Murali Sharma and Ashwini Kalsekar were the latest guests on Sunday Brunch with Kamiya Jani. We arrived at their home, and it was a place that was as serious about food as we are. But it wasn’t just about what was on the plate, it was about the stories that came with it. Between a spread that mixed Marathi comfort with raw Andhra magic, special dal vadas being fried up, and Kamiya Jani, our editor-in-chief, trying her hand at making them, the whole brunch had that homey chaos of a real Sunday afternoon.
“I Was Never Vegetarian At Heart”: Ashwini’s Fun Food Confession
What stood out early on was how both guests spoke about feeding people with genuine pride. Their philosophy is simple, that no one leaves their home hungry. The kind of passion that shows up in the way someone keeps asking, “Aur loge?” even when you’re already full.
Mid-conversation, Kamiya Jani, our editor-in-chief, asked Ashwini something casual, “Who taught you to cook?” Ashwini answered without missing a beat, her jethaani. But that question opened the door to a much funnier, much more personal confession.
Ashwini admitted she was never a “vegetarian at heart.” Since childhood, she was a proper non-veg lover, the kind who didn’t just eat it, but loved it. Vegetarian food didn’t excite her at all. In fact, she joked that the only vegetable she truly cared about was aloo.
Murali immediately jumped in, laughing, and added, “Aadhi sabziyan toh inhein pata bhi nahi thi!” Basically, she didn’t even know most vegetables existed. The trio burst out laughing, and Ashwini didn’t even try to deny it.
And then came the real headline moment, Ashwini revealed she became a vegetarian for love.
In the most pookie, teasing tone, she said something along the lines of, “Pyar mein jaise insaan galtiyan karta hai… maine bhi ek galti ki.” Her “mistake,” she joked, was giving up non-veg for Murali. It was playful, affectionate, and very her.
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Murali Sharma & Ashwini Kalsekar Bring Home-Style Flavours
She even shared a scene straight out of a rom-com, when the two of them were at a buffet, and Ashwini was staring longingly at the prawns and mutton, practically drooling, while sitting there with paneer because she’d promised herself she’d stick to vegetarian food. Commitment, after all.
But Murali, watching her suffer, couldn’t take it. He insisted, “Kha lo,” basically telling her to stop torturing herself if she was craving it that much.
Ashwini clarified that she does eat non-veg outside sometimes, but never at home. At home, they have a Balaji deity, and because of that sanctity, non-veg is completely off the table indoors.
Kamiya, of course, asked the obvious follow-up, “how long was she fully vegetarian?” Ashwini said around 10 years, and then later, for another 5-7 years, it became more of an in-between situation. Murali couldn’t resist turning it into a punchline. He jokingly framed it as a competition between “Pati Parmeshwar” and non-vegetarian food. Kamiya asked Ashwini what she chose. Murli answered instantly: “The latter.” And came unstoppable laughter from all three of them.
It was one of those brunch episodes where the food is delicious, yes, but the real flavour comes from the couple’s ease with each other, the jokes that make them laugh between bites because they’re real, and the kind of honesty that only shows up when you’re sitting at a table full of dal vadas and stories.
Cover Image Courtesy: Internal
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