What the White House Will Serve for Its State Dinner With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

A state dinner at the White House is as much a diplomatic affair as it is a culinary one—and the food served speaks to that duality.

On Thursday evening, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for one such meal, and the menu is speckled with dishes that combine elements of American and Indian cuisine. Notably, all courses will be vegetarian, to honor Modi’s dietary restrictions, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

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The menu was created by guest chef Nina Curtis alongside the White House executive chef, Cristeta Comerford, and the White House executive pastry chef, Susie Morrison. “We have curated a menu that showcases the best of American cuisine seasoned with Indian elements and flavors,” Curtis said during a preview on Wednesday. “It allows guests from both countries to experience something of the other’s culture.”

The first course is a marinated millet and grilled corn kernel salad, with compressed watermelon and tangy avocado sauce. (The millet is a nod to India, where the grain was once commonly used.) For the main course, guests will dig in to stuffed portobello mushrooms with a creamy saffron-infused risotto. Those who eat fish will also have the option of a sumac-roasted sea bass in a lemon-dill yogurt sauce with crisped millet cakes and summer squashes. And to finish off, dessert is a rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake, a take on the all-American classic.

Similarly, the wine pairings give a wink to India, with a red blend coming from Napa Valley’s Patel Winery, owned by Raj Patel, who was born in India and moved to California when he was young. There will also be a Chardonnay from Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg, Virginia, and a brut rosé from Napa’s Domaine Carneros, which uses American grapes and French methods to make its bubbly.

Curtis, who typically serves up plant-based cuisine in California, was asked by the first lady to help plan the Biden White House’s third state dinner. During the preview, she wasn’t shy about expressing the pressure that comes with such a gig, although she made sure to emphasize the elation that also accompanies the job. Jill Biden called Curtis’s menu “stunning,” which hopefully eased some of that weight—and ideally the guests on Thursday night will agree.

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