Kamala Harris & Mindy Kaling Cook Masala Dosa

Summary

In this delightful video, Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris bond over cooking South Indian food, sharing stories of their Indian heritage and family traditions. They prepare dosas and potato curry, highlighting the importance of cultural identity and the influence of their immigrant parents.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris share a common cultural background as South Indians and discuss their experiences with Indian food.
• 🏡 Kamala Harris enters through the kitchen, highlighting the importance of the kitchen in Indian households.
• 🌟 Both Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris use Taster's Choice jars to store their Indian spices, a common practice among their community.
• 🍳 Kamala Harris admits she has never made dosas, a traditional South Indian dish, despite her Indian heritage.
• 👩‍🍳 Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris cook together, making dosas and potato curry, showcasing the bonding experience of cooking.
• 🤔 Mindy Kaling expresses concern about the future president's opinion on her Indian food, indicating the importance of food in cultural identity.
• 🌱 The conversation reveals that both women's mothers worked hard, balancing professional and domestic responsibilities, a common trait among immigrant families.
• 🍔 Mindy Kaling shares a story about sneaking out for a lamb burger with her cousins in India, reflecting the playful side of maintaining cultural traditions.
• 👨‍👧 Mindy Kaling's father, Avu Chokalingam, joins the cooking session, adding a personal touch and emphasizing the familial aspect of the activity.
• 🌐 Kamala Harris and Mindy Kaling discuss the stereotypes and misconceptions about Indians, highlighting the progressive nature of their families and the importance of education.
• 👩‍👧‍👦 The cooking session ends with a positive note, with Kamala Harris praising the food and Mindy Kaling expressing her support for Kamala's political career.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is a cooking session where Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris bond over making South Indian food, sharing their cultural experiences and family stories.

Why is Mindy Kaling concerned about the consequences of the future president not liking her Indian food?

Mindy Kaling is jokingly concerned because Kamala Harris, who is Indian-American and at the time of the script was running for president, is her guest and she wants to impress her with the cooking.

What is the significance of the Taster's Choice jars in the script?

The Taster's Choice jars are significant because they are used by both Mindy's and Kamala's mothers to store spices, showing a common practice among Indian families and sparking a shared cultural connection.

What South Indian food is Mindy Kaling planning to cook with Kamala Harris?

Mindy Kaling plans to cook dosa, which is a type of sourdough crepe, and a potato curry, which is a traditional accompaniment.

What does Kamala Harris reveal about her own experience with cooking dosas?

Kamala Harris reveals that she has never made dosas before, despite being familiar with South Indian cuisine.

How does Kamala Harris describe her family's dietary habits during her childhood?

Kamala Harris describes her family's dietary habits as strictly vegetarian, with her grandfather being mischievous and occasionally making French toast with eggs when her grandmother was out of town.

What does Mindy Kaling's father, Avu Chokalingam, contribute to the cooking session?

Avu Chokalingam contributes by providing the spices for the cooking session, which he stored in Taster's Choice jars, and he also offers a cultural connection by discussing his family's residence in Besant Nagar.

What is the cultural significance of the dosa that Mindy Kaling is making?

The dosa is a staple of South Indian cuisine, and its preparation in the script highlights the cultural heritage and culinary traditions of Indian families.

How does Mindy Kaling feel about cooking in front of Kamala Harris?

Mindy Kaling feels nervous about cooking in front of Kamala Harris, as evidenced by her concern over the consequences of the food not being liked and her relief when the dosa turns out well.

What is the final outcome of the cooking session according to the script?

The final outcome of the cooking session is positive, with both Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris enjoying the food and Kamala complimenting Mindy's cooking skills.

Outlines

00:00

🍳 Cooking with Kamala Harris

In this engaging and humorous segment, Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris bond over their Indian heritage while cooking South Indian food in Mindy's kitchen. They discuss their families' use of Taster's Choice containers for spices, their shared South Indian background, and the importance of food in their upbringing. Mindy introduces Kamala to her father, Avu, who shares a laugh with Kamala over the common practice of storing spices in Taster's Choice jars. The conversation flows with light-hearted banter and a sense of camaraderie, as they prepare to make dosas and potato curry, with Mindy expressing her nervousness about cooking in front of a future president.

