Overview

• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor replied on X to a user who called idli “steamed regret,” posting a poetic defense of the dish on September 27.
• He described a great idli as “a cloud” with “ethereal fluffiness” and likened it to a Beethoven symphony, a Tagore sangeet, a Husain painting, and a Tendulkar century.
• He paired the post with what appeared to be an AI-generated image of himself preparing idlis in traditional attire.
• The exchange quickly went viral, drawing amusement and praise from users and widespread coverage by Indian outlets.
• On September 29, food delivery platform Swiggy visited Tharoor’s residence with idlis and shared a photo, writing a florid note about serving him the region’s finest.