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PM Modi, Sabudana Khichdi, and What a Bowl of Food Reveals About World Leaders
Here’s something nobody puts in a foreign policy brief. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — one of the most recognizable political figures on the planet — once personally taught someone how to make Sabudana Khichdi. Not through a government initiative. Not as part of a diplomatic outreach program. Just one person, sharing a recipe, the way people have done for thousands of years. Times of India picked up this quietly remarkable story, and honestly, it says more about geopolitics than most op-eds will this year.
The World Leaders Who Cook — and the Ones Who Don’t
Modi’s relationship with food isn’t a PR stunt. He has talked openly on his radio show Mann ki Baat about making Dal Khichdi during his early days hustling in politics. No kitchen staff. No fancy ingredients. Just tamarind, lentils, and a single flame. That kind of origin story travels. It resonates.
Compare that to the current global mood. We are watching US President Donald Trump fire his own attorney general Pam Bondi in a political climate that feels increasingly unstable and personality-driven. The contrast could not be sharper. One leader quietly shares a recipe. Another dismantles institutions over breakfast. Food, it turns out, is a mirror.
What Sabudana Khichdi Actually Is
For the uninitiated: Sabudana Khichdi is made from tapioca pearls — soft, chewy little globes soaked overnight, then tossed in a hot pan with peanuts, green chillies, cumin, and a squeeze of lemon. It is traditionally eaten during Hindu fasting periods like Navratri. It is filling without being heavy. Comforting without being complicated.
There are at least six popular ways to make it. You can go classic and dry, or cook it wetter and soupier. You can add potatoes, or skip them entirely. You can crank up the chilli heat, or keep it mild for children. The dish bends to whoever is making it. That flexibility is part of its genius.
Why Leaders Who Cook Are Different
There is genuine political science buried in this. Leaders who cook — who actually stand over a stove and think about timing, heat, and balance — tend to have a different relationship with patience. Cooking forces you to slow down. It demands attention. It punishes shortcuts.
In a world where technology is accelerating at a pace most governments cannot keep up with — Microsoft just committed $10 billion to AI infrastructure and cybersecurity in Japan — the leaders who understand restraint and process may be the ones who actually steer us responsibly. Tech moves fast. Khichdi does not. Maybe that’s a feature, not a bug.
The Soft Power of a Simple Meal
India has long understood the power of food diplomacy. Modi has referenced khichdi on international stages, positioning it as a symbol of India’s diversity — many grains, one pot. It is elegant messaging. It also happens to be true.
But the Sabudana Khichdi story goes deeper than diplomacy. It is personal transmission of knowledge. One human being saying, “Here, let me show you how to do this.” In an era of algorithm-driven social media and deepfake news, that kind of direct, analog generosity is quietly radical.
Science is also catching up with the idea that human connection and shared rituals — like cooking and eating together — literally rewire our brain chemistry. Researchers are exploring how such connections affect neurological recovery too. For instance, a new brain implant is now being developed to help rewire neural pathways in stroke patients. The parallels are not lost on me. Community heals. Shared meals heal. Connection heals.