05:01

👩‍🍳 Dosas and Memories

This paragraph continues the culinary journey with Mindy and Kamala as they move on to making dosas. Mindy admits to using a pre-made dosa mix, drawing a playful reaction from Kamala. They share stories about their families, with Kamala revealing that her mother came to the U.S. at a young age to study science, supported by her progressive father. Mindy adds her own family anecdotes, including the tradition of cooking large meals early in the morning. Kamala praises Mindy's cooking skills, and they both enjoy the process of making dosas together. The segment concludes with a warm exchange, where Mindy expresses her support for Kamala and hopes to cook for her in the White House someday, to which Kamala responds with gratitude and a touch of humor.

Keywords

💡Indian food

Indian food refers to the diverse array of culinary traditions native to India, characterized by a variety of flavors, spices, and cooking techniques. In the video, Indian food is central to the theme as Mindy Kaling and Kamala Harris bond over their shared heritage and the cooking of South Indian dishes such as dosa and potato curry.

💡dosa

Dosa is a type of pancake made from a fermented batter typically consisting of rice and black gram. It is a staple food of South Indian cuisine and is often served with a variety of accompaniments. In the script, dosa is one of the main dishes prepared by Mindy and Kamala, symbolizing their cultural connection.

💡South Indian

South Indian refers to the cultural, linguistic, and culinary practices of the southern part of India. The video emphasizes the South Indian aspect of their heritage, as both Mindy and Kamala discuss their familial ties to South Indian food and traditions.

💡Taster's Choice

Taster's Choice is a brand of coffee that was popular among Indian immigrants in the past for its convenience and affordability. In the script, it is humorously noted that both Mindy's and Kamala's mothers used Taster's Choice containers to store spices, reflecting a common practice among Indian families at the time.

💡Senator Harris

Senator Harris is a reference to Kamala Harris, who was a senator at the time of the video and later became the Vice President of the United States. The title is used to address her formally, but she prefers to be called by her first name in the casual setting of the video.

💡potato curry

Potato curry is a dish made from potatoes cooked in a spiced curry sauce. It is a traditional accompaniment to South Indian dishes like dosa. In the video, Mindy Kaling mentions making potato curry to go with the dosa, showcasing the typical meal pairing in South Indian cuisine.

💡idli

Idli is a traditional South Indian dish made by steaming a fermented batter of rice and black gram. It is often eaten for breakfast and is a symbol of South Indian culinary culture. Kamala Harris mentions idli as part of her upbringing and the South Indian food she was raised on.

💡Hindu vegetarianism

Hindu vegetarianism refers to the dietary practices of some Hindus who abstain from eating meat, fish, and eggs due to religious beliefs or cultural reasons. In the script, Mindy and Kamala discuss their families' adherence to Hindu vegetarianism and how it influenced their diets.

💡professional immigrants

Professional immigrants are individuals who move to another country to work in a professional capacity, often bringing with them their cultural practices and values. The video touches on the experiences of Mindy and Kamala's mothers as professional immigrants and the impact of their work ethic and cultural traditions on their families.

💡masala dosa

Masala dosa is a specific type of dosa that is filled with a spiced potato mixture. It is a popular variation of the traditional dosa and is known for its flavorful filling. In the video, Mindy Kaling makes masala dosa by adding potato curry to the dosa, demonstrating a popular way to enjoy this South Indian dish.

💡cultural heritage

Cultural heritage refers to the traditions, values, and artifacts that are passed down through generations within a culture. The video script is rich with discussions of Mindy and Kamala's cultural heritage, as they share stories and cook traditional Indian dishes, reflecting their South Indian roots.

Highlights

Mindy Kaling expresses concern about the future president not liking her Indian food.

Kamala Harris admits she has never made dosas.

Both Mindy and Kamala share a laugh about their mothers keeping spices in Taster's Choice jars.

Mindy introduces Kamala as a special guest and they discuss the respect of titles.

Kamala reveals she was raised eating South Indian food, including lots of rice, yogurt, potato curry, dal, and idli.

They decide to cook dosa and potato curry, traditional South Indian dishes.

Mindy mentions that Kamala's Indian heritage is a point of excitement among Indian communities.

Kamala shares a story about her grandfather being mischievous with food when her grandmother was away.

Mindy talks about her family's strict vegetarian diet and sneaking out for lamb burgers.

Kamala and Mindy discuss the hard work of Indian women of their mothers' generation.

Mindy adds peas and cashews to the potato curry, which Kamala notices but accepts to try.

Kamala admits she has never made dosas but is ready to learn.

Mindy's father, Avu Chokalingam, joins the conversation and shares his excitement about cooking with Kamala.

Avu and Kamala discuss their families' connections to Besant Nagar in India.

Mindy and Kamala discuss the use of Taster's Choice jars for storing spices and their mothers' recycling habits.

