Chef
Remembering Jiggs Kalra, pioneering food chronicler, who helped Indian cuisine get global recognition and highlighted the role of chefs
Czar of Indian cuisine Jiggs Kalra passes away
His book Prashad: Cooking with Indian Masters, remains a Bible for everyone who wants to cook Indian food professionally and is used as a textbook in hospitality schools around the country.
Every film is like an experiment, says Malayalam film director Aashiq Abu
Malayalam film director Aashiq Abu on his new film Virus, making a movie about a real-life tragedy, learning from his mistakes and why the best in the Malayalam film industry is yet to come.
Chefs across India are rediscovering the joys and challenges of India’s other native summer fruits
Fruits such as tadgola, shehtoot (Indian mulberry), jamun (java plum), hisalu (golden raspberry) and bael (wood apple) are not cultivated anywhere close to the scale of mango cultivation in India, and many, especially highly localised fruits such as hisalu or shehtoot, are harvested from the wild.
Spirit of Ramadan campaign highlights stories of self-acceptance, love and faith
It was important to highlight that these questions of identity and faith are not limited to one country or even one faith, which is why, diversity is a key driver of the Spirit of Ramadan campaign.
Wild Wanderlust
Thanks to her job as an energy consultant — which requires her to make as many as 18 international trips a year — Sudha Mahalingam has had the good fortune of being able to travel to some of the most interesting parts of the world.
‘Polarised like never… anyone who predicts tally is a charlatan,’ says Ruchir Sharma
The author and global investor Ruchir Sharma, fresh from his 28th election trip, was making the case for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections being the most unpredictable anyone’s ever seen in this country so far.
A new project is exploring the importance of the small and intimate in art as well as exhibition spaces
Featuring the works of young artists and architects from India, Pakistan, China, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Hungary, the exhibition has been organised by authority of small objects, a Delhi-based collaborative project.
Once again, poetry
A private home opens its doors to a new generation of the culturally conscious
