Anusha Kannan From India to Duluth Woman enjoys expressing musical, culinary talents in the ‘warmth’ of Duluth

By Abigail Blonigen

Anusha Kannan was born and raised in Chennai, India, a city of over 4.5 million people on the southeastern coast of the peninsula. Kannan describes the city as a “bustling hub of art and culture” attracting visitors from all over the world.

Chennai is specifically known for its classical South Indian Carnatic music. Kannan has been a Carnatic singer since she was 5 years old. Even though her family struggled to make ends meet growing up, her mother always found a way to invest in Kannan’s music lessons.

“I soon realized the value of these lessons, and that strengthened my resolve to become adept at it,” she said. “Growing up, juggling work and family, I never let the skills die, and would constantly hone my skills. I’m glad that my son and daughter are taking a keen interest in this as well.”

Kannan is passing on her love and knowledge of Carnatic music not just to her children — Madhura, 7 and Madhav, 4 — but also to the world via her YouTube channel where she regularly posts lessons and performances.

Kannan completed her schooling in Chennai, graduating from Anna University as an electrical engineer. During this time, she and her husband, Kasturi, were married. A physician, Kasturi was completing his medical residency in Brooklyn, New York, so after finishing school, Kannan moved out to join him in 2013.

“It was an eye-opening experience to see various nationalities, religions and cultures living together,” Kannan said of NYC. She loved the hustle and bustle of the city and the “adventure of riding the subway to Manhattan every day going into work.”

After a couple of years in New York, the couple moved to Washington, D.C., where they started their

Continued on page 12 family. In 2018, they moved to Duluth for Kasturi’s job. He’d had several offers, but they were drawn to the “warmth” of Duluth — the people, that is, not the weather.

The family rented a home in Duluth when they first moved to see if they liked the city, and within six months they knew they wanted to stay long term, purchasing a home in 2019. Kannan even embraces the long winters, honing her crosscountry skiing skills with lessons at the Nordic Ski Center.

In the summer months, the family enjoys being outside, spending time by the lake, and biking along the Lakewalk and Munger Trail. They have also been getting into camping — or “glamping” depending on the definition. They have a 1-yearold goldendoodle, which also keeps them busy.

Kannan has even begun to experiment with traditional Minnesotan recipes, which led to her and her husband winning a cooking show.

“The Great Minnesota Recipe” — which aired in spring 2022 on PBS — featured immigrant and Indigenous cooks, highlighting their “culinary experiences, family backgrounds, connection to their recipes, and how their recipes had to adapt over time to match Minnesota’s resources, climate, and population,” according to PBS’ website.

The last episode featured a competition for the best take on the classic Minnesota hotdish. The Kannans came up with Minnesota-Madras: a base layer of channa masala, followed by a layer of paneer bhurji topped with green chutney, a layer of roasted vegetables, and topped with samosas in place of tater tots and mozzarella cheese. The dish is served with a variety of chutneys, including a cranberry chutney to add to the Minnesota flair.

The Minnesotan Indian fusion took the cake, with the Kannans winning the contest.

“We were very happy and grateful that the judges really liked our dish,” she said. “It was a great moment in our life which we will never forget.”

In addition to her music YouTube channel, Kannan also has a vegetarian Indian cooking channel called Veggie Spice where she posts recipes from her grandmother’s cookbook.

While moving away from India was hard at first, Kannan is grateful to be able to rely on technology to keep in touch with her family abroad and visited once a year prior to the pandemic. She is connected with other Indian families in Duluth, and they all get together for Diwali and other festivities.

“We have very good friends and neighbors who we met in Duluth and they have never made me miss home,” she said. “It’s like the warmth of this whole town.” D