Mindy and Kamala cook dosas, with Kamala praising Mindy's cooking skills.

Mindy offers to cook for Kamala in the White House, expressing her support for Kamala's presidential campaign.

Transcripts

[Mindy Kaling] I don't wanna suffer the consequences

of our future president not liking my Indian food.

[Kamala Harris] Can I just tell you something?

[Mindy Kaling] Yeah. [Kamala Harris] I've never made dosas.

(mellow drum beat)

(laughing)

[Kamala Harris] Hi. [Mindy Kaling] Hi.

I love that you're coming through the kitchen already,

like you live here. [Kamala Harris] Of course I'm coming

through the kitchen,

that's what we do. [Mindy Kaling] This is so nice.

Are you stressed we're making Indian food?

[Kamala Harris] Oh my God, you do have the Taster's Choice.

Oh my, you have no idea,

this is how my mother kept all of her stuff.

[Mindy Kaling] This is so funny, I told my dad,

I was bringing over this stuff from the store.

He's like, obviously, I put them in Taster's Choice--

[Kamala Harris] But this literally was how my mother

kept of all of this stuff.

[Mindy Kaling] That's so funny.

[Kamala Harris] What is that?

[Mindy Kaling] Did they tell each other

about it? [Kamala Harris] I don't know.

(mellow drum music)

[Narrator] Taster's Choice.

[Mindy Kaling] Hi guys, it's Mindy, I'm here in my kitchen

and today, we are cooking but we have

a very special guest, very special.

Senator Kamala Harris.

[Kamala Harris] Hi guys.

[Mindy Kaling] Wait, so here's what I wanna know.

[Kamala Harris] Okay.

[Mindy Kaling] Is it respectful to call,

I should be calling you Senator Harris,

right? [Kamala Harris] No, you should not,

that's not on my birth certificate.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, Kamala? [Kamala Harris] Call me, yes, please.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, because the Indian in me,

I feel like my parents, my dad, will watch this.

[Kamala Harris] Just don't call me auntie.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay.

(laughing)

I won't call you auntie.

They'll be like, how could you call her by her first name?

She's worked so hard.

Okay, so what we're gonna cook today.

[Kamala Harris] Okay. [Mindy Kaling] Is an Indian recipe.

[Kamala Harris] Yes.

[Mindy Kaling] Because you are Indian. [Kamala Harris] Yes, yes, yes.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay and I don't know that everybody knows that.

But I find that wherever I go and I see Indian people

at the supermarket, on the street,

everyone's like, "you know Kamala Harris is Indian, right?"

It's like our thing we're so excited about

to have you running for president.

[Kamala Harris] Yeah. [Mindy Kaling] So we're both Indian.

[Kamala Harris] Yes. [Mindy Kaling] But actually,

we're both South Indian.

[Kamala Harris] Yes, you look like the entire one half of my family.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, thank you. [Kamala Harris] You do.

You do. [Mindy Kaling] I've been telling people

we're related already so this is perfect.

It's basically true. (laughing)

And so we're you raised eating South Indian food?

[Kamala Harris] South Indian food, lots of rice and yogurt,

potato curry, dal, lots of dal, idli.

[Mindy Kaling] Yes, idli.

That's a deep cut.

Okay, so what we're cooking today is two things.

One of the South Indian staples is dosa,

which is kind of like a sourdough crepe.

And then we're gonna make a potato curry

which is the traditional accompaniment.

So I printed out, so-- [Kamala Harris] Where did you

get this recipe? [Mindy Kaling] We're doing it

the old fashioned way, which is,

I printed out a recipe from the internet.

[Kamala Harris] Okay, I'm ready.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, so when I told my dad

that I was gonna be cooking South Indian food for you--

[Mindy Kaling] Yes. [Mindy Kaling] He was extremely excited.

He said I shall get some spices.

But he took them all, all the Indian spices

and he put them in-- [Kamala Harris] In the Taster's Choice jars.

And this is exactly what my mother would do.

So when I walked in and saw this,

literally, I didn't know it was actually a thing

among our people. [Mindy Kaling] I guess it's

an Indian thing. [Kamala Harris] It apparently is a thing.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, cool, so this is all of the spices we're gonna use,

courtesy of my dad. [Kamala Harris] Okay.

[Mindy Kaling] And then, dosas take a really long time

to make the batter. [Kamala Harris] Yes.

[Mindy Kaling] So what we have is this great company,

this Indian company actually, makes ready-to-make.

