Kitchen experiments through cookbooks

Cookbooks have been an integral part of urban Indian kitchens for many years. From teaching young brides and bachelors the basics of cooking to more exotic collections of tasty treats and delectable desserts, cookbooks occupied a steady sellable niche in the Indian publishing marketplace.

However, the fast food and ready-to-eat culture and the ability to access endless varieties of recipes, even for the same dish, may have seen customers sway away from cookbooks for a while,” informs Trisha De Niyogi, Director and COO, Niyogi Books, as we prepare a list of upcoming cookbooks this week for the readers.  Niyogi is quick to point out that e-books did not kill physical books and Internet recipes have not been able to replace cookbooks. But culinary writers have found new ways to attract and retain an audience that previously enjoyed reading cookbooks. 

From her own highlights, Niyogi has brought Vegetarian Cuisine From The Himalayan Foothills: Flavours and Beyond by Veena Sharma. This book encourages an exploration into these unusual ingredients to create nutritious and flavourful disease suited for the urban table from the Himalayan heights. The USP of the book ranges from vegan/gluten free recipes while highlighting how biodiversity is vital for physical and mental health. The  inclusion of over 150 photographs and handy nuggets of information are many cherries on the top. (Niyogi Books)

Spiced, Smoked, Pickled, Preserved: Recipes and Reminiscences from India’s Eastern Hills by Indranee Ghosh, as the name suggests brings the nostalgia of India’s eastern hills including North Bengal, Gangtok and Shillong on your plate. The book includes over 75 recipes and stories from the past where food took the centre stage with meals such as hidol in pumpkin leaves to the sizzling flavour of a pan-roasted telapiya, hearty fish stew to mouth-watering pork in plum sauce, sweet-and-sour magic of fish roe ambal to a delicious tangerine payesh. (Hachette India) 

To delve into the magic of street food of India, look no further than Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma, the duo synonymous with the TV food show, Highway On My Plate. They are out with Indian Street Food, vividly documenting the street food catalogue, and styles of cooking that range from the sublime to the surreal. The book showcases a country’s culinary wealth and is a kaleidoscope of its cultures and people. (Westland)

The Good Health Always Cookbook by Charmaine D’Souza, a nutritionist, with over 20 years of experience, is richly laid with diverse Ayurvedic recipes with detailed nutritional values of ingredients. It helps in making the meals healthier. There are herbs, spices and condiments — all set in a vast expanse of chutneys, gravies, pickles and other dishes to make our food truly medicinal. (Penguin Random House)