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Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
US-based Indian mom faces backlash for preparing a week's meal in advance: ‘New generation is turning out to be more misogynist'
A US-based Indian woman named Madhavi is making headlines online, not just for her clever kitchen hack, but also for the unexpected backlash she received after sharing it. Known for posting vegetarian recipes, gardening tips, and homemaking hacks on Instagram, Madhavi, who has over 25,000 followers on the platform, recently uploaded a video showing her prepping meals worth an entire week in just over an hour. From palak roti to dal fry and veg lasagna, the spread was impressive, aimed at busy folks like students, working professionals, and new moms, especially those in the United States where household help isn't as easy to come by. But instead of appreciation, Madhavi was slammed by many netizens. People called her 'lazy,' accused her of feeding her family 'stale' food, and questioned why she couldn't cook fresh meals daily. Others argued that her approach clashed with Ayurvedic principles – ignoring the fact that freezing and reheating food is a practical choice for many living abroad. Despite the trolls, support poured in too. Krish Ashok, author of Masala Lab and a popular Instagram creator, publicly backed Madhavi, helping amplify her video and call out the misogyny driving much of the hate. On Reddit, user @National_Holobird reshared her video and said: 'She's a US-based creator who makes videos of her meal prep. This recent video of hers got so much hate from privileged idiots who think fresh hot food is their birthright and have zero acknowledgement for the labour women (wife/mom/domestic help) that goes into it.' This meal prep creator got so much hate that she turned off comments ft @madhavis_little_nook byu/National_Holobird inInstaCelebsGossip Several others, too, joined in to defend Madhavi. One user wrote, 'Although she is cooking for her family, I believe she is working as well, but people want her to have a full-time 2nd shift for household chores.' Another pointed out, 'What's funny is most commenters are men who probably don't even know where the kitchen is. And some hateful women who are just waiting to be picked by these men.'
New Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Climate
- New Indian Express
Echoes of longing, and a spell of midsummer rain
This week, the city woke up differently. Rain fell in thick, slanted sheets—the kind that makes you pause mid-sentence, mid-thought. The winds were gusty, sweeping through the trees and balconies, sending curtains flapping and windows clattering. For once, the dread of Monday didn't win. It was no longer about rushing to meetings or checking off lists—the weather simply refused to be ignored. After days of punishing heat and stifling humidity, the rain felt like a benediction. The scent of petrichor rose from the earth like steam, grounding and deeply familiar. I stood by the window for a while, just watching—there's something about the first good rain that brings with it a sense of reset. And with it came cravings that felt more like an echoing longing for a long-lost feeling. This wasn't just for food, but for the kind of comfort food that belongs to days like these. In my family, the start of the monsoon is always marked by kheer-pooda—a simple, sweet rice pancake that's fried golden, its edges crisp and centers tender. It's more ritual than recipe, and I've grown to associate it with rainy days and stories told over tea. Soon after, I found myself grating onions, slicing potatoes, and heating mustard oil—until it began to smoke. Bhajiyas were next: humble, delicious and perfect. Dunked in spicy chutney, they hit all the right notes. These cravings aren't typical: they're overridden by a sense of longing—perhaps for a distant, fleeting memory of a joyous thunderstorm in a long-forgotten childhood evening. As the playlist at home switched to Shubha Mudgal, I whipped up a bowl of Bengali-style khichuri, topped with ghee and paired with crisp begun bhaja and papad. There are other items too, which the mind takes you to at times. In previous such spells of midsummer showers, I found solace in dal vadas with coconut chutney, a piping hot dabeli, or even a vada pav—eaten standing in the rain during my childhood in Mumbai. There's a particular kind of joy in food that makes you feel like a five-year-old again, watching clouds roll in with masala-stained fingers. What struck me most that day, though, was how the feeling wasn't mine alone. All across our apartment complex, kitchens had begun to echo the same emotions. You could hear the sizzle of frying pans, the aroma of heeng and ginger wafting from one home to another, and the shrill whistles of pressure cookers at work. The warmth of comfort food was everywhere. Though we were all in our separate homes, we were sharing the same kind of day: a private celebration with citywide resonance. I remembered reading something by Krish Ashok in his book, Masala Lab, that our craving for deep-fried food when it rains isn't just emotional; it's biological. Less sunlight lowers serotonin levels, and fried food acts as a kind of edible serotonin substitute. It lifts you, and is comforting. It makes sense, then, why those bhajiyas felt so necessary. They weren't an indulgence: they were medicinal, and for the occasional indulgence, I'd leave it at that. Yet another dish that I intricately crave is chana chaat—not the kind you make at home, but the one sold from street carts in Mumbai, usually near the sea. It's a simple dish on paper: boiled black chana, still warm, is tossed in hot butter and mixed with chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander and green chilies. For me, the memory is always anchored at the Bandra Bandstand—chaat in one hand, the other struggling to hold on to a wind-bent umbrella. In Delhi, the equivalent of this is our beloved city staple—chhole bhature. You find it everywhere—one that cuts across age, class or time. It's the kind of comfort that holds steady in every season— but in the rain, it transforms. The first downpour makes the city smell of wet earth and memory. And suddenly, cholle-bhature isn't just food; it's a ritual. For me, Sitaram Diwan Chand's in Paharganj is the infallible one. As we chase comfort in new places and modern lives, it's the small things that often bring us back. This Monday, it was a sudden midsummer shower, and the smell of fried dough carried on the wind. And just like that, you realise: the city still remembers how to find joy—in food, rain, and the shared language of taste.
