What stories are carried in a recipe? What histories travel with food across borders, generations, and communities?
South Asia Institute is pleased to launch Spices and Stories: Migration, Memory & Meals, a new series of culinary conversations exploring South Asian heritage, identity, and community through food.
Hosted at select restaurants throughout the Chicago area, the series brings together chefs, food writers, scholars, and community members for thoughtfully curated dining experiences that combine exceptional cuisine with meaningful dialogue. Each gathering explores a distinct culinary tradition while examining broader themes of migration, adaptation, entrepreneurship, memory, and cultural exchange.
Our inaugural event, Fire and Flavor, takes place in partnership with Basant Modern Indian and Chef/Owner Jeet Singh. Together, we will explore the traditions of live-fire cooking across South Asia and consider how these practices have evolved within the American culinary landscape.
Moderated by acclaimed food historian and author Colleen Taylor Sen, the evening offers participants a unique opportunity to engage with food not simply as cuisine, but as a living archive of culture, identity, and belonging.
Seats are limited.
Get your seat at the table and explore South Asian heritage, identity, and community through food.
Menu
Guests will enjoy a curated tasting menu that highlights regional barbecue traditions across South Asia, including:
Seekh Kabab
Bihari Kabab
Chicken Sliders
Duck Shammi Kabab
Mushroom Kabab
Dahi ke Kabab
Chicken Hariyali Kabab
Chicken Malai Kabab
Paneer Tikka
About Chef Jeet Singh
For Chef Jeet Singh, food is ultimately about people. Raised in Delhi within a hospitality-focused family, he developed an early appreciation for the ways meals bring individuals together. After immigrating to the Midwest in 2001 and building a successful career in finance, Singh pursued his longtime dream of opening a restaurant that reimagines childhood flavors through contemporary techniques and global influences.
In December 2020, he opened Basant Modern Indian, one of Chicago's most celebrated contemporary Indian restaurants, where tradition, innovation, and hospitality meet at the table.