Why is Indian food always expected to be affordable? Chef Vijay Kumar has been asking that question for years, and Semma is his answer.
Sujatha Padmanabhan speaks with one of the most celebrated South Indian chefs in the world about food racism, diaspora identity, and the restaurant that made New York rethink Tamil cuisine entirely. From his grandmother's snail curry to a James Beard Award, Vijay breaks down what it took to get here and why none of it came easy.
All of this, and more, on this episode of Diaspora Dialogues by TOI™
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
3:38 - What does ‘Semma’ mean?
4:48 - Chef Vijay Kumar's Story
6:07 - Growing Up & His Parents' Reaction
9:28 - Facing Racism & Bullying as a Chef
10:40 - Why He Chose to Become a Chef
14:46 - How Semma Became NYC's Hottest Restaurant
16:56 - Rich food vs poor food
24:01 - Food, Identity & Being Unapologetically Indian
28:50 - The Emotional Connection to Food
30:19 - Winning the James Beard Award
36:30 - Is Indian food too spicy?
41:12 - How to make Idli batter?
43:05 - His Advice for Aspiring Indian Chefs
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