Indian Kitchens: Treasured Family Recipes from Across the Land, written by Roopa Gulati, features an incredible collection of regional recipes paired with interviews from local home cooks and gorgeous photography. A few highlights include Konkan-Style Shrimp with Mango, Homestyle Punjabi Chicken Curry, Bengali-Style Butternut Squash, Mixed Lentil Dal, and Roast Figs in Spiced Rum Syrup. I will also be sharing her recipe for Paneer Masala Puffs following the review.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book from Interlink Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Roopa Gulati
Roopa Gulati is a chef, author, broadcaster, and freelance journalist. She grew up in Cumbria, England to Punjabi immigrants, lived in India for two decades, and is currently based in London.
She has worked as a chef at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, hosted a cookery segment on Star TV, was Food Editor at UKTV’s Good Food Channel, and a restaurant reviewer with Time Out. Roopa is also the author of India: The World Vegetarian.
Indian Kitchens
Roopa begins Indian Kitchens with an introduction of her family and the inspiration behind this beautiful book.
Along with the recipes and stunning photography, she shares the lives of twelve home cooks from different communities including Parsi, Rajasthani, Bengali, Jewish and Kashmiri contributors. I especially love this focus on the people and memories behind the food from the distinctive spices to the notable cooking styles.
Chapters are divided according to the following: Small Plates, Large Plates, Vegetable Sides, Dals & Pulses, Accompaniments, and Sweets.
Within each chapter, you will also find the recipes labeled depending on the region: Himalayan Belt (Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir), Northwest India (Delhi, Punjab, Haryana), Northeast India (West Bengal, Bihar, Nagaland, Assam), Central India (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh), West India (Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat), and South India (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka).
The food photography is provided by Yuki Sugiura with Indian photography by Roopa. Many of the recipes are paired with a photo of the finished dish. The pages are also filled with photos of people, scenes, and landscapes from Roopa’s travels.
Measurements are written in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, yield, region of origin, ingredient notes, helpful tips, and serving ideas.
Paneer Masala Puffs
To pair with the review, I made Roopa’s Paneer Masala Puffs from the Small Bites chapter.
Inspired by the puff-pastry patties from the Delhi-based bakery, Wengers, these little pastries are filled with a spiced paneer tomato filling and baked until puffed and golden.
They are wonderful warm from the oven alongside a tomato chile sauce (recipe in book).
Notable Ingredients
Kashmiri chili powder is a vibrant and fruity red chili powder made from dried and ground Kashmiri red chili. It can be found in markets with South Asian ingredients.
Roopa has a recipe for homemade paneer in the book, but you can also use store-bought. Same goes for the garam masala.
For those in Northern Virginia, I have come across all of these ingredients at Triveni Supermarket and Lotte Plaza Market in Chantilly.
A Few Paneer Masala Puff Tips
Roopa made the mini puffs for a Diwali celebration alongside drinks. She states you can make them larger by cutting wider squares and increasing the filling amount if desired.
Cut the paneer into cubes about 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) wide. Don’t make them any larger or it may be difficult to seal them in the puff pastry. Keep the filling away from the edges. This may also cause the pastry to not seal well.
More Dishes
We also made Chicken in Cumin & Ground Coriander Yogurt, Lamb Cooked in Yogurt with Ginger & Orange, Tomato-Chile Sauce, and Pistachio & Cardamom Cookies.
The Chicken in Cumin & Ground Coriander Yogurt is a simple, comforting curry from the Himalayan Belt. After marinating in a turmeric yogurt mixture, the chicken is seared on each side and finished in the oven with cardamom, onion paste, garlic, cumin, and Kashmiri chile powder. It is served with boiled rice and a sprinkling of cilantro.
The Lamb Cooked in Yogurt with Ginger & Orange from Central India was my personal favorite. Lamb neck pieces are simmered in a ginger and orange flavored stock until reduced and tender, then topped with orange zest, ginger strips and mint.
I made the Tomato-Chile Sauce to pair with the Paneer Masala Puffs. This recipe is from the Accompaniments section along with a variety of homemade bread, sauces, and pickles. The sauce comes together easily (and can be made ahead of time) using a blend of Kashmiri red chilies, cinnamon, onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and other seasonings.
My daughter made the Pistachio & Cardamom Cookies from Northwest India. Inspired by Nan Khatai, these eggless shortbread cookies have chickpea flour and semolina incorporated into the dough to create a toasty flavor and crumbly texture with a sprinkling of additional pistachios and sugar to finish.
Indian Kitchens is a fantastic pick for those interested in regional Indian cuisine with an insight into the people and homes behind the food. Recipes range from quick and easy snacks to larger meals that take time to simmer or rest. There is also a diverse assortment of meat, seafood, and vegetarian-based options with traditional cuisine alongside fusion dishes influenced by global kitchens.
Having a market with South Asian ingredients nearby will be helpful in locating items such as green cardamom pods, mace, chickpea flour, mango powder, finely ground Indian cornmeal, fresh curry leaves, dried fenugreek leaves, tamarind pulp, star anise, brown cardamom pods, lemongrass, and asafoetida. Substitutions are provided when possible.
Paneer Masala Puffs Recipe
Excerpt from Indian Kitchens
Paneer Masala Puffs
Ingredients
- 2 large tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion diced
- 2 large garlic cloves crushed
- 1/2 ounce (15 grams) ginger root peeled and finely grated
- 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 green chile deseeded and finely chopped
- 9 ounces (250 grams) store-bought or homemade paneer diced into about 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) cubes
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
- 14 ounces (400 grams) all-butter puff pastry
- 1 egg lightly beaten with a pinch of salt
- tomato-chile sauce to serve
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and then turn off the heat and plunge in the tomatoes. After about 30 seconds, take them out of the water and transfer to a bowl of cold water.
- Once they are cool enough to handle, peel the skins, roughly chop the flesh (including the seeds), then leave to one side.
- Heat the oil in a wok or karahi on medium–high heat, add the cumin seeds and sizzle for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Turn down the heat to medium, add the onion and fry for 8–10 minutes, until golden.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the turmeric, chile powder, garam masala, tomatoes and green chile (I also added a little salt).
- Cook the masala for 5–7 minutes, until thickened and beads of oil appear around the edge of the pan. Turn off the heat and leave to cool.
- Put the diced paneer in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave the cubes to soften for 10 minutes.
- Discard the soaking water and mix the paneer with the chopped cilantro and the tomato masala.
- On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to a large square about 1/8 inch (3 millimeters) thick, then cut it into 24 equally sized squares (they will be about 3 x 3 inches/8 x 8 centimeters).
- Place 1 tablespoon of filling into one half of each square.
- One by one, brush the pastry edges of each square with water and fold the unfilled half of pastry over the filling to make a rectangular package.
- Seal the edges with the prongs of a fork and transfer the puffs to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes—longer if you have the time.
- Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
- Brush the puffs with the salted beaten egg and bake for 15–20 minutes, until risen and golden in color. I (Roopa) like to glaze the puffs for a second time halfway through cooking for a deeper color.
- Serve the puffs warm with tomato-chile sauce.
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