MASALA MEMSAHIB

MASALA MEMSAHIB RECIPES AND STORIES FROM MY CULINARY ADVENTURES IN INDIA

KAREN ANAND

Celebrated food writer and cook, Karen Anand is a well-known name in the Indian culinary world. What remain lesser known, however, are her unconventional introduction and schooling into Indian cooking, her extensive travels and European upbringing. These, in fact, helped her deconstruct the distinct and boisterous concoctions of Indian cooking which are mostly misunderstood and unfairly labelled ‘daunting’. Anand has come a long way – from the world of Parisian cooking to the rich flavours of India. Having perfected her hand at Indian delicacies over years, she is no stranger to the conundrums of every modern Indian, especially those living far from home who want all the goodness of Indian home food sans the fuss. And that’s exactly what Karen Anand is here to offer – a treasure trove of culinary knowledge devoid of any intimidating techniques. This self-confessed Masala Memsahib has taken the task of de-mystifying Indian cooking and making it accessible for all upon herself. For this, she has sifted through years of experience, information and memories to unlock the secret behind the rich flavours of Indian cuisine – the baffling masala. This simplistic yet cohesive guide to modern Indian cooking unlocks all complexities and takes you on an effervescent journey through Anand’s travels and tales that revolve around food. With over 100 scrumptious recipes that span from Goa to West Bengal, stunning photographs and uncountable anecdotes, Anand’s dazzling food-memoir surfs up unique insights into the various influences that shape the food of a place and people. In Masala Memsahib, Karen Anand lays bare the delicious diversity of Indian cuisine beyond the tropes of butter chicken and overdone curries and brings the reader closer home to experience its authentic taste and quirks.

KAREN ANAND

Widely accepted as one of India’s first food gurus, Karen Anand has been influencing the way people eat and perceive good food in India for over thirty years. A prolific writer, she has co-authored The Penguin Food Lovers' Guide to India and Nepal, and authored numerous other books, among them her twelve-book series entitled Simple Cooking was nominated for the World Gourmand Awards in Paris. Her books Good Food Good Living and Simple Cooking for Smart Men have been bestsellers since their publication. Anand writes extensively about food, and her present columns feature in the Hindustan Times Brunch and the Sunday Telegraph. In October 2006, she was awarded the prestigious Food & Spirit Award (Trophée de l’Esprit Alimentaire) for Culture from the French Government. In 2019, she won the French Ambassadors Travel Writers Award. Her writing career aside, Anand also runs a gourmet business and a successful chain of food stores. She has spent the last many years hosting top-rated culinary and travel TV shows, and now consults for several multinational hotel and restaurant chains. Between all this, she still manages to find the time to cook.