Acclaimed author and food writer Monica Saigal is out with her 14th book, The Lotus Blooms Twice, a collection of short stories exploring love, loss, grief, and the possibility of starting over. The author of three cookbooks, a novel, and several celebrated food essays, Saigal has built a literary career spanning genres. In an intimate conversation with The American Bazaar, she reflects on her immigrant experiences, love, grief, and the many ways women find the courage to bloom again.
“A woman in Delhi who is questioning her marriage may have more in common with a woman in Virginia than either might imagine. A mother in Mumbai watching her children leave home understands the same complicated mixture of pride, sadness, and possibility as a mother in New York. Our circumstances may differ. Our hearts are not so different.” – Monica Saigal
An acclaimed food writer, Saigal has written several award-winning food stories and books centered on the idea of shared meals. When she decided to explore more poignant themes in her latest book, she still wanted to incorporate an element of gastronomy.
Saigal is the author of cookbooks such as The Spice Is Right, Everything Indian Cookbook, and Modern Spice. Her acclaimed picture book, Papa’s Butter Chicken, was featured in People magazine’s 2024 Gift Guide. Her food essays have appeared in the Best Food Writing anthologies, and the Chicago Tribune named her one of seven food writers to watch in 2012. Mashable also recognized her among its top 10 food writers on Twitter.
When Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna offered to host an evening at his home to celebrate the launch of Saigal’s 14th book, The Lotus Blooms Twice, the author was deeply touched.
An extraordinary chef, filmmaker, author, and, above all, a wonderful human being, Khanna is known for his generosity of spirit, something Saigal has always admired.
The evening brought together an eclectic group of friends, authors, journalists, artists, food personalities, and people from different walks of life. Khanna curated a special dinner, while conversations flowed around books, food, friendship, love, and the many ways our lives unfold.
For Saigal, the gathering was a reminder of something she has believed throughout her career: stories bring people together. People may come from different countries, speak different languages, and lead completely different lives, but they all understand love, loss, longing, grief, and hope.
A little gift with a big story
One of Saigal’s favorite parts of preparing for the event was creating a special gift for Khanna and something meaningful for the guests.
“I discovered a wonderfully talented woman whose store, Inara, runs a small candle-making business on Instagram. Even though I had had never met her, when I asked what she could create as a special thank-you gift for Khanna, she suggested recreating two dishes from Bungalow, Khanna’s iconic restaurant, as candles,” she says.
She adds, “Here’s the amazing part. The woman had never even visited his restaurant! She worked entirely from photographs, and what she created was extraordinary. She also made beautiful lotus-shaped candles for all the guests, tying everything back to the book.”
The collaboration meant a great deal to Saigal. She often speaks about women supporting other women, especially immigrant women, who frequently leave behind their established lives and careers to resettle and start from scratch.
“I believe it takes more than words. Women must support one another’s businesses, share their work, and create opportunities for one another,” she says.
Why The Lotus Blooms Twice matters
Saigal’s 14th book is perhaps one of her most personal works in terms of what it represents to her.
The collection includes 14 short stories and a bonus novella exploring love, loss, desire, betrayal, caregiving, friendship, and redemption. Its characters are people who have already lived full lives. They have loved, raised families, made sacrifices, made mistakes, and sometimes lost everything they thought was permanent.
And then life asks them a question: What now?
Explaining why she chose the lotus as a symbol for the book, Saigal says, “I have always loved the lotus because it grows in muddy water and still blooms, luminous and beautiful. But what especially moved me was when I learned that the lotus closes at night and opens again with the sun.”
“And, that became the heart of the book,” she says.
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Saigal sees a similar pattern in the lives of immigrant women, who often reinvent themselves and rebuild their friendships, careers, and personal lives. She does not believe people bloom only once.
“They can bloom again and again, and each time, perhaps, with a little more wisdom and a better understanding of who they are,” she says.
A story for immigrant women and women everywhere
Born in India, raised in the Middle East, and having built her life in America, Saigal understands the complicated expectations women carry, particularly immigrant women who are often trying to honor one culture while building a life in another.
Asked why she believes the book would resonate with women from Mumbai to New York, she says, “Women are daughters, wives, mothers, professionals, and caregivers. Sometimes, in the rush to fulfill all those roles, they forget to ask themselves what they want. But the emotions in this book are universal.”
She adds, “A woman in Delhi who is questioning her marriage may have more in common with a woman in Virginia than either might imagine. A mother in Mumbai watching her children leave home understands the same complicated mixture of pride, sadness, and possibility as a mother in New York. Our circumstances may differ. Our hearts are not so different.”
Saigal does not want the book to be seen only as an Indian or immigrant story. It is a collection about being human, the complexities of love, and the extraordinary things ordinary people survive.
Her own second bloom
At 57, Saigal has raised two sons, recently lost both her parents, navigated divorce, and rebuilt her personal and professional life through some difficult years.
She began her career as an engineer, although she had wanted to be a writer since she was five years old. She has since written 14 books across different genres, and her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bon Appétit, and Saveur.
There have been moments when she had to begin again, whether she wanted to or not.
But something has changed for her.
“Through my book I want women to know that life doesn’t have to be about constantly proving how strong we are. Sometimes the most beautiful thing we can do is allow ourselves to be happy,” she says.