G20 Summit: Anahita Dhondhy to Ajay Chopra, what chefs cooked for First Ladies

The 18th G20 Summit, a significant international event, is currently underway in New Delhi, from September 9th to 10th. The summit brings together leaders from the world's 20 major economies, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.

A unique aspect of this year's summit is the culinary experience being offered to the attendees. More than 500 dishes are being prepared by the chefs at ITC Maurya for the G20 guests. In addition, the spouses of the leaders had the opportunity to savour a millet-based lunch prepared live by three renowned chefs - Kunal Kapur, Ajay Chopra, and Anahita Dhondy - at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Campus.

Chef Anahita Dhondy - Raw Banana Barnyard Millet Tikki

No aloo tikki for the First Ladies, but Anahita Dhondy prepared a Raw Banana Barnyard Millet Tikki for the guests. She shared a glimpse of the starter she cooked for the First Ladies on Instagram. Anahita Dhondy, one of the chefs involved, is a well-known champion of her traditional Parsi food culture, the rich cuisine of India's Zoroastrian community.

Chef Kunal Kapur - Mushroom-Jowar Khichra

For the main course, Kunal Kapur chose to prepare a vegetarian version of Khichra, a traditional Indian dish usually made with meat. Instead of meat, he used mushrooms to give the dish a meaty texture while keeping it completely vegetarian. He also included Jowar, a type of millet, in the Khichra. To accompany the main course, Kapur prepared a broth and a salad.

Kapur's choice of ingredients and his innovative approach to traditional Indian cuisine were not only a nod to the UN's focus on millets but also a showcase of India's rich culinary heritage. His dishes for the G20 Summit were a testament to his commitment to promoting Indian flavours on a global stage.

"Feeling incredibly honored and excited for having this opportunity to serve the first ladies of the UK, Japan and Turkiye at the G20 summit. A momentous opportunity that I will cherish forever," he wrote in an Instagram post while sharing a set of photos with the First Ladies, including Akshata Murty and Yuko Kishida.

Chef Ajay Chopra - Lemon Mille-Feuille

Chef Ajay Chopra was in charge of dessert. He whipped up healthy and tasty Lemon Mille-Feuille for dessert. Thekua, a popular traditional dish from the Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand, was given a healthy twist with the use of Finger Millet, also known as Ragi. The thekua inspired cookies were layered with lemon curd (which is basically Shrikhand that comes from Gujarat). It was sweetened with some millet khichdi and fruits.