You can get it at the Indian store.

[Kamala Harris] Okay. [Mindy Kaling] So we're busy,

it's dripping. [Kamala Harris] Yeah.

[Mindy Kaling] Which is-- [Kamala Harris] Oh yeah, it's dripping.

Okay. (drum roll music)

So, South Indian's, it's vegetarian.

It's all vegetarian.

So when we were growing up and we'd go to India

and my grandfather was a little mischievous.

So my grandmother, of course, was strictly no, nothing,

if it had a mother, it was not getting eaten.

And if my grandmother would go out of town,

my grandfather would then, he'd get very mischievous

and he'd say, "okay, let's have French toast."

(laughing)

Because, of course,

that has eggs. [Mindy Kaling] 'Cause it has in eggs.

So, when I would go and visit my family,

obviously, no meat.

Even the dog-- [Kamala Harris] No, no, no, no.

Right, rice and yogurt. [Mindy Kaling] Rice and yogurt, yeah.

[Kamala Harris] Oh yeah. [Mindy Kaling] The dog would eat rice--

[Kamala Harris] Oh yeah.

[Mindy Kaling] The dog would like the rice and yogurt.

[Kamala Harris] Yeah, no. [Mindy Kaling] Very good Hindu vegetarians.

But then I would get older cool cousins

who would take me out on their motorcycles

and we would go get, we would all split a lamb burger

'cause fast food. [Kamala Harris] Right, it was like a prank,

right, right. [Mindy Kaling] With like, no beef

or anything, obviously but we would have lamb burger.

And then we couldn't tell any of our grandparents about it.

[Kamala Harris] Okay. [Mindy Kaling] That's a fine chop.

[Kamala Harris] Right. [Mindy Kaling] Okay, Senator Harris,

I say this with respect, you're kind of a show off.

(laughing)

It's like, meanwhile it's taking me

20 minutes to do this much ginger.

Okay, what can't she do?

You got my vote.

So your mom worked and my mom worked, but my mom also--

[Kamala Harris] I know, your mother was a doctor.

[Mindy Kaling] Well, interesting thing about Indian women

of a certain generation, is you had to do both.

[Kamala Harris] Yeah, oh yeah. [Mindy Kaling] Right.

Like my mom would wake up at five in the morning

before she went to the hospital to see patients

and she would cook food for the whole week.

[Kamala Harris] Oh yeah, mommy did that too.

[Mindy Kaling] And so some food that was cooked,

dinner food was cooked at 6:00 a.m.

And then she would leave

and then all of our food was cooked.

And we, of course, didn't understand,

we're like, we wanna go to McDonald's,

but there is a four course Indian meal

for us even if she wasn't there to eat it with us.

And it was that kind of a thing

that was completely normal when you're the children

of professional immigrants.

[Kamala Harris] Listen, this is how it was,

because we would often come home from school

before our mother would come home from work.

And there was always fresh baked cookies.

[Mindy Kaling] No.

[Kamala Harris] Always, always, always.

[Mindy Kaling] Oh my God.

[Kamala Harris] So all of that stuff, everything was from scratch.

And this is why maybe I've become,

hopefully, not a snob about food--

[Mindy Kaling] Someone who could cut up onions like that,

like we're on a cooking show. [Kamala Harris] But I take it

very seriously. [Mindy Kaling] Yeah.

Listen, this is controversial,

I put peas and cashews in mine.

Yay or nay? [Kamala Harris] I noticed that.

That,

you know, I mean--

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, all right. [Kamala Harris] It's fine.

You could do it-- [Mindy Kaling] Your silence

was very damning. [Kamala Harris] Yeah, (laughs).

[Mindy Kaling] I knew what you wanted to do.

[Kamala Harris] No, but you know what, I wanna try it.

Go on, go for it.

[Mindy Kaling] No, because I don't wanna suffer the consequences

of our future president not liking my Indian food.

So why don't I just,

we'll just play it safe? [Kamala Harris] Okay, put a couple in.

Just put a couple in.

Can I just tell you something?

[Mindy Kaling] Yeah. [Kamala Harris] I've never made dosas.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, but you're really good about critiquing them.

Great. (laughing)

This is gonna be great for me.

All right, so let's get to the cooking part of it.

I always use too much oil.

I'm often surprised when I make things from scratch.

[Kamala Harris] Right. [Mindy Kaling] This is why I needed

a U.S. Senator to witness me do it.

(laughing)

[Kamala Harris] You are doing such a good job.

(onions sizzling)

How old were your parents when they came over?

