Taking the fight to the kitchen.

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Ever since British-controlled India was granted independence in 1947 and partitioned into mostly Hindu India and mostly Muslim Pakistan, the two nations have been bitter rivals, fighting four wars over disputed territories. Now they're going at it in a less bloody arena: reality TV. The new show Foodistan, airing in both countries, pits Indian and Pakistani chefs against one another as they scramble to prepare three dishes in 90 minutes; judges evaluate the tandoori lamb and tamarind rice dishes, eliminating chef after chef until just one is standing. (Beef and pork, forbidden to Hindus and Muslims, respectively, are not on the menu.) Foodistan offers a lighthearted outlet for what remains one of the world's most serious conflicts. "Like most siblings, India and Pakistan love to take each other on," says the show's co-host. On Foodistan, though, the battle is "fought with forks, knives, and skillets."

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