Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Right away, I loved the illustrations, the history, the introduction. The fonts and the colours were also perfectly chosen. I loved that this was written by a mother and son. I loved the given freedom, changing chicken to beef, adding or removing spices and tasting as you go along to understand how what you added contributes to the whole — as Jyoti said.

Well introduced, the equipment needed, the measurements in oz/grams (very!!!! useful!!!), and the fact that they said we dont need a pressure cooker for these recipes made me happy, I don’t have one and I don’t wanna get one.

Love the words before each recipe by Jyoti or Auyon, or both. Loved the illustrations (yes, I’m mentioning them again). The recipes sounded really appetising. The mouth-watering pictures came all at the halfway point, which usually would have been annoying but I think in this book, with the tips and the illustrations and the pages of facts, I think it fits quite well.

I enjoyed learning about Indian cuisine, and about some ingredients I had never heard of before.
Will definitely be visiting the idian grocery soon and trying out some of these recipes!

am so excited to try recipes from this book.

I received an ARC of the ebook, but will be purchasing a physical copy as soon as it comes out.

Getting to know Jyoti and her background. The part of Indian she’s from, her educational background, all the things she learned from her husband (who is from a different part of India which feels like a whole different world), you feel like you’re sitting down and having a conversation with her.

She didn’t learn to really cook until she moved to America in the 70’s and praises her mother and MIL for teaching her.

Then learning about her kids especially Auyon, her middle child, who helped with this book, made you feel even more like you were old friends.

The cartoon illustrations throughout the book are quirky, well done, and unique. The photographs are incredible. Capturing the true deliciousness of each of the dishes.

There a detailed instructions to not only making the meals but teaching you about the ingredients and methods. They also have their own signature dishes and cocktails.

Overall, this is a beautifully curated book. Absolutely a gift I would purchase for someone. I love Indian food but now that we’ve moved from Texas to Georgia, I’m struggling to find anywhere good. I can’t wait to try to make some of these dishes.

Here’s another cookbook review—and this one truly stands out! The introduction is engaging and sets the tone beautifully. It not only introduces the authors but also shows us their culinary philosophy. After the introduction you can find insights into the essence of ingredients, commonly used cooking terms, and useful kitchen tips. It even includes a clever color-coding system with dots on either side of each recipe title, indicating the language of origin. It’s a thoughtful and distinctive way to begin a cookbook, making it both informative and visually appealing.
Another charming feature of this book is the artwork. The hand-drawn illustrations bring a warm, personal feel that makes the book feel more like a cherished family heirloom than a standard recipe collection. The photographs included are equally beautiful—vibrant and mouthwatering. While not every recipe has a photo directly on the same page, the images are thoughtfully placed throughout the book and provide plenty of visual inspiration for the dishes.
The recipes are well-organized, approachable, and clearly written, each one introduced with context and helpful notes from the authors. Their personal insights and cooking tips make the experience feel like a friendly conversation in the kitchen, rather than a step-by-step manual. It’s that sense of connection that makes this cookbook so enjoyable.
What truly sets this book apart is how it goes beyond the recipes. It’s filled with cultural and historical anecdotes, and reflections that add depth and richness to the culinary experience.
You’ll also find some sample menus included, which is especially helpful for anyone planning an Indian meal for the first time.
A particularly helpful touch is the list of retailers at the end of the book for sourcing specialty ingredients—practical and thoughtful.
This book is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Indian cuisine, offering a mix of both basic dishes like ghee, yogurt, to traditional dishes and even creative fusion recipes. With about 100 recipes, there’s plenty to explore, especially for vegetarians, as the book includes a wide range of plant-based options. The visuals are inviting, and the storytelling makes each dish feel like part of a larger journey.
More than just a cookbook, it reads like a conversation with the authors, filled with warmth, detail, and personality.
I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to try Indian cooking at home and learn more about the culture behind the food.

I love cooking and I love love Indian food, but whenever I try to cook Indian food, it just doesn't turn out quite right. This book made me feel a lot better about what I make not being perfect or not being "authentic" and instead made me think more about making sure the food was good.

I know there are lots of recipes online for free so it can be tempting to not buy cookbooks these days. As someone who has posted recipes online before I am very aware of how easy it is for anyone to post anything online, so while I think online recipes are a great resource, I do like to turn to a good old fashioned cookbook sometimes.

The illustrations in this book are so beautiful, they remind me a lot of the illustrations in my favorite cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. In addition to the beautiful illustrations, the book also had great food photography.

I always love it when a cookbook provides more than just recipes and this was definitely one of those books. I loved all the little historical anecdotes and learning about the linguistic origins of recipe names. It's also super helpful that they provided retailers for some of the ingredients at the end of the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that's curious about Indian cooking.

I've been looking for this book, but I never knew where to look. There's so many books out there on Indian food, but this one might be the best I've seen.

The introduction to the book is fantastic. It covers topics such as the authors, the soul of the ingredients (always more garlic, please!), a taxonomy of common words used (like the authors definition of chopped), and the linguistics of the food.

I really loved the artwork. Mostly using hand drawn images, the artwork makes this cookbook feel warm and inviting, almost like a family heirloom. The pictures that are also included are also beautiful- your mouth waters just looking at the images. Not every recipes has an actual photograph on the same page as the recipe, which can make some home chefs a little nervous wondering if their food looks right. However, the images do appear in other parts of the book.

The recipes are fairly straight forward with introductions by both Jyoti and Auyon. This includes an introduction of the food and tips for cooking. It really felt like having the two authors in the kitchen with me.

The first recipe I tried was the Paneer. This has really been a difficult food for me to make for some reason. I've made variations on similar dishes, but every paneer recipe I've tried before just didn't work. This one, however, was perfect and turned out great. (I bet it was the colander!) I really love paneer, so it's really great to have a recipe to keep in handy.

The recipes do come in both volume and weight measurements, so people who cook with both methods will be satisfied. Since a lot of the ingredients have to be found at specialty stores, I really liked the shopping advice at the beginning of the book. It helped me understand the ingredients and measurements when reading the recipes.

Overall, this is a cookbook that I know I'll use over and over. Perhaps with my notes, it will eventually become a family heirloom, just like how it feels it should be.