[Mindy Kaling] My parents were, I think, almost maybe late 20s,

like 28, 29, 30 [Kamala Harris] Oh really?

Yeah. [Mindy Kaling] Yeah.

[Kamala Harris] See, my mother came when she was 19.

[Mindy Kaling] Wow.

[Kamala Harris] By herself.

[Mindy Kaling] No way, wow.

[Kamala Harris] My grandfather was very progressive

and she wanted to study science.

[Mindy Kaling] My mother's father was the same way.

[Kamala Harris] And you know this is the thing that's really interesting

because people have these stereotypes

and actually, misconceptions, about who Indians are.

I mean, at least I can speak about my own experience

and you have a similar experience, it sounds like,

where, you know, my grandfather was very progressive.

Like, his daughter wanted to go and do that

and he was like, go ahead.

[Mindy Kaling] I think this is done. [Kamala Harris] I think so too.

[Mindy Kaling] And I think that we could move on to dosa.

[Kamala Harris] Okay. [Mindy Kaling] Here's my pre-made dosa mix

that thousands of Indian women around the world

are gasping that I'm using.

I'm just gonna put some oil in the pan.

[Kamala Harris] Okay. [Mindy Kaling] Now would your family,

would they do the thing

where they took the paper towel and spread it around?

Or did they just leave it

like this? [Kamala Harris] Oh yeah, yeah.

[Mindy Kaling] I just wanna let you know

that I'm really stressed about doing this since you're--

(laughing)

[Kamala Harris] Okay, can I just tell you,

I'm in awe that this is happening at all

in a real kitchen in front of me.

Look at how gorgeous that is,

you're doing such a great job.

[Mindy Kaling] So I think the key to dosa is very simple,

which is a lot of oil.

So what I do is put a little bit of oil in the holes

to make it crispy.

[Kamala Harris] Oh, that's smart.

[Mindy Kaling] My dad kind of always did this.

Hi (laughs).

[Avu Chokalingam] Hi (laughs).

[Kamala Harris] This is your father?

[Mindy Kaling] This is my dad, Avu. [Kamala Harris] Hi, uncle, hi.

[Mindy Kaling] Dad, this is Senator Harris.

[Avu Chokalingam] It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Senator.

[Kamala Harris] How are you? [Avu Chokalingam] Pleased to me you.

[Kamala Harris] It's so good to meet you.

[Avu Chokalingam] Thank you for coming.

[Kamala Harris] My grandparents lived in Besant Nagar

[Avu Chokalingam] Yeah. [Kamala Harris] Uh huh.

[Avu Chokalingam] Actually, my family lives there.

[Kamala Harris] Yes, I would go take walks in the morning--

[Avu Chokalingam] On the beach, yeah. [Kamala Harris] On the beach

With my grandfather. [Avu Chokalingam] Yeah.

[Mindy Kaling] Dad, did you know that her family

keeps spices in Taster's Choice bottles?

[Kamala Harris] We would keep the same in Taster's Choice.

But why is it that you guys keep

these things in Taster's Choice?

I never asked, but my mother drank

Taster's Choice coffee every morning,

so I guess and we recycle everything, of course.

(laughing)

[Mindy Kaling] Wait, Senator Harris, what do you think of this dosa,

you think it's done?

[Kamala Harris] That's really good. [Mindy Kaling] I think it's gonna be

pretty good, here we go.

(gasps)

[Kamala Harris] Wow, I am really impressed.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, so now the components are all ready.

And we're just gonna take the potato

and put it into the dosas. [Kamala Harris] Yum.

[Mindy Kaling] And now, we fold 'em over.

That was the, that was the better way to do it.

(laughing)

Yes, wait.

[Kamala Harris] Look at how gorgeous that is.

[Mindy Kaling] I'm gonna do the same thing on mine.

So, masala dosa.

Thank you for eating this.

I would give this a hard B-.

The dosas weren't, I didn't think they were--

[Kamala Harris] But the flavor is very nice.

[Mindy Kaling] Thank you, I was nervous cooking in front of you.

[Kamala Harris] But you shouldn't be, you're such a good cook.

[Mindy Kaling] Okay, thank you. [Kamala Harris] This is very good.

[Mindy Kaling] Maybe when you're in the White House,

I can come and cook you a meal.

Thank you so much for cooking in my home with me.

[Kamala Harris] I'm so glad to be with you.

[Mindy Kaling] I'm so honored and excited to vote for you.

[Kamala Harris] Aww, you're the best. (laughing)

(mellow drum beat)