New Book Reveals How Indian Prime Ministers' Banquets Mirror Politics and Palates

Journalists Purabi Shridhar and Sanghita Singh spent over seven years gathering testimonies from prime ministers’ inner circles to produce "The Prime Minister’s Table: Delicacies and Diplomacies from the Era of Nehru to Modi." The narrative begins with Nehru’s post-Independence shift toward Indian dishes, garlands and orange-juice toasts, and follows each successor’s culinary imprint—from Indira Gandhi’s insistence on biryani to Rajiv Gandhi’s British-trained chefs introducing baby naan with chicken liver pâté.

The book highlights unique episodes such as Lal Bahadur Shastri’s hand-eating preference, Morarji Desai’s alcohol-free Soviet dinner, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s street-food-inspired private parties. It also records recent practices under Narendra Modi, whose menus are strictly vegetarian and often feature Indian dishes prepared by chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor. Throughout, the authors argue that state banquet menus serve as subtle diplomatic signals as much as hospitality.