‘Keep Chai In Cup, Idli On Plate’: Shashi Tharoor's Witty Response To Woman's Bizarre Food Combo

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has once again stepped forward to defend humble idli, this time weighing in on a viral social media post that hailed "chai and idli" as the “best combination to ever exist.” The post by an X user prompted the Thiruvananthapuram MP to make it clear that he enjoys both chai and idli, but firmly rejects the idea of combining the two.

“Oh, I see what you're doing here! Aside from provoking me, that is. I have to be honest: that idli looks a bit too solid and dense for my liking. And the discolouration in the pic is not very appetising,” Tharoor wrote.

"There’s something about a perfectly soft, snowy-white, fluffy idli that just can’t be beaten. This one looks likely to be chewy and rubbery. Not an A-grade idli," he added.

Oh, I see what you're doing here! Aside from provoking me, that is.

I have to be honest: that idli looks a bit too solid and dense for my liking. And the discolouration in the pic is not very appetising. There’s something about a perfectly soft, snowy-white, fluffy idli that… https://t.co/O9GsGAGPa6

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 7, 2026

Despite describing himself as a devoted tea lover, Tharoor argued that chai and idli are best enjoyed independently.

"I’m a massive chai fan myself, but I’ve always been a firm believer in the 'separate but equal' policy: I prefer my chai alongside or after eating, rather than dunking anything in it," he said.

He further explained why he believes dipping idli into tea undermines the very qualities that make the South Indian staple special.

"Anyway, a truly good, soft idli would probably just dissolve in the hot chai and ruin it, whereas a 'dunkable' idli would be too rubbery for my taste and not worth eating," he added.

Tharoor humorously said, "I say keep the chai in the cup and the idli on the plate, they’re both better off that way!"

Rasgulla vs idli

Earlier this year, Tharoor went viral after reacting to a social media claim that compared rasgulla to idli, describing the Bengali sweet as merely “an idli dipped in sugar syrup.”

"Indeed! To conflate a Rasgulla with an Idli is not just a culinary error; it is a profound cosmological misunderstanding," Tharoor wrote.

He went on to highlight the fundamental differences between the two foods.

"To begin with, the comparison is practically a biological impossibility. She is comparing chhena (the delicate, squeaky, pristine curd of milk) with a fermented batter of parboiled rice and black gram (urad dal). Their compositions are from entirely different kingdoms."

Indeed! To conflate a Rasgulla with an Idli is not just a culinary error; it is a profound cosmological misunderstanding.

To begin with, the comparison is practically a biological impossibility. She is comparing chhena (the delicate, squeaky, pristine curd of milk) with a… https://t.co/dwYI3p9B2S

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 17, 2026

Tharoor described idli as "one of the greatest engineering marvels of the culinary world" and "a masterclass in biotechnology."

"The Idli is not a mere ‘bland cake.’ It is a masterclass in biotechnology. To achieve the perfect Idli is to balance the delicate microflora of wild fermentation over a cold night, resulting in a steamed cloud that is a triumph of gut health, lightness, and nutritional balance," he stated.

Calling idli a "savoury monolith of South Indian culinary genius," Tharoor argued that it was designed to be paired with sambar, molaga-podi and ghee—not sugar syrup.

"To suggest an Idli would even consent to being drowned in sugar syrup is to fundamentally misunderstand its dignity," he remarked.