India's 'Pickle Queen' and her jars of joy

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Usha Prabakaran is India's 'Queen of Pickles'. She learnt the art of pickle making from her in-laws, a family from the Komiti Chettiar community known as the Arya Vysyas and famed in India for their culinary skills. After demand from friends and family grew for her creations, she began hunting down and compiling over 5000 pickle recipes, some of them closely-guarded secrets. But just as she released her first cookbook, Usha was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and became a recluse. Unknown to her the book became a global hit - drawing in foodie fans desperate to try her recipes. After her recovery years later, Usha would gain new fame and status with her jars of joy. Nicholas McCarthy was 14 when he had a life-changing musical experience watching a piano recital. Despite never having played any instrument before, he decided he wanted to be a concert pianist. But there was an even bigger obstacle to overcome - he only had one hand. His supportive parents bought him a keyboard and incredibly, within a few years, he became good enough to secure a place at a top UK music school. There was one condition: he had to concentrate on the notoriously challenging scores of the left-hand alone repertoire. It would mean giving up the music he loved, composers like Chopin and Beethoven, but could also be his way to carve a career from the piano. This interview was first broadcast in 2023. Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Tommy Dixon Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Usha stringing a sour & spicy masala pickle. Credit: Saumya Khandelwal / New York Times)