Gwyneth Paltrow surprised many on Instagram on August 15 when she posted a video of her making besan chilla from scratch. However, soon after the Iron Man actor shared the clip on social media, the internet was quick to troll her, and a few were sceptical, pointing out that Indian food and culture are often embraced in the West without always acknowledging their origins.
She made her film debut with a small part in Shout (1991), after which she appeared in a mixed bag of films, including Flesh and Bone (1993), Moonlight and Valentino (1995), and The Pallbearer (1996). It was her performance as Viola in Shakespeare in Love (1998), for which she was awarded the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The actor’s ‘savoury Indian chilla pancakes’ stayed fairly close to the classic batter used in Indian households. She used gram flour (besan) to which she added spices, water, chopped onions and tomato , and grated ginger. She cooked the chilla in a skillet pan with a little bit of oil. However, she gave the breakfast dish a twist by serving it with sunny-side up eggs drizzled with mint chutney and leftover short ribs with tomatoes. The breakfast caught the internet’s attention, and soon people were discussing the actor’s breakfast, with the discourse ranging from her cooking to why Americans steal Indian culture and never give any credit. Gwyneth is an American award-winning actor. She has two children with her former husband, English musician Chris Martin.
