Indian origin actor Padma Lakshmi reveals the 'most Indian thing' about her life in US

For Padma Lakshmi, some of her earliest memories are rooted in food, family and simple rituals that brought everyone together.

Born in Chennai, India, Lakshmi moved to New York City in 1974 when she was just four years old. While she grew up in the United States, regular summer visits to Chennai and the Indian upbringing she experienced at home continued to shape her identity.

One memory in particular has stayed with her over the years. Speaking in an interview with The Juggernaut, Lakshmi described how food was shared among cousins during family gatherings.

"I remember sitting on my grandmother's marble tile with 5-6 of my cousins in a semi circle and her sitting in front of us with a giant stainless steel bowl of curd rice and just putting a bite or mouthful of it in each of our little katoris or metal bowls."

"If you were too slow then she would pass you by and come back or she would put it in your mouth if you were little or too young. And so I think thoise formative experiences shaped my worldview of food."

Food, identity and immigrant influence

Today, Lakshmi is widely recognised as an American fashion model, author and one of television’s most prominent food personalities. She hosted 19 seasons of Top Chef and currently leads Taste the Nation, her Hulu travel series that explores the immigrant roots of American cuisine.

In the same interview, Lakshmi spoke about how immigration has shaped what Americans eat today.

"..I do think that American food is very dynamix and exciting. And of course, that is a product of our immigrant culture."

American cuisine has evolved over centuries through migration and cultural exchange. From the earliest colonies to modern cities, immigrant communities have influenced what ends up on the American table. English settlers introduced pigs that later became central to barbecue traditions. German immigrants cultivated hops in the Midwest for brewing beer, while Spanish settlers brought grapes used for winemaking.

Africans who were brought as slaves introduced crops such as yams and groundnuts that became staples in the South. French Huguenots who migrated to Louisiana adapted their cooking traditions into dishes such as Cajun jambalaya and crawfish boils.

For Lakshmi, these stories reflect how food becomes a record of culture, migration and history.

Moving on from Top Chef

After nearly two decades hosting Top Chef, Lakshmi eventually decided it was time to step away. She admitted that by the end of her run on the show, she felt exhausted.

“I just needed to be challenged and do something bigger, to be honest,” Lakshmi says.

Around that time, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach approached her with a different idea. During a dinner meeting, Reisenbach asked Lakshmi to imagine creating something entirely on her own terms.

“What if you could do it your way? What if you could have total control?"

Lakshmi later recalled that Reisenbach continued the conversation for more than a year and eventually, she said, Reisenbach “just wore me down.”

The ‘most Indian’ part of her life

Despite spending nearly five decades in the United States, Lakshmi says one aspect of her life still feels deeply rooted in Indian culture.

"I realize I am at this pahase, very Americanized, but part of me that is most Indian and this was a suprise ot me as well, is my parenting."

Lakshmi is the mother of Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell, who was born in 2010. According to her, many of the values she insists on at home come directly from the way she was raised.

She encourages her daughter to respect elders, call family friends “aunty” and “uncle,” remove shoes before entering the house and regularly check in with grandparents.

Speaking about raising Krishna, who is biracial, Lakshmi explained that half of her daughter’s family is completely American.

"And sometimes i say things sometimes in a way that may not be in a tone that is more well adjusted, shall we say. Because I ma used to Indian parents, so that's all I know."

She also reflected on how family structures in Indian households often work differently.

In many Indian families, Lakshmi explained, a relative may step in to correct or guide a child, and elders often expect younger family members to listen without questioning their instructions.