Watch: Rahul Gandhi enjoys meal with Dalit couple, understands their cuisine

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday shared a video in which he is seen enjoying a meal with a Dalit couple in their home in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur and learning more about Dalit cuisine and other issues faced by the community.
Rahul Gandhi was invited by the couple – Ajay Tukaram Sanade and Anjana Tukaram Sanade – to their home to find out more about their cuisine. In the video posted on X, the Congress MP is seen eagerly listening to Shahu Patole, an author of ‘Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada’, about Dalit cuisine. He also tried his hands on preparing ‘Harbharyachi Bhaji’ (a vegetable dish made from chickpea greens) and ‘tuar dal’ with brinjal.

The cooking session provided an opportunity for Rahul Gandhi to be involved in a freewheeling conversation with the Sanade family, who shared their experiences on caste-based discrimination and the importance of Dalit cuisine. During the discussion, Patole shared insights about his book.
Rahul Gandhi expressed his interest in understanding Dalit cuisine and its social and political significance. Quoting Shahu Patole, he said, “nobody knows what Dalits eat”. He mentioned Patole’s book, saying it aims to bring visibility to Dalit culinary practices.
“Even today, very few people know about the Dalit kitchen. As Shahu Patole ji said, ‘No one knows what Dalits eat.’ Curious about what they eat, how they cook, and what its social and political significance is, I spent an afternoon with Ajay Tukaram Sanade and Anjana Tukaram Sanade,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
“He invited me to his home in Kolhapur, Maharashtra with great respect and gave me a chance to help him in the kitchen. Together we made ‘Harbharyachi Bhaji’, a vegetable of chickpea greens and ‘tuar dal’ with brinjal,” he said.
“Talking about Patole ji and the Sanade family’s personal experiences with caste and discrimination, we discussed the lack of awareness about Dalit cuisine and the importance of documentation of this culture,” he further wrote.
The Congress MP underlined that the Constitution gives participation and rights to the Dalits. “But true inclusion and equality of all in society will be possible only when every Indian makes efforts with the feeling of brotherhood in his heart,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Maharashtra comes ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls, which are likely to be held later this year.
The Gandhi scion has batted for a nationwide caste census, saying it will ensure every person from the backward communities will get their due.