Masala Memsahib

Book excerpt: ‘I have never seen a book on Indian food written and designed like this . . . with such beauty and recipes that work . . . Bound to be a great success!’ SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, CEO – Il Borro ‘Karen Anand possesses the meticulous manner of the French in documenting a recipe, but has free-spirited taste buds and a soul that’s quintessentially Indian. That makes this journey through the foods of India particularly delicious!’ JAMAL SHAIKH, National Editor – Brunch ‘Karen Anand takes us on an exciting journey of discovery to places and tastes and smells through her wonderful compilation of stories and recipes. Savour it’ TARUN TAHILIANI, fashion designer ‘This book on Indian cuisine by Karen Anand is a spectacular culinary event. Every lover of Indian food will drool over her “favourite home-style recipes”, collected over a lifetime of great dining experiences. I’m blown away by the beauty of her book’ KABIR BEDI, actor Karen Anand’s name is synonymous with all things food. When she writes and describes food, I can almost smell and taste it. This book is the culmination of a journey of this gourmet and I am lucky to have inhaled the aromas!’ DIVYA SETH SHAH, actor ‘The recipes in Masala Memsahib are as fragrant as the adventures from memsahib Karen’s life spent documenting Indian food. Her love for fresh organic ingredients is no secret and through this book she brings in the old-world nostalgia of uncomplicated Indian cooking’ KUNAL KAPUR, celebrity chef ‘For me, Karen Anand has been a lighthouse as far as food, recipes, ingredients and the history of recipes are concerned. I’m so happy about this book from someone I truly admire and respect’ MARIA GORETTI, celebrity chef and actor A celebrated food writer serves up a delicious diversity of Indian foods in this dazzling cookbook-memoir. Self-professed ‘Masala Memsahib’ Karen Anand takes us on a journey across five Indian states – Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal – and introduces us to mouth-watering local cuisines, diverse eating practices and fabulous culinary histories. Each of the book’s sections is a window into Karen’s remarkable adventures with food, interspersed with the most distinctive recipes from the regions she visits, from the piquant prawn balchao to the soulful Mulligatawny. Illustrated throughout with absorbing photographs from kitchens as well as the streets, this spectacular cookbook from one of India’s most well-loved and widely travelled food writers goes far beyond the tired tropes of Indian cooking and brings home the authentic tastes and qualities of our nation’s myriad cuisines. Packed with 100-plus ludicrously delicious, easy-to-use recipes, it is a true collectible.