The BRICS summit gala dinner menu has drawn attention for its emphasis on traditional Indian ingredients and preparations. Among the featured items were 'millet pulao,' a dish highlighting the Indian government's recent push to promote millets as a sustainable and nutritious grain. The menu also included 'paneer lababdar,' a popular North Indian dish consisting of cottage cheese in a spiced tomato-based gravy, and 'shahtoot phirni,' a dessert made from rice pudding infused with mulberry (shahtoot) flavors.

While the menu serves as a diplomatic gesture, it also aligns with broader efforts to showcase Indian agriculture and culinary heritage to international delegates. The inclusion of millets is particularly notable given the United Nations' designation of 2023 as the International Year of Millets, a campaign heavily supported by India. The dinner provided a platform for cultural diplomacy, using food as a medium to represent the host nation's identity to the visiting BRICS leaders. There are no reported disagreements regarding the menu's composition, as the information serves primarily as a factual record of the event's hospitality arrangements.