Picture this: fresh banana chips being fried in crackling oil, dosa batter spread thin on a hot pan in perfect circular motions, green mangoes, peeled, diced and mixed with spices for pickling. Is your plan white toast looking a little boring? Jeo Baby’s The Great Indian Kitchen lures us in with beautiful shots of home cooking and just when we are getting hungry we are trapped in the relentless behind the scenes: spit out bones have to be cleaned, dishes are piling up, and the sink full of dirty water is not draining. The dripping faucet incessantly taps, taps, taps and now is time to start preparing dinner…

This week we talk with Raj Patel, research professor at UT’s LBJ School of Public Affairs who specializes in food policy, and discuss who is behind all this labor. 

Works Discussed:

The Great Indian Kitchen (Jeo Baby, 2021)