Masala: Recipes from India, the Land of Spices [A Cookbook] Hardcover – August 30, 2022

This was an excellent purchase. This book looks like it has never been opened.

I used to work for Anita back in 2016-2017 and before that (and after) have been a lover of her food, restaurant and bake lab.When her book was coming out, I was extremely excited because a person I knew wrote a book! And I was excited to have some Pondicheri vibes in my home now that I live far from Houston.Little did I know that this book would help me get out of a cooking rut I have been in for over a year. I have been resentful of my kitchen and the face that good food required "too much of my time and headspace to make". Reading Anita's words on the history of spices, Ayurveda, eating seasonally and the approachable recipes with mouth watering pictures made me EXCITED to cook again.I have cooked the Aviyal multiple times, punjabi cauliflower, and even went into her blogs archives, India1948 for soups and rice with the ingredients that I have on hand.Me, my husband and my friends have been enjoying food differently and my relationship to cooking and my kitchen is healing as a result of owning this book. I have gifted it to multiple friends and even found 2 Indian grocers near me so I can get the beloved kari (or curry) leaves that add the most tremendous flavor to dishes.So thankful to have this book on my shelf and it is already stained from use.

I live in Houston and frequent Anita Jaisinghani’s restaurants: Pondicherry and Bake Lab. I was a great fan of her first restaurant- Indika. I have looked forward to her cookbook for years.Jaisinghani is a wizard with spices. Think of a dish with the perfect balance of sweet, salt, astringent and umami : that is what you get when you cook with Anita. More- her recipes taste like she makes them. Instructions and ingredients are all includedMASALA is fabulous and NOT JUST a cookbook. It is rich with history and culture. It embraces all things Indian and she morphs traditional dishes into more than they could ever be stuck with only Indian ingredients. Her recipes are creative - think of avocado mushroom chilla- page 107!She is opening a world to us that she holds in her heart- and OUR appetites, eyes, tongues and souls are beneficiaries of her healthy delicious food/ recipes.I am a huge fan! Buy this book for yourself and buy one or more to give.

There is so much good information in this book. Literally the first 120 pages is about the history of India and the spice trace. There is great information on various spices and their health benefits, and then there are all the great recipes with ways to incorporate all the spices! Love, love, love the book!

Easily read book explaining food ingredients and preparation of traditional foods and drinks from India. For main and frequently used ingredients, the recipes are given in the beginning of the book and then all subsequent recipes link back to the original ingredient recipes so you don't have to go search for them which is very helpful.

I have similar knowledge and approach to cooking so I had to read it.I am no way near as knowledgeable, so I have a lot to learn. Great book.

Beautiful images and vibrant taste bud stimulating recipes. Loving this book!

Can’t wait to try my hand at the recipes.

I wanted a book that covered all the different spices, explained the flavour profile, understood that works, what does not, how to layer and flavour food. This was not the book.

I bought this book after reading reviews where people have said that the first part of the book is all reading, and they are right. But the reading is explaining all about the spices, their uses, there is a spice chart, a curry chart explaining their properties, tastes, when to add them to your own recipes and pairings. Then the recipes. I have only just received my copy so have yet to make anything out of it but there are so many that I know I will. If they taste as good as they sound I will be very happy. Would I recmmend this book, yes I would. There is a section for street food, Vegetables, Legumes, Seafood and Meat, Condiments, Breads, Drinks and Desserts. And it looks awesome.