Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family

Food writer Priya (Ultimate Dining Hall Hacks) and her mother, Ritu (a software programmer and self-taught cook), share kitchen wit and wisdom in this accessible approach to Indian-American home cooking. Before jumping into the 85 quickly assembled, family favorite recipes, the Krishnas first outline the basic building blocks behind classic Indian cuisine with useful charts on spices, lentils, and even a flow chart for creating Indian dishes. Tips feature instructions for preparing rice, potatoes, ghee, and chhonk (spices tempered in oil), the “most revelatory Indian cooking technique ever.” Purists seeking authentic cuisine will find dal, saag, lassi, and the like, but they may balk at Ritu’s substitutions, born of necessity when Indian ingredients in the U.S. were less accessible. (In a chapter titled “No Paneer? No problem!” the authors suggest using feta if the traditional Indian cheese isn’t available.) Priya offers Indian hybrid dishes including crispy roti pizza, white bean stuffed poblanos (a twist on traditional potato-stuffed spicy peppers), and eggless pineapple dump cake. Krishna’s recipes are forgiving, flexible, and perfect for weeknight meals. The authors’ playful approach is infectious and makes accessible a cuisine that could otherwise be intimidating for home cooks. [em](Apr.) [/em]