Spiced with Pride: Ritu Dalmia’s Bold Taste Of Home

From a 16-year-old assisting in her family’s stone business to becoming one of India’s most respected chefs, Ritu Dalmia’s journey defies both convention and expectation in more ways than one. Born into a business family in erstwhile Calcutta, Dalmia’s early work trips to Italy ignited a deep passion for its cuisine. She taught herself by cooking with locals and launched her first restaurant at just 22. Today, Dalmia stands at the helm of a thriving culinary empire: seven restaurants across India, three in Milan, one in Dubai, and a globetrotting catering arm with Michelin-starred collaborations. 

But that’s just one side of her story. Dalmia is also a published author, television host, motivational speaker, and notably, also a committed social activist. In 2016, she made history as one of the petitioners in the landmark case that led to the decriminalisation of homosexuality in India. In 2024, she married her partner, Michaela Tedsen, in South Africa – a quiet yet powerful affirmation of love and equality. Never one to let her sexuality define her professional identity, Dalmia’s unapologetic arc adds critical depth to the ongoing narrative of queer dignity and representation, as Pride month unfurls. 

Dalmia’s food and her activism are two sides of the same coin: personal, defiant, and yet rooted in authenticity. Her restaurant in Dubai, Atrangi, exemplifies this spirit – a bold reinterpretation of Indian cuisine with a modern sensibility, bringing her eclectic ethos to life. So when Atrangi hit the stunning shores of Jumeirah Olhahali Island in the Maldives, we couldn’t help but catch up with the trailblazing chef to talk about how identity shapes her food, how travel inspires her menus, and how doodhi and dahi can carry the weight of home. “I am many things, but … a coward I am not,” Dalmia wrote in 2018 – and that same outlook vibrantly echoes in her conversations with us as well. 

Excerpts from the interview: 

Is there a particular culinary identity that feels like ‘home’ to you? 

Honestly, the food that truly feels like “home” to me is the Calcutta-style Marwari food I grew up eating – simple rice, lentils, gourd, and okra. As I grow older, I find myself returning more and more to those flavours. 

You’ve often said that travel shapes your food. Has a recent journey inspired a new dish or idea you’d like to share? 

Every journey leaves an impression on my food, but most recently, I was in South Goa and came across these incredible mushrooms called olmi, which only grow during the monsoon. They’re usually eaten fried in a semolina batter or lightly stir-fried. The flavour was so intense, it blew me over. I’m already excited to experiment with them for my next menu. 

Indian cuisine abroad has long faced clichés–being seen as too spicy, too heavy, or overly curry-centric. How do you contest those stereotypes in your menus? 

I think those clichés are fading. Indian cuisine today is gaining the recognition and respect it rightfully deserves. It is now being accepted as a fine yet complex cuisine, especially in metropolitan cities across the world. Take, for example, our Indian restaurant in Milan, Italy – a country known for its culinary conservatism when it comes to foreign food – and yet, we’ve been warmly embraced. This acceptance tells me that the time for Indian food to shine on the global fine-dining stage has truly arrived. 

You’ve defied many stereotypes yourself–as a woman in a male-dominated industry, an openly queer entrepreneur, and a Section 377 petitioner. Do these personal battles shape how you express yourself through food? 

Absolutely. Who you are inevitably influences the work you do. I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge, and I hope that same courage and authenticity come through in both my professional and personal life. 

You’ve also expressed how palates are rather personal. Your work brings you in contact with audiences from vastly different cultures and food histories. Does this diversity ever pose a challenge? 

It only becomes a challenge if you resist it. Once you embrace the fact that everyone experiences taste differently and you stop trying to control it, it actually becomes liberating – almost like a cakewalk. In fact, many times we are eager to see how our dishes will be received. For instance, we recently had a pop-up at the Jumeirah Olhahali Island in the Maldives and we took three dishes from Atrangi: our pickled doodhi with smoked dahi, Malvani chicken tikka, and Naga pickle beef. And the response was overwhelming! 

One guest said the doodhi reminded them of their mother’s cooking, which was such a highlight for me. Doodhi is such an underdog amongst vegetables, and I love all the underdogs. 

That is indeed a gutsy choice for an Indian menu. With guests at Jumeirah from India and abroad alike, was it a bit of a gamble? Will there be more such pop-ups? 

The pop-up in the Maldives was a celebration – a moment for us to show off, in the best possible way! My colleague and Atrangi’s Head Chef, Aniket Chatterjee, curated the dishes he’s most proud of. And as it turns out, those are also the ones our Indian and international guests at Atrangi in Dubai relish the most. So, it felt like a natural fit. 

We had guests from all over, and some who were familiar with Indian cuisine said they had never experienced it quite like this before. It reaffirmed how powerful pop-ups can be in bringing our work to a broader, more diverse audience. And yes, we’re definitely inspired to do more. 

What’s your priority when you are putting together such gastronomic experiences in a new location? 

We always aim to use as much local produce as we can. That’s a key principle for us. With Jumeirah Olhahali Island’s culinary team, this approach was even more seamless because so many of the local ingredients overlap with Indian cuisine. It just made our work that much easier. 

As a chef, mentor, and entrepreneur, what matters most to you today? And what’s next on your plate? 

All three roles are deeply interconnected for me. I continue to experiment with new ingredients, rediscover forgotten techniques, and revive old recipes. My team relies on me for mentorship, and as an entrepreneur, it’s my job to keep everyone aligned and the wheels turning. As for what’s next – I’ve stopped trying to plan everything.  Things rarely go exactly as I intend, so I’ve learned there’s no point in over-planning!