"Wow, I’d never heard of this dish! Thank you so much for introducing it to us. I will definitely try it this way," said a delighted Mumbai-based food enthusiast in response to an Instagram reel posted by British food influencer Jake Dryan.
Interestingly, Jake Dryan wasn't preparing traditional English dishes like Yorkshire pudding or shepherd's pie. Instead, he was cooking mati dali (black lentils) as part of his Assamese cuisine week.
Jake Dryan, along with Andrea, Chey Singh, Sarah Todd, and Beryl Shereshewsky, belongs to a unique group of food influencers who are exploring and cooking regional Indian dishes that are unfamiliar even to many Indians. By doing so, they are presenting a new culinary challenge to their audience.
None of these influencers are Indian. Jake Dryan hails from the UK, Andrea is German, Sarah Todd is Australian, and Beryl Shereshewsky is based in New York. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they share a common love for Indian cuisine.
Their passion for Indian food is evident in their Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, which have garnered millions of followers across various social media platforms.
While foreign chefs, such as the legendary Keith Floyd, have long explored Indian cuisine, what is novel today is the way these non-Indian food influencers are using social media to spotlight dishes from the far corners of India. They do this through short videos that are often quicker than it takes to cook instant noodles.
"It's fascinating to see how many foreign influencers are sharing reels and shorts on regional Indian cuisines on Instagram and YouTube," says Pankaj Bhadouria, the winner of MasterChef India Season 1. "It's usually mainstream Indian food or restaurant food that's popular globally."
Bhadouria, who runs a restaurant in the gastronomic city of Lucknow, finds it heartening to see these foreign influencers cooking regional dishes like sattu ka parantha.
THE CONFLUENCE OF CULTURES IN THE KITCHEN
India's cultural diversity is perhaps best reflected in its cuisine, with each region offering unique flavors and requiring different spices and cooking techniques.
The confluence of Indian cuisines began with television hosts like Tarla Dalal, Jiggs Kalra, and Sanjeev Kapoor during the Doordarshan and cable TV days. This trend continued with chefs like Sanjay Thumma, Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar, and Kunal Kapoor, who became household names through cooking shows and YouTube channels.
E-commerce further helped by making regional condiments and spices available across India. Now, a new wave of food influencers, both Indian and foreign, are popularizing regional dishes, one culinary delight at a time.
For Indian influencers, the goal is to inspire fellow Indians, while for foreign influencers, it’s about challenging them with an "if we can, why can't you?" attitude.
"He's teaching Indians about India because many of us are so focused on our own culture that we forget how vast and varied India is," commented a follower on an Instagram reel by Jake Dryan about chaunsa dal from Uttarakhand.
Indians are watching closely and rising to the challenge of cooking these previously overlooked regional dishes.
INSTAGRAM REELS ON MANY INDIAS, MANY DISHES
UK-based Jake Dryan, with 1.8 million Instagram followers, is one of the most celebrated influencers focusing on regional Indian dishes. Many Indians discovered Assamese mati dali through his reel and expressed their intention to try making it. His recipes for sattu ka parantha from Bihar and dal bati choorma from Rajasthan have also been widely popular.
Jake Dryan has dedicated entire weeks to the cuisines of Assam, Bengal, Odisha, Haryana, Karnataka, and Telangana. Despite having no direct Indian connections apart from childhood friends and never having visited India, Jake's presentations of food from 17 different Indian states have been lauded by his followers for their authenticity. His video on making perfect methi theplas went viral, garnering a million views on Instagram.
Other foreign vloggers started cooking Indian dishes after marrying Indians. Andrea, originally from Germany, married Monty from Punjab and embraced Indian cuisine. Her Instagram page, showcasing the dishes she cooks for her husband, has 169K followers. Andrea prepares everything from lachcha parantha to baingan bharta and besan shimla mirch sabzi.
INDIANS ARE THANKING THE NON-INDIAN FOOD INFLUENCERS
So, how do Indians react to non-Indians cooking lesser-known Indian dishes?
"The reactions are incredibly positive, and many are grateful that I share these recipes," Andrea tells IndiaToday.in. "They thank me for introducing them to dishes they've never tried or inspiring them to try new ones," she adds.
In a post about baingan bharta, Andrea, based in Passau, Germany, wrote, "What I love about this dish is the whole process of frying the eggplant. Of course, it would be better to cook over a gas flame or open fire. Both options are only available to us when the weather is nice."
In the comments, people expressed their gratitude for the recipe. "I was searching for this recipe because in England we only have electric stoves. So, I thought it was impossible, but you made it possible. Thank you, ma'am," read one comment.
Andrea's Instagram handle, we_coffeemilkfamily, features a fusion of German and Indian food, as well as a combination of North and South Indian dishes.
"My husband is from North India, but that doesn’t mean we only eat dishes from North India. I tried a few South Indian dishes and fell in love with them. Now, they are a regular feature in our kitchen," Andrea says. "All regions of India have impressive culinary delights. I like to combine dishes from different parts of India and experiment to possibly create new dishes," she tells IndiaToday.in.
Chey Singh, another popular food vlogger, has 230k Instagram followers and 190k YouTube subscribers. Her short videos on Indian meals have gone viral, further showcasing the rich culinary diversity of India.
