The beloved cookbook Five Morsels of Love was born from Archana Pidathala’s grandmother Nirmala Reddy’s 1976 Telugu cookbook, Vanita Vantakalu. Self-published by Nirmala Reddy, Vanita Vantakalu sold 15,000 copies and became a quiet classic — the kind of book passed down through generations.
Now, 50 years after it was first published, Vanita Vantakalu returns — restored, expanded, and redesigned for a new generation of readers across three volumes: Vegetables; Meat; Sweets, Snacks & Condiments.
Join us for a mouthwatering conversation with author Archana Pidathala, author of Vanita Vantakalu (Vol. 1) & Five Morsels of Love, who will be in dialogue with poet and writer Joshua Muyiwa reflecting on how love – love for food and the memory of a loved one can shape a legacy. This will be followed by an interactive Q&A with the audience.
Here are the details:
Date: 29th August 2026, Saturday
Time: 6:00 PM (seating begins at 5:45 PM)
Venue: Champaca Bookstore, Vasanth Nagar
RSVP here to register.
About the book:
50 years after it was first published, Vanita Vantakalu returns — restored, expanded, and redesigned for a new generation of readers across three volumes: Vegetables; Meat; Sweets, Snacks & Condiments.
The first volume centers on vegetables. Here you will find more than 90 recipes: stir-fries that celebrate the natural crunch of fresh produce, fiery curries, nourishing broths, one-pot rice dishes, and slow-cooked dals. Some recipes reach deep into Andhra tradition, others carry the influence of Hyderabad’s Mughlai history, and a few — her au gratin, her Bombay chutney — reveal Nirmala Reddy’s quiet curiosity: a cook always watching, always learning, always experimenting.
Filled with recipes for everyday meals and celebrations alike, Vanita Vantakalu is a culinary legacy ready to be passed down all over again.
Meet the author:
Archana Pidathala is the author and publisher of the award-winning cookbooks Five Morsels of Love and Why Cook. She is currently working to revive and republish her grandmother's Telugu culinary archive.
About the moderator:
Joshua Muyiwa is Bengaluru-based poet and writer. Presently, he writes & edits the weekly newsletter of LURU Magazine and teaches an elective course that brings together photography and poetry at Azim Premji University. His book of poems, You’ve Come to the Right Place, is forthcoming with Thayil Editions, HarperCollins.