Self-professed ‘Masala Memsahib’ Karen Anand takes us on a journey across five Indian states – Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal – and introduces us to mouth-watering local cuisines, diverse eating practices and fabulous culinary histories. Each of the book’s sections is a window into Karen’s remarkable adventures with food, interspersed with the most distinctive recipes from the regions she visits, from the piquant prawn balchao to the soulful Mulligatawny.

Illustrated throughout with absorbing photographs from kitchens as well as the streets, this spectacular cookbook from one of India’s most well-loved and widely traveled food writers goes far beyond the tired tropes of Indian cooking and brings home the authentic tastes and qualities of our nation’s myriad cuisines. Packed with 100-plus ludicrously delicious, easy-to-use recipes, it is a true collectible.