To commemorate new trade ties with India, Australia’s Prime Minister prepares Prime Minister Modi’s favourite dish
In honour of the new trade agreement with India, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morisson took to social media on Saturday to share photos of himself making khichdi, a rice-and-lentil dish that Morisson claims is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “favourite dish.”
“To celebrate our new trade agreement with India, the curries I chose to cook for curry night tonight are all from my dear friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Gujurat province, including his favourite Khichdi,” Morrison said on Facebook and Instagram, posting two photos.
On April 2, India and Australia signed an Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (IndAus ECTA) that will allow 96 percent of India’s exports to Australia to be duty-free, including shipments from key industries like engineering, gems and jewellery, textiles, apparel, and leather. The leaders hailed the agreement as a “watershed moment” and “one of the world’s biggest economic doors to open.”
“Jen, the girls, and my mother are all on board,” he added. According to a government estimate, the agreement will increase bilateral trade in goods and services to $45-50 billion over the next five years, up from around $27 billion, and create over one million jobs in India. Around 85% of Australia’s exports, including coal, sheep meat, and wool, will have zero-duty access to the Indian market, while Australian wines, almonds, lentils, and certain fruits will have lower-duty access.
Morrison’s culinary prowess has previously taken him to the forefront of social media. Morrison posted a photo of himself holding a tray of “ScoMosas,” a deep-fried snack he claims to have made from scratch, in May 2020. Morrison recalled Modi, lamenting that their meeting this week would have to be done via video link. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw the tweet, he replied that Scott’s popular Indian snacks looked “delicious.”
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