"Shah’s approach and colorful photographs make this a delightful starter cookbook for Indian fare."
"Like most Indian Americans of my generation, I grew up in a kitchen witnessing culinary genius: Mom. She never left the kitchen. If we went to restaurant, she’d eat spitefully, and then remark, ‘I can make this at home. Why did we come here?’ And then she would make it. But always with her own Indian twist. And then, as I grew older, I tried to imbue some of her styles into my own cooking and, every now and then, I actually made a winner. That’s what this cookbook is: it’s the best of every Indian Mom in this country mixed with the best of their kids. And now I’m going to cook every one of these dishes for my kids. Perhaps, like my mother, it can make me insufferable in restaurants. Thank you, Khushbu."
"Imagine being someone that has eaten at restaurants across the country, several times over, for your job! A discovered and informed perspective is apparent but what really drew me into Khushbu’s inaugural cookbook were the crave-able pathways of nostalgia and family tradition. Very little can compete with coming back home. Approachable, comfortable, and full of heart."
"As one of the most exciting culinary voices of our generation, Khushbu Shah redefines what it means to be Indian American in her debut cookbook, Amrikan. Filled with emotion and recipes that demand your attention—this is a cookbook you will be returning to over and over for inspiration."
"At last! You don’t have to live in India and have access to only Indian ingredients to cook fantastic Indian food. The great Khushbu Shah has provided brilliant, original, easy, and, most of all, delicious Indian American recipes that will dazzle anyone’s palate. You will want to make and eat, every dish.”"
"I can't begin to explain how stoked I am for Amrikan! It's packed with playful recipes like Rice Krispy Bhel, Crispy Paneer Burger, and Nutella Burfi. But more importantly, Khushbu Shah highlights how many of our immigrant mothers cook. By blending cultures and adapting to use what's accessible, they create new family recipes that are just as reflective of the diaspora as the foods they ate back home. Yes, please, to Carrot Halwa Sticky Buns!"
"Khushbu Shah is showing a side of Indian food that everyone who enjoys eating should know about, and she does it in a way that makes it easy to understand and gets you excited to try it!"
"I’ve been a fan of Khushbu Shah’s work from day one, and her first cookbook knocks it out of the park, deeply wonderful and highly doable using mom-approved grocery store adaptations but also hella fun. I want to Julie–Julia the whole book."
"At last! You don’t have to live in India and have access to only Indian ingredients to cook fantastic Indian food. The great Khushbu Shah has provided brilliant, original, easy, and, most of all, delicious Indian American recipes that will dazzle anyone’s palate. You will want to make and eat, every dish.”"
★ 06/01/2024
According to food critic and journalist Shah, Indian American cuisine is all about adaptation, and adaptation is a two-way culinary street. In her debut cookbook, Shah introduces 125 recipes for Indian dishes that incorporate ingredients from the global pantry, plus American recipes are given a new twist with Indian ingredients. After exploring the origins of Indian American cooking and doing a bit of culinary myth-busting, Shah starts things off with breakfast dishes, including masala shaksuka and the