India, Aug. 22 -- What do you think of the Indian pasta tradition?

If your response is one of bewilderment, then join the club. That's what I would have said too - at least until a week ago. "What rubbish! There is no such thing as an Indian pasta tradition," I would have confidently asserted.

Then, I caught the writer and food historian Kurush Dalal on Kunal Vijaykar's podcast. Kunal looked as befuddled as you and me when Kurush went on about Indian pastas and how our tradition dates back centuries.

I was startled enough to call Kurush. Did he really believe all this stuff about ancient Indian pasta dishes? It turned out he did and he regaled me with examples from nearly every part of India.

But before we go much further, here's a li...