Jill Biden unveils menu full of vegetarian dishes for 400 guests for Modi state dinner

Jill Biden on Wednesday unveiled a vegetable filled-menu for the state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and joked she’s in ‘suspense’ as to whether Joe Biden will pick the sea bass or stick with her veggie option.

Modi is a vegetarian and President Biden is known for his love of American classics like spaghetti, peanut butter and jelly and ice cream.

The menu for Thursday’s state dinner includes marinated millet and grilled corn salad, stuffed portobello mushrooms, saffron-infused risotto with sea bass available upon request. Strawberry Shortcake will be served for dessert.

Jill Biden said ‘we’ll see’ when she was asked if the president will opt to add the sea bass and noted he was keeping her in ‘suspense’ about it. 

Four hundred guests will descend upon the White House for the black-tie event, a large number for a state dinner. 

The first lady brought in Chef Nina Curtis, a Sacramento, Calif., who is celebrated for her exceptional skill and creativity in plant-based cuisine, as a guest chef for the event.

‘With this official state visit, we are bringing together the world’s oldest and the world’s largest democracies,’ Jill BIden said at the preview of the dinner.

The event itself will take place on a pavilion on the South Lawn. David Stark Design worked with the East Wing for the event, which incorporates elments of Indian and American culture in the decor.

The flowers on the table were a saffron color and included a mix of lilies, tulips, and peonies, which are the first lady’s favorite. 

Candles of various sizes sit between the plates, offering a warm glow. 

Stark said he worked with Jill Biden on the decorations. 

‘She loves the feeling of being able to walk into the garden, her vision for being able to put together a still life on the table that feels very personal and doesn’t feel like the florist came to town but it feels like you did it yourself,’ he said.

The pavilion will be decorated in greens and saffron, honoring the colors of the Indian flag. The decor will include the peacock and the bald eagle; mandala-style illustrations found in traditional Indian art; and the lotus flower.

After the food is served, violinist Joshua Bell and Penn Masala, a South Asian A Cappella Group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania, will perform.

The dinner is part of President Biden’s move to roll out the red carpet for Modi as he works to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. But the dinner takes place amid controversy about Modi’s record on human rights.

However, Biden, who wants India to be a counter to China in the Indo-Pacific region, won’t confront Modi about the human rights situation that has deteriorated under his leadership.

Guest Chef Nina Curtis composed the menu; she holds the main course which includes a stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy saffron-infused risotto

The 400 guests will receive a copy of the dinner menu on their plates

First lady Jill Biden and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended a science event 

The dessert course is rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake

Jill Biden noted, with the visit of India, ‘we are bringing together the world’s oldest and the world’s largest democracies’

The president is expected to bring up U.S. concerns about democratic backsliding in India, but he will not lecture Modi on the subject, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a briefing. 

When the U.S. sees challenges to press, religious or other freedoms, ‘we make our views known,’ Sullivan said, according to Reuters. He added: ‘We do so in a way where we don´t seek to lecture or assert that we don´t have challenges ourselves.

‘Ultimately, the question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians. It’s not going to be determined by the United States,’ Sullivan said. 

Biden has argued for the virtues of democracy over autocracy. And Modi’s record on human rights could put the president in a tough spot as he welcomes the Indian leader with open arms. 

The White House has played coy when it comes to how Biden will handle Modi’s growing iron fist. 

‘It is commonplace for President Biden when he was talking with with his counterparts from overseas, that he routinely raises issues of concern to us. Certainly human rights is of concern to the United States and it’s a foundational element to President Biden’s foreign policy, so I’ll just leave it at that,’ National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

There are expected to be protests around the White House on Thursday. 

And more than 70 members of Congress wrote to Biden on Tuesday, urging him to address human rights concerns with Modi.

‘A series of independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access,’ the lawmakers wrote. 

Jill Biden and White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo pose during a media preview in advance of Thursday’s State Dinner 

The tables are decorated with flowers and candles

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi participates in a yoga class during the observation of International Yoga Day on the grounds of United Nations headquarters in New York

Modi embraces actor Richard Gere as they attend the 9th International Day of Yoga event at UN headquarters in N

Modi was once denied a visa to the U.S. after riots in 2002 killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, in Gujarat – the region where he was chief minister. 

To ban Modi, the State Department invoked a little-known U.S. law passed in 1998 that makes foreign officials responsible for ‘severe violations of religious freedom’ ineligible for visas.

But Modi was granted entry to the U.S. after his 2014 election as prime minister. 

Modi has been accused of marginalizing Muslims, the Hindu country’s largest minority group. Under Modi, violence against Muslims has become more common. And the prime minister has been criticized for supporting a law that makes it more difficult for Muslim immigrants to become Indian citizens.

The White House also argues publicly that Modi’s visit is not about China.

‘This state visit is not about China. And it’s not about sending a message to China. It really is all about the bilateral relationship with India and fostering that relationship for a future that we believe is very, very great,’ Kirby said.

But China will be an unspoken, underlying thread. The visit comes as India has surpassed China as the world’s most populous nation.

The White House’s courtship of Modi, and its effort to draw India closer on issues of trade, climate and technology, all have the greater goal of countering Beijing’s influence in the region.

Other presidents also have kept India close. Barack Obama visited India during his presidency, as did Donald Trump. Trump also attended a ‘Howdy Modi’ event with the prime minister in Houston. 

To help its cause, the Biden White House is honoring Modi with a state dinner – the third of the Biden administration. And while Modi has been to the U.S. five time since becoming prime minister in 2014 this will be his first state visit.

It will include all the pomp and majesty that comes with the occasion –  a colorful arrival ceremony on the White House South Lawn, an Oval Office meeting and a lavish dinner in a glass pavilion built for the occasion.

The two men will also hold a joint press conference. Modi rarely takes questions from the media.  

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for the International Yoga day event at United Nations headquarters

Flags of India and US adorn the Eisenhower Executive Office Building ahead of Modi’s visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) meets with Elon Musk (left) in New York

Before arriving in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Modi led celebrations for the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Modi will visit the National Science Foundation with first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday afternoon and have a private dinner with the first couple that evening.

And he’ll address a joint session of Congress. 

Modi is meeting with several U.S. CEOs during his visit to America, including at a Friday reception. On Tuesday he met with Twitter’s Elon Musk in New York. 

Biden and Modi are expected to announce a variety of agreements related to defense cooperation and sales, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and investments in India by Micron Technology and other U.S. companies. 

The war in the Ukraine will also be on the agenda. India has continued to buy oil and weapons from Russia and has not publicly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

For his part, Modi is pushing for India a bigger role on the global stage. India, a member of the G20, will host world leaders for the group’s annual meeting in September. And Modi wants his country to have a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.