During the HT Leadership Summit in New Delhi, Former US President Barack Obama offered one definitive reason he has a special South-Asian connection. Recounting a past incident, presumably at an Indian restaurant, he said (video above) that he had to explain to the waiter that he already knew what dal is.

“(It was) because I had had an Indian roommate and a Pakistani roommate, whose mothers had taught me how to cook dal,” he admitted, much to the delight of the gathering. “I’m pretty sure I’m the first US President to have a dal recipe, which is excellent,” he quipped, adding modestly. “My keema is also excellent. My chicken is okay.”

Obama elaborated on why he often recounts this anecdote. “Those kinds of connections I think extend beyond any policy that a government may make and the ebbs and flows of the national governments,” he said.

Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit, he also spoke about how the histories of both India and the US speak about a common set of values – pluralism and tolerance. “If India and US work together, I believe there is no problem we cannot solve,” he added.