Jiggs Kalra, the tsar of Indian cuisine, dies in Mumbai

Restorer Jaspal Inder Singh Kalra, better known as Jiggs Kalra, nicknamed the tsar of Indian cuisine, died in Mumbai on Tuesday morning. Although there is no official confirmation from his family, several people have paid tribute to the pioneering editorialist of Twitter feeds.

Kalra has been sick for a long time. He had spent his 72nd birthday on May 21 at the hospital, said his son Zorawar Kalra, reported at midday .

Kalra began as a food columnist and later became a food consultant in the 1980s. He is also the author of more than 11 books on Indian cuisine, including Prashad which is considered like "the bible of the chiefs".

Kalra played an important role in presenting Indian cuisine to an international audience. He had served several dignitaries, including Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bill Clinton.

Kalra was the first Asian to be inducted into the Food and Beverage Hall of Fame. He was also the first to conceptualize and host a television series about Indian foods. He was behind the launch of restaurants such as Jiggs Kalra Masala Library, Made in Punjab, Farzi Café and Pa Pa Ya.

Vir Sanghvi, food critic and co-founder of EasyDiner, bids farewell to his "old friend". "The great Jiggs Kalra who has done so much to rediscover the lost secrets of Indian cuisine and who has given the chefs their rightful place in the sun goes into this great kitchen in the sky to make sure the gods eat his wonderful food, "writes Sanghvi on Twitter. "There will never be any other Jiggs."