Smitha Menon’s 'Big Food Energy' podcast chronicles India’s new culinary wave

India’s food and culinary space is booming like never before, securing its place on the global stage while redefining how the world sees Indian cuisine. Big Food Energy, the podcast hosted by seasoned food journalist Smitha Menon, captured this momentum in its debut season with inspiring conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping the industry. Now, with Season 2, the podcast gets sharper and bolder, niching down to a powerful theme that reflects India’s evolving food story.

In a chat with Cosmopolitan India, Menonshared how Season 1 was about “finding her groove” and celebrating trailblazers, while Season 2 is about amplifying a specific movement that the world can no longer ignore: India stepping forward as a culinary powerhouse beyond stereotypes of “spice, dal makhani and butter chicken”, with visionary voices like Rohit Kapoor, Riyaaz Amlani, and AD Singh leading the charge.

Cosmopolitan India: The tagline calls the podcast more than food, a “movement.” How do you see this movement reshaping India’s culinary identity?

Smitha Menon: After years of tracking India’s culinary identity as a food journalist, I’ve heard from chefs, restaurateurs, and food entrepreneurs that our food story needed stronger champions, voices genuinely changing how we eat and how we think about food. That moment, I believe, has arrived. Dining out and food delivery have become national obsessions, and today’s chefs are blending indigenous knowledge with global techniques to craft fascinating food stories. Across media too—whether it’s cookbooks, publications, or social platforms—we’re consuming more stories about Indian cuisine than ever before. The time is ripe for deeper conversations, and I hope Big Food Energy can be a space to celebrate and critically examine India’s booming food culture.

CI: This season features names like AD Singh, Himanshu Saini, and Riyaaz Amlani. What connects these diverse voices under one theme?

SM: The guests this season may come from very different backgrounds, but they’re united by a shared mission: championing India’s food story. AD Singh and Riyaaz Amlani are building distinctly Indian dining concepts while also pushing for better governance terms for the restaurant industry. Meanwhile, chefs like Himanshu Saini are taking Indian cuisine to international stages, pushing culinary boundaries and expanding how the world experiences our food.

CI: What drew you to hosting Big Food Energy in the first place, and what personal experiences shape the way you explore India’s food scene?

SM: With my background in television and print journalism, I often felt interviews with food personalities were constrained by word counts or time slots. That format left little room for nuance—often reducing rich stories to surface-level facts. A podcast, on the other hand, allows for deeper, more fluid conversations. As a creative person, I found it liberating to experiment with interview styles and explore subjects in more meaningful ways.

I’ve loved dining out since I was a child. Once, frustrated with my constant pestering to try new restaurants, my mother told me I should marry a chef if I wanted to eat out every day! I didn’t follow her advice, but I did pursue a career that let me understand cultures and the world through food. Early in my journalism journey, I noticed that many Indian millennials dismissed Indian cuisine as “boring” while gravitating toward Italian, Chinese, or Thai food. Over time, I became passionate about telling stories that celebrated and reclaimed our food culture. Big Food Energy is a natural extension of that mission.

CI: As the host, how do you prepare for conversations with such high-profile culinary personalities, and what do you hope listeners take away from your interviews?

SM: I’m fortunate to have the brilliant team at Maed in India producing this season. Their thorough research, combined with my journalism background, helps me identify what my guests care deeply about while also uncovering fresh angles for discussion. My goal is to keep the conversations engaging, layered, and original. I hope listeners walk away with not just a deeper understanding of the subject but also an appreciation for the extraordinary work of these talented and passionate food pioneers.

CI: Were there any surprising insights or perspectives that completely changed how you think about India’s food culture?

SM: Absolutely. One that stands out came from my conversation with Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods, the minds behind Michelin-starred NYC restaurants like Semma and Dhamaka. They pointed out that many Indians don’t value our cuisine as highly as French or Italian. Chintan shared a striking example: when an Indian tech millionaire asked why Indian restaurants don’t make as much financial sense in the US, he replied, “If you’re invited to dinner by an Italian or French couple, you’ll probably end up at an Italian or French restaurant. But if you hosted them, chances are you’d also take them to an Italian or French spot, not an Indian one. So who is actually spending money on Indian restaurants?”

In another discussion with Akhil Iyer of Benne Bombay and Kavan Kutappa of Naru Noodle Bar, we compared ramen and dosa. Both are comforting, complex dishes, yet ramen is often seen as more “refined.” It raises an uncomfortable but important question: do we, as Indians, undervalue our own cuisine? says Smitha.

CI: Michelin-starred khichdi sounds fascinating—why do you think humble Indian dishes are finally being celebrated on a global stage, and what role does tradition play in today’s fast-evolving food industry?

SM: I believe global appreciation will come only when we Indians ourselves take pride in our traditions and contextualise them for the world. That’s how French, Italian, and Japanese cuisines earned global reverence. When chefs like Himanshu Saini serve khichdi and pani puri in fine-dining settings, or Hussain Shahzad reimagines the curd rice he grew up eating at Papa’s, or when Semma’s traditional snail curry from rural Tamil Nadu earns praise in The New York Times—these moments act as cultural catalysts. They not only shift global perceptions of Indian cuisine but also encourage us at home to look at our own food heritage with fresh eyes and appetites.

All images: Smitha Menon

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