India, March 30 -- Years ago, a young woman from a traditional Hindu family from Mathura got married into a Mathura-based family in Chennai. This is the incredible journey of Chef Anjali Gupta whose signature menu was showcased recently by Lodi Hotel's Elan. She has a rich lineage of South Indian cooking spanning three generations. The finely curated menu from Hema's Kitchen, founded by her mother, was literally a voyage of discovery.

On another note, it is indeed heartwarming to see that starred hotels and restaurants across the board are providing their patrons a taste of India, sourcing the secret flavours of traditional Indian regional kitchens and placing their myriad cuisines on the fine dining table.

I must admit that the surname...