Khabar Magazine. Nov 2022 print. With Indian cuisine becoming mainstream in the U.S., kitchens, grocery markets, and online stores are stocking up on new varieties of instant frozen, canned, and boxed Indian dishes. Over the years, I have tried many of these and have been disappointed with the cardboard stale aromas and chalky flavors. Also, […]

Khabar Magazine. Nov 2022 print. Thanks to modern tourism, one can experience the rugged beauty of Antarctica the coldest, driest, and remotest continent, juxtaposed with savoring homely indulgences like uttapam, poori-chana, and chicken tikka masala. Of course, it is the breathtaking vistas and wildlife of the planet’s final frontier that will stay in your memories […]

Khabar Magazine. Oct 2022 print cover story. This collection of cherished memories and recipes from food enthusiasts is sure to put you in the mood for the holidays. Kheer: Nothing beats my late Grandma’s Punjabi recipe! Growing up in northern India in a multi-religious household meant that I had the rare opportunity to celebrate many […]

Khabar Magazine. Sept 2022 print. Devour soft, fluffy, steaming momos stuffed with minced chicken and a fiery chili dipping sauce. Pick them off paper plates while looking over a scenic backdrop of snow-covered mountain ranges. You may think you are somewhere at a hill station in the Himalayas,but you are actually right here in the […]

Khabar Magazine. August 2022. For the longest time, one of the pet peeves of Indians has been that our cuisine does not get its due credit in the American dining scene. Well, that has changed in 2022, and how! In June, the Asheville, North Carolina-based Chai Pani (which also has a location in Decatur, Georgia) […]

Khabar Magazine. July 2022 print cover story. In a 2011 cover story published in Khabar, we looked at the Indian-American organizations that are at the forefront of philanthropy. Here, we look at individual patterns of charitable giving among us: how, where, and why we give. (This article has portions that have been reprinted from the […]

Khabar Magazine. July 2022. After a long hiatus during the pandemic, one of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants, Zyka: The Taste, reopened for dine-in. The iconic location at Scott Boulevard, Decatur, which has been around since 1997, offers the same, familiar experience with its modest interior renovations, while the newer Alpharetta location that opened in 2020, is […]

Khabar Magazine. June 2022 print. How to source, store, and cook the most important ingredients in your Indian pantry.  Spices are an integral part of the Indian kitchen, and most of our knowledge about them has come naturally through tasting and observing. Most of us never went to a formal cooking class or read the […]

Khabar Magazine. May 2022 print. The mixed-use State Farm building on Hammond Drive in Dunwoody has a new addition. Sankranti Indian Kitchen is a fast-casual restaurant, aspiring to deliver “Chipotle style” healthy made-to-order Indian cuisine. Walking in the modern and clean space, there are subtle hints of the restaurant’s Indian origins. Flower motifs, stenciled in […]

Khabar Magazine. April 2022 cover story. To reach Mauritius—located 1250 miles east of Africa, in the middle of the Indian Ocean—it takes six hours on a plane from India, twelve hours from Paris, and four hours from Johannesburg, where I boarded the flight. Ram Doobree, my limousine driver, meets me and my husband at the […]

Khabar. Dec 2021 cover story. During the holidays this winter, many people may not be ready for long distance travel. But short-distance trips are different. There are few hassles, and you don’t have to spend much for a good time with family and friends. These six fun destinations are not far from Atlanta, and they […]

Khabar Magazine. Nov 2020. The hotel industry, like restaurants, has been battered during the pandemic. How are South Asian-owned hotels dealing with the crisis? What changes have they made to reassure guests and employees? As travel slowly picks up, what’s the new normal going to be like at your next stay in a hotel? Like […]

Khabar Magazine. June 2020. The relentless march of Covid-19—and our measures to contain it—have ravaged the restaurant industry. From reinventing themselves and staying relevant to protecting customers, employee interests, and managing their suddenly shaky finances, here’s a look at how some eateries in the Atlanta area are coping with the effects of the pandemic. The […]

Khabar Magazine. Feb 2020. Australia and New Zealand were in the news recently for the wrong reasons: raging fires and an active volcano. Despite these tragedies, the Antipodes have much to offer today. New Zealand, seemingly remote, has attractions ranging from spectacular, selfie-friendly scenery to vibrant cities, adventure sports, and a happily laid-back ethos. The […]

Khabar Magazine. Oct 2019. Song-and-dance routines are a beloved, signature feature of Bollywood films—but often, the glamorous foreign settings are just as important. Although the locations are only the background, moviegoers can gain much awareness about the country, its landscapes, architecture, culture, and attractions. The spectacular visuals could be a starting point, even a guide, […]

Khabar Magazine. May 2019. As I checked into a charming Italian villa converted into a boutique hotel, nestled on top of a hill on the Amalfi Coast, I wondered how I would spend two summer days in this romantic location by myself. I stood on the purple-bougainvillea-wrapped white balcony of my room, with a glass […]

For Khabar Magazine. November 2018 print issue.  The “Welcome to Kashmir” sign at the modest Sheikh ul-Alam Airport was draped by posters of a scene from a popular 1981 Bollywood movie, Silsila, where the romantic couple Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha sing a duet at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden of Srinagar (the largest tulip garden […]

For Khabar Magazine print edition. February 2018. Warm humid air, the smell of roasting curry leaves, voices sounding singsong Malayalam, coconut trees as far as I can see—I had arrived in Kerala, also known as God’s Own Country. As soon as I landed at Kochi International Airport, I felt like I was no longer in […]

Cover Story for Khabar Magazine. May 2016. Our Druk Air plane makes a slow descent into Paro, maneuvering the aircraft through the deep valleys between tall dry mountains as high as 18,000 feet. Passengers hold their breath as we descend upon the only runway of the country’s sole international airport. I’m a bit on edge—and […]

Many Americans who see veganism as downright unappetizing may be in for a surprise to learn of the richly flavorful Indian vegan dishes. Exotic aromas and finger-licking flavor may not be the first associations that come to mind when most people think of vegan food. But forays into Indian cuisine, especially through a cookbook like […]

  How, why, and where we like to give of our money and time Cover Story in Khabar Magazine (May 2011 issue) The world’s five wealthiest people, according to Forbes magazine, include two Indians—Mukesh Ambani and Lakshmi Mittal. Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, found that India currently has 115,000 high-net-worth individuals. This elite […]