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Padma Lakshmi credits Indian grandparents for shaping career
The Instagram clip prompted widespread engagement from followers who shared their own intergenerational stories.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 02, Dec 2025
- 12:28 EST
- 12
Indian-American author and TV host Padma Lakshmi / Courtesy: padmalakshmi.com
Indian-American author and TV host Padma Lakshmi credited her maternal grandparents for shaping her career as a cookbook author. Speaking on Ego Nwodim’s 'Thanks Dad' podcast, Lakshmi shared how her grandparents' influence on her during her childhood trips to India shaped her present career trajectory.
"My grandfather loved books. He was one of the most well-read people I've ever met in my life," she said, adding that his influence built the literary foundation that later supported her writing career.
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Her grandmother, by contrast, offered practical lessons in cooking and everyday life. “She wasn't a cuddly grandma. She was a very practical grandma, but she taught me how to cook, and she taught me about life, food, (and) cooking,” Lakshmi said.
"It's no surprise now looking back at my life what I do for a living because I write cookbooks, which I am a direct product of both my grandparents' love and influence," she said, adding that she embraced cooking fully only in high school after years of prioritizing books.
In the clip, Lakshmi described a turbulent childhood marked by relocation and limited time with her parents following their separation. Born in Chennai and brought to the United States at age two, she spent extended periods in India between ages two and four and later completed third and fourth grade under her grandparents’ care. Those summers, she said, became a stabilizing force during an otherwise unsettled upbringing.
The clip prompted widespread engagement from followers who shared their own intergenerational stories.
Lakshmi also announced rescheduled book tour stops in Boston, Connecticut, and Las Vegas as she reconnects with readers. Her latest book, 'Padma’s All American: Tales, Travels, and Recipes from Taste the Nation and Beyond,' released Nov. 4 by Knopf, draws from her Hulu series and includes more than 100 recipes.
The 352-page collection explores how migrants and refugees have influenced American food traditions, reflecting her grandparents’ lessons on adaptation and identity.
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