I Wrote A Cookbook!!

Hello!

Happy weekend! I currently have some coffee jelly setting as I write this note, which is to let you know that I wrote a whole entire cookbook?!?! I often cannot believe it myself, but it is very real. It is being published by W.W. Norton, and I am grateful for the team I have gotten to work with to bring this book to life.

The book is called AMRIKAN (pronounced um-ree-kan; it’s how Indians say American) and it features 125 recipes from the Indian American diaspora, plus a couple of essays, and even a bingo game (!) People don’t believe me when I say that you can make Indian food with peanut butter, Bisquick, ketchup, and cream cheese — but you can — and I prove it with this book.

It feels great to be able to say that I am insanely proud of this project, which is two and a half years in the making, and cannot wait to share it with everyone. Most people don’t realize that Indian food in America has it’s own unique culinary identity — one that is incredibly delicious and also very layered. It’s my love letter to the diaspora, beyond just the food that comes with it.

I am determined to prove with this book that Indian food isn’t insanely complicated, or ridiculously spicy. That Indian food is American food. That Indian food should be in regular rotation in your kitchen, if it isn’t already.

There’s recipes for classic dishes like khichdi, rajma, rasam, and yes, butter chicken. The book also has a whole chapter on Indian pizza. There’s clever shortcuts, and dishes born out of scarcity and adaptation. And there are recipes that just represent how I like to cook, as the child of Indian immigrants, raised in America, with a global pantry. I also include a saag paneer lasagna recipe that will change your life and win you friends. It’s out on shelves June 4 (!) but pre-ordering, which is immensely immensely helpful, is available now. Pre-orders (on both Amazon and through bookstores) show publishers, bookstores, and the world tbh, that books on Indian food matter. The better diverse books do, the more room is created for these books, and the more stories and voices are represented.

YOU CAN PRE-ORDER HERE!

Book tour dates are coming soon! Please get in touch though if you/your company is interested in hosting an event! I am just going to put it out there and would especially love to do some corporate speaking gigs.

I am going to do a behind-the-scenes series of newsletters on the cookbook through the upcoming months — and including revealing some secrets. Would love to know if you have any topics you’d love to see covered, or if there is anything about the cookbook process you are curious about, in the comments below.

More soon!