Vegetarian banquet stirs spicy debate

NARENDRA MODI’S decision to serve a vegetarian banquet to world leaders at the BRICS summit in Delhi provoked opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to protest that the Indian prime minister was seeking to impose his dietary preferences on his foreign guests.

“For the record: 80% of Indians are non-vegetarian. Indian non-vegetarian food is delicious,” Rahul said on social media. “As are my sister’s chole bhatura.”

BRIC originally referred to the four founding emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa joined the group in 2010, expanding the acronym to BRICS. Four further countries joined the group in 2024: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Argentina and Saudi Arabia were both invited to join. Argentina later declined the invitation, while Saudi Arabia has yet to formally accept.

India, which chaired the group in 2012, 2016 and 2021, again assumed the chairmanship on January 1, 2026.

Those who attended last week’s summit included Chinese president Xi Jinping (though he skipped the banquet and returned to his hotel to “rest”) and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, also missed the banquet.

The vegetarian banquet menuGovernment of India

The Ministry of External Affairs said India’s chairmanship of the group is guided by the theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”. The west views BRICS with suspicion, but the organisation has probably gained in strength because US president Donald Trump has proved to be an unreliable ally.

It is odd that the Congress party objected to a vegetarian menu.

The party’s media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, posted a screenshot of the menu and attacked the BJP: “The BJP’s habit of imposing its dietary preferences on fellow Indians is already deeply problematic. Now, they have taken it a step further by imposing their own choices on dignitaries from across the world.”

“Is it ashamed of the diversity that makes India what it is?” Khera asked.

Congress leader Shama Mohamed wrote: “No wonder Xi Jinping went back to his hotel for dinner. I would do the same!” There was a little quip from Mahua Moitra, a high-profile Trinamool Congress MP: “Would I be a bad MP if I advised the visiting BRICS leaders to give this menu a miss & get security to nip down to the nearest Karims & bring back some Burrah Kababs…”

A bhatura at Arya Bhavan in LondonAmit Roy

Incidentally, I have had kebabs from Karims. They were delicious, but perhaps, after years in England, a little too spicy for me.

One has to remember the subtext. Muslims have been lynched for carrying beef (even when they weren’t) and cow slaughter is banned in a number of states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana.

A friend of mine insists: “I am pure non-veg.” The banquet menu began with khandvi mille, a steamed gram-flour roll, and khumb galouti, pan-grilled mushroom kebabs with mint pearls.

The main course included paneer lababdar, gucchi marmik, made with Himalayan morel mushrooms and tender asparagus, and carrotbean poriyal.

Other dishes included thakkali belle saaru, a light lentil broth, millet pulao, beetroot raita and assorted Indian breads.

For dessert, guests were served Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi and shahtoot phirni.

The menu sounds pretty delicious to me. Of late, I have started frequenting the Arya Bhavan Indian vegetarian restaurant in Charing Cross Road. I love its chana bhatura, though last week I tried a mini thali.

More important, guests at the Hinduja home in Carlton House Terrace, from the late Princess Diana to Michael Jackson, have relished their vegetarian fare. The late Srichand Hinduja used to carry extra portions on Concorde flights and make business friends when CEOs told cabin crew: “I don’t want champagne and lobster thermidor – I want what he is having.”

SP and his brother Gopi agreed to have lunch with the Queen provided they could take their own food. She happily agreed. And umpteen vegetarian dishes were devoured by the great and the good at the Hinduja Diwali parties.

Modi, who is vegetarian, prefers not to serve meat or fish. Maybe when prime minister Andy Burnham visits India, Modi should arrange for a little takeaway of chicken tikka masala.

On the more substantive point, it does not make comfortable viewing for the west to see Modi holding hands with two enemies of the west – Putin and Xi. And to make matters worse, the Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, more used to chelo kebab, was there.

Putin’s continued war in Ukraine has made things very difficult for India. The country depends on imports of Russian oil and Putin, unlike Trump, has proved a loyal friend. India’s strategic relationship with Russia is a cornerstone of Indian foreign policy. But that does not justify Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It is in India’s interest to end the war.