Hindustan Times
10-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Indian-American woman called ‘lazy' for meal prepping 7 days of food: ‘Most comments by men'
An Indian woman based in the United States has faced an unprecedented barrage of hate over a video that shows her preparing an entire week's food in one go. She has since found support from a section of the internet that called out the misogyny in her comments section. An Indian-American woman was trolled for preparing an entire week's meals in advance (Representational image) Instagram user Madhavi has more than 25,000 followers on the platform, where she posts vegetarian recipes as well as gardening and homemaking tips. Slammed for meal prepping 7 days of food Recently, Madhavi shared a video that showed her preparing seven days worth of food in a little over an hour. The food would have been refrigerated and reheated at a later date. Madhavi's video was aimed at students, busy working professionals, new moms, or anyone struggling with time but still wanting to eat nutritious food – especially in the United States, where domestic labour is not as easily available as in India. Her video showed her preparing a number of healthy and vegetarian dishes like palak roti, paneer kathi roll, dal fry, aloo gobhi, veg lasagna etc. However, she was flooded with hate-filled comments from people who called her 'lazy' for preparing seven days of food in 70 minutes. Some trolls asked why she could not cook fresh food for her family every day, others pointed out the many drawbacks of eating 'stale' food – never mind the fact that her food would have been frozen, not stale. Some people even told her that preparing food in advance is unhealthy and goes against the principles of Ayurveda. Eventually, the hate got so much that Madhavi turned off the comments section. Support from the internet While Madhavi was trolled by some internet users, Masala Lab author Krish Ashok – who has over a million Instagram followers – gave her a supportive shout-out that helped her video go viral. Soon, Reddit users banded together in support of the Indian-American content creator, calling out the haters. 'Especially as someone who lives abroad, I know what a privilege it is to have home-cooked food and having house help for it. Meal prep is the only option when you're managing everything alone!' pointed out one Reddit user. 'What's funny is most commenters are men who probably don't even know where the kitchen is. And some hateful women who are just waiting to be picked by these men,' another said. 'Everyone who wants fresh food , please go and learn to make to your OWN FOOD. YouTube is your paradise,' a third person said. 'Every working woman I know does this because cooking is seen as their job despite them paying the bills too. Maybe if they help their women in the kitchen, they'd get fresh meals everyday,' read one comment.
Economic Times
22-06-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
‘Fear is profitable. Facts are boring': Masala Lab's Krish Ashok debunks seed oil myths in viral rant roasting health influencers
iStock Krish Ashok, author of Masala Lab, dismantled the growing fear around seed oils in a viral Instagram video. With sharp wit and science, he debunked myths promoted by wellness influencers, emphasizing that moderation, not misinformation, should guide our diets. (Image: iStock) 'If the nonsensical fear of seed oils could be used as fuel, our rockets would have reached Jupiter by now.' With that blazing opener, Krish Ashok — author of Masala Lab, science communicator, and self-professed kitchen nerd — tore into the rising tide of fearmongering around seed oils in a recent Instagram video that has since sparked a wave of reactions. In a landscape dominated by influencer-led panic over what to eat and what to fear, Ashok's calm, scathing, and science-backed takedown of the 'seed oils are poison' narrative has stood out. His video doesn't just offer clarity. It delivers a clinic in critical thinking disguised as a witty monologue. Over two minutes, Ashok dismantles the pseudoscientific alarmism that has made seed oils the new villain in wellness circles. 'Yes, but seed oils oxidize when you heat them.' he mockingly mimics the common argument, before adding with sharp logic, 'So does every fat. Including your beloved ghee.' He then explains that in the human body — a steady 37°C — these so-called dangerous molecules are quickly broken down into 'water-soluble metabolites headed for your bladder.' Referencing real-time health data and nutritional science, Ashok adds, 'The data shows people replacing saturated fat like ghee with seed oils consistently drop LDL and prevent cardiovascular death.' His sharpest jab? 'Meta-analysis, not memes or reels, drive dietary guidelines.' The quote, originally part of his Instagram video, has already started circulating as a counterpunch to diet culture misinformation. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Krish Ashok (@_masalalab) Ashok also challenges the idea that industrial processing makes an ingredient inherently harmful. 'Industrial is not a synonym for diabolical,' he states. 'It's a synonym for I can afford oil today because extraction efficiency and shelf life exist.' He explains that refining seed oils — often demonized as 'industrial' — simply removes undesirable elements like wax, proteins, and odor-causing compounds, which is why food tastes like food and not like bitter oil. 'Pressing, filtering, and deodorizing do not magically make poisons,' he says, calling out the alarmist logic of influencer nutritionists. For those insisting on replicating ancestral diets, he offers a scalding reminder: 'Sure, your ancestors didn't use seed oils. Their life expectancy was also 35.'The final punch lands with a truth too simple to trend. 'If your diet is full of fried food and snacks, it doesn't matter what oil you use… your arteries will get hurt,' he says. In other words, blaming one ingredient while ignoring broader eating habits is both lazy and misleading. He concludes, 'Eating less food is hard. Putting the blame on one ingredient is easy.' The reaction has been overwhelmingly supportive, especially among those tired of food being ruled by hysteria. One user commented, 'Meta-analysis and not memes drive dietary guidelines! 🙌' Another wrote, 'My dad is an oil technologist… and he always says — No oil is good or bad. It's the quantity that matters.'So next time you hear someone whispering that seed oils are 'toxic,' remember what Ashok said while laughing through the science: 'The only thing getting hurt is the feeling of scaremongering influencers who do not benefit if you are calm and sensible about food.'
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
‘Fear is profitable. Facts are boring': Masala Lab's Krish Ashok debunks seed oil myths in viral rant roasting health influencers
'If the nonsensical fear of seed oils could be used as fuel, our rockets would have reached Jupiter by now.' With that blazing opener, Krish Ashok — author of Masala Lab , science communicator, and self-professed kitchen nerd — tore into the rising tide of fearmongering around seed oils in a recent Instagram video that has since sparked a wave of reactions. In a landscape dominated by influencer-led panic over what to eat and what to fear, Ashok's calm, scathing, and science-backed takedown of the 'seed oils are poison' narrative has stood out. His video doesn't just offer clarity. It delivers a clinic in critical thinking disguised as a witty monologue. Inside the Great Oil Panic of Our Times Over two minutes, Ashok dismantles the pseudoscientific alarmism that has made seed oils the new villain in wellness circles. 'Yes, but seed oils oxidize when you heat them.' he mockingly mimics the common argument, before adding with sharp logic, 'So does every fat. Including your beloved ghee.' He then explains that in the human body — a steady 37°C — these so-called dangerous molecules are quickly broken down into 'water-soluble metabolites headed for your bladder.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 21st Century Skills Start with Confident Communication Planet Spark Learn More Undo Referencing real-time health data and nutritional science , Ashok adds, 'The data shows people replacing saturated fat like ghee with seed oils consistently drop LDL and prevent cardiovascular death.' His sharpest jab? 'Meta-analysis, not memes or reels, drive dietary guidelines .' The quote, originally part of his Instagram video, has already started circulating as a counterpunch to diet culture misinformation. 'Industrial Is Not Diabolical' Ashok also challenges the idea that industrial processing makes an ingredient inherently harmful. 'Industrial is not a synonym for diabolical,' he states. 'It's a synonym for I can afford oil today because extraction efficiency and shelf life exist.' You Might Also Like: Want a fear-free mango season? Here is the science behind mango pimples and ulcers, and how to avoid them He explains that refining seed oils — often demonized as 'industrial' — simply removes undesirable elements like wax, proteins, and odor-causing compounds, which is why food tastes like food and not like bitter oil. 'Pressing, filtering, and deodorizing do not magically make poisons,' he says, calling out the alarmist logic of influencer nutritionists. For those insisting on replicating ancestral diets, he offers a scalding reminder: 'Sure, your ancestors didn't use seed oils. Their life expectancy was also 35.' The Bottom Line No One Profits From The final punch lands with a truth too simple to trend. 'If your diet is full of fried food and snacks, it doesn't matter what oil you use… your arteries will get hurt,' he says. In other words, blaming one ingredient while ignoring broader eating habits is both lazy and misleading. He concludes, 'Eating less food is hard. Putting the blame on one ingredient is easy.' You Might Also Like: Olive oil is not always healthy: Here is what you are not being told, nutritionists warn The reaction has been overwhelmingly supportive, especially among those tired of food being ruled by hysteria. One user commented, 'Meta-analysis and not memes drive dietary guidelines! 🙌' Another wrote, 'My dad is an oil technologist… and he always says — No oil is good or bad. It's the quantity that matters.' So next time you hear someone whispering that seed oils are 'toxic,' remember what Ashok said while laughing through the science: 'The only thing getting hurt is the feeling of scaremongering influencers who do not benefit if you are calm and sensible about food.'
