Sona Bahadur’s An Invitation to Feast offers far more than a simple exploration of India’s iconic cuisine; it stands as a sincere tribute to the country’s vibrant, multifaceted, and continually transforming culinary traditions.
In this captivating blend of memoir and food writing, Bahadur skillfully weaves together historical insights, cultural reflections, intimate stories, and tempting recipes, crafting a narrative that is both enlightening and deeply evocative.
A Journey Fueled by Personal Yearning and Cultural Discovery
The narrative begins with Bahadur at a crossroads, reflecting on her life amid both personal and professional uncertainty. After witnessing the fading glory of magazine journalism and shifting toward creating food tours, she found herself searching for meaning and creative satisfaction.
With disarming candor, she confesses, “I was wafting about at home in my PJs when the offer to write this book surfaced… Completely unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, I felt useless, irritable, numb.” This vulnerability immediately invites readers into her inner world, framing the journey ahead as one driven as much by self-discovery as by culinary exploration.
It was a suggestion from David Davidar of Aleph Book Company that rekindled Bahadur’s enthusiasm. She acknowledges, “Pondering his proposal, it occurred to me how little I actually knew about India’s signature foods.”
This sense of modesty shapes the tone of her work—rather than claiming expertise, Bahadur embarks on her travels as an eager and thoughtful learner.
Structure and Style: A Tapestry of Tales and Tastes
Bahadur organizes her narrative around eleven celebrated dishes—Biryani, Dosai, Butter chicken, Vada Pav, Dhansak, Goan fish curry, Undhiyu, Shami kebabs, Chhole, Smoked pork, and Rasgulla—devoting a chapter to each.
Her selections stem from personal preference and, by her own admission, are somewhat whimsical. As she reflects, “Curation is always personal… I chose undhiyu over dhokla as I found the seasonality and ritualism of the winter harvest feast associated with the former more interesting.” This openness about her choices lends authenticity to the work, reminding readers that, much like food itself, culinary storytelling is inherently subjective and shaped by individual taste.
What sets An Invitation to Feast apart is Bahadur’s deep dedication to storytelling. As she explains, “I chose to write this book through stories as their pull is eternal. They show rather than tell, triggering the same neurological regions that are activated when we experience something in real life. It’s the next best thing to physically taking my readers there.”
By weaving narratives rather than simply presenting facts, she creates a rich, immersive tapestry in which every dish becomes a gateway into the lives, traditions, and histories of the people behind it.
Honouring the Richness of Indian Food
Bahadur is determined to break down the clichés that reduce Indian cuisine to a jumble of spices or haphazard mixtures. She highlights the words of Chef Manish Mehrotra: “Indian food is not things just randomly mixed up in a bowl. We have a well-researched cuisine. Everything we do has a reason.”
Throughout her journey, Bahadur emphasizes the meticulous care and knowledge that shape India’s culinary heritage—from the intricate balance of spices to the thoughtful pairing of ingredients for both flavor and well-being.
She also rejects the notion of classics as fixed or untouchable. “A classic is not a museum. It’s a dynamic work in progress. As creativity, globalization, sustainability, tech, and AI rewrite the culinary landscape, these foods are becoming more vivid and variegated,” she observes, pointing to innovations like baked rasgulla as examples of how tradition can be reinvented for contemporary times.
Memorable Snapshots and Signature Flavours
Every chapter is rich with vivid imagery and cultural depth. In Biryani: Making Rice Dance, Bahadur delves into the elegance of Rampuri cuisine. A descendant of the Rampur royal family reflects with both pride and sorrow, “We took the best of Delhi and Lucknow… And for a while, we were better than both,” mourning the gradual disappearance of many royal culinary treasures.
In Dhansak: An Invitation to Gluttony, the dish serves as a powerful symbol of the Parsi community’s assimilation and identity. Bahadur poignantly notes, “Like a well-made dhansak, our ancestors melded into their new home.” These passages lift the book beyond the realm of food writing, offering readers glimpses into the social and historical currents that shape India’s culinary landscape.
Undhiyu and Smoked Pork: A Celebration of Tradition and Innovation
The chapter on undhiyu is a particular gem, weaving together cherished customs and contemporary reinterpretations. Bahadur shares Neha Shah’s warm memories of preparing undhiyu for Makar Sankranti: “We would wait all year long to eat undhiyu… the women of
the house would collectively roll up their sleeves to make the labour intensive dish.” These heartfelt recollections, full of nostalgia, are thoughtfully balanced with modern twists on the dish, including Chef Pinky Chandan Dixit’s healthier low-calorie version and Chef Varun Inamdar’s inventive undhiyu pulao.
In Smoked Pork: Baptism by Smoke, Bahadur immerses readers in the rustic flavours of Bodo cooking, delighting in dishes like oma narzi, where “the bitterness of the jute leaves, tamed considerably from cooking, played as an earthy counter to the sweetness of the pork.” Through such vibrant portrayals, Bahadur shines a spotlight on lesser-known regional cuisines, bringing their unique tastes and stories vividly to life.
A Heartfelt Appeal for Culinary Nationalism
Throughout the book, Bahadur passionately urges India to embrace and champion its rich culinary legacy with the same enthusiasm it reserves for its films or cricket stars. She reflects with frustration, “We have more culinary diversity and traditions than anywhere else in the world… Yet we underplay our staggering wealth of culinary heritage.” Pointing to how nations like France and Japan have elevated their cuisines to pillars of cultural identity and soft power, she argues that India, too, possesses the depth and richness to do the same.
Strengths and Contributions
What makes this book truly remarkable is its inclusiveness. Bahadur’s journey moves seamlessly from bustling street vendors to home kitchens to upscale restaurants, treating street food and gourmet dishes with equal respect and admiration. She sees food not only as nourishment, but also as a powerful symbol of memory, belonging, and even defiance. Her prose is elegant yet restrained, and her authentic sense of wonder animates every story she tells.
Another Notable Strength: Recipes That Invite Participation
A standout feature of Bahadur’s work is her inclusion of recipes at the end of each chapter. These range from time-honored classics to inventive modern variations, encouraging readers to go beyond passive appreciation and try their hand at creating the dishes themselves. Whether mastering the art of making rasgullas or experimenting with a contemporary twist on shami kebabs, the recipes are clearly explained, accessible, and carefully tested, deepening the connection between story and kitchen.
Conclusion
Despite Bahadur’s openness about the subjective nature of her selections, some readers might long for greater exploration of underrepresented regions, especially the northeast and central parts of India. Another area where the book falls a bit short is in its visual presentation.
With only a handful of photographs, it lacks the lush imagery one might expect from a work on food. While Bahadur’s evocative writing largely compensates for this, the inclusion of more visual elements could have added another sensory dimension to the experience, enriching the journey for readers who see food as both taste and art.
Rating: 4.9/5