PUTRAJAYA: Guests at a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his visiting Indian counterpart Narendra Modi were treated to a thoughtfully curated spread of “Friendship Appetisers”, symbolising the warm and longstanding ties between Malaysia and India.
In a gesture honouring Modi’s heritage, the menu featured traditional Gujarati favourites such as dhokla and khandvi, alongside Malaysian appetisers including rojak pasembur and tauhu sumbat.
Dhokla is a popular savoury steamed cake from Gujarat made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils or chickpea flour, while khandvi is a delicate snack prepared from chickpea flour and yoghurt, seasoned with turmeric and coriander chutney.
Modi, who was born in Vadnagar in the Indian state of Gujarat and served as its chief minister from 2001 to 2014 before becoming India’s Prime Minister in 2014, arrived in Malaysia on Saturday for a two-day official visit.
Among the main dishes served were nasi minyak, chapati and naan, gulai nangka muda and pajeri nenas. Desserts included assorted local fruits, sagu gula Melaka, kuih bingka ubi and kuih ketayap.
Sharing highlights of the luncheon on X, Modi noted that one of the songs performed was Naalai Namathe from a film starring the late Tamil cinema legend MG Ramachandran (MGR).
“PM Anwar, like several of us in India, is a big fan of MGR,” he wrote. The song featured in the video was from MGR’s 1973 film Ulagam Sutrum Valiban.
Earlier in the day, Modi was accorded an official welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex before proceeding to Seri Perdana, the Prime Minister’s official residence, for bilateral talks with Anwar.
The two leaders were greeted with a brief cultural performance, during which Modi interacted with kompang performers and students.
India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar and senior government officials accompanied the visiting Indian Prime Minister.
Also present at the luncheon were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.
Modi departed Malaysia at 4.35pm after concluding his two-day official visit. The special aircraft carrying Modi and his delegation took off from the Bunga Raya Complex at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
He was seen off by Ramanan, who also served as the minister in attendance throughout the visit.
Earlier, Modi was accorded a ceremonial send-off, including a guard of honour by 28 officers and personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
About 100 students from schools including SJK(T) Dengkil and SM Sains Banting waved Malaysian and Indian flags as cultural performances showcasing Malaysia’s diversity marked the Indian leader’s departure.
