8 Cookbooks every Desi girl needs cover image

8 Cookbooks Every Desi Girl Needs

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We love a good cook book and find them so helpful to have on hand. Even though everything is found on google, these cookbooks are full of unique dishes that will remind you of home through the layers of flavors that bring you back to your mom’s kitchen.

Click on the pictures to add them to your Amazon cart today! These make great holiday presents for your loved ones!

1. Indian (-ish): Recipes and Antics From A Modern American Family by Priya Krishna

2. Dishoom: The first ever cookbook from the much-loved Indian restaurant by Shamil Thakrar

3. Made in India: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen by Meera Sodha

4. Milk & Cardamom: Spectacular Cakes, Custards and More, Inspired by the Flavors of India by Hetal Vasavada

5. The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook: Authentic Flavors and Modern Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker by Archana Mundhe

6. The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook: Wholesome, Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes by Nisha Vora

7. Entice With Spice: Easy and Quick Indian Recipes for Beginners by Shubhra Ramineni

8. Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India: A Cookbook by Maneet Chauhan

Try This At Home …

indian-ish

Tomato Rice with Crispy Cheddar from Indian-ish – (From The Publisher)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small Indian green chile or serrano chile, finely chopped
  • 10 medium Roma tomatoes, diced into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 cups cooked basmati rice (from about 1 cup dry rice)
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Serves 4

I could use all sorts of fancy words to explain this dish, but the best description is this: pizza in rice form. The inspiration for the recipe, though, is oddly enough not Italian—it’s a hybrid of a classic South Indian tomato rice with onions and a shockingly fantastic Spanish rice recipe my mom and I photocopied out of my seventh-grade Spanish textbook for a school project. The crispy, bubbly, broiled cheddar topping (use the sharpest white cheddar you can find!) adds a little somethin’ somethin’, making it a worthy dinner party dish. The lovely photographer of this very book, Mackenzie Kelley, called it “even better than pizza”.

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the highest position and preheat the oven to 500˚F.

2. In a large pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and chile, spread them out in an even layer in the pan, and cook until the onion becomes translucent and starts to lightly char, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes, using the back of a spoon to lightly crush them. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down into a chunky sauce, 5 to 6 minutes, then add the salt.

4. Put the cooked rice in an 8-inch square (or similar size) baking dish, then fold in the tomato sauce.

(You can also do the folding in a separate bowl and then transfer the rice to the baking dish, if you doubt your ability to not spill rice and sauce everywhere.) Evenly distribute the grated cheese over the top.

5. Switch the oven to broil and place the baking dish on the top oven rack. Broil for about 3 minutes, until the top bubbles and turns golden brown. Serve immediately.

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