June nonfiction: Six hot-off-the-press books to read as you cross this year’s halfway mark

Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada, Shahu Patole, translated from the Marathi by Bhushan Korgaonkar

A landmark publication in Marathi, Shahu Patole’s book Anna He Apoorna Brahma was the first-ever work to document Dalit food history through the culinary practices of two Maharashtrian communities – Mahar and Mang. Fashioned as a memoir with recipes, it explores the politics of maintaining social divisions through food along with a commentary on caste-based discrimination – what food is sattvic (pure) or rajasic (fit for a king), what is tamasic (sinful) and why.

Now translated as Dalit Kitchens of Marathwada, this book presents the poor man’s patchwork plate, one devoid of oil, ghee and milk, and comprising foods not known to savarna dictionaries. It also examines Hindu scriptures that prescribe what each varna should eat – and questions the idea that one becomes what one eats. From humble fare to festive feasts, the recipes carefully woven into the narrative show you the transformative power of food in connecting communities and preserving cultural identity.

At the Jincheng Hotel: Perspectives on Modern Indian Art, KG Subramanyan

In 1985, KG Subramanyan visited China on an invitation from the China Artists Association, exploring Beijing, the Dunhuang caves, Xinjiang, Shaanxi and Guangdong. Rather than its old monuments and new cities, what caught his eye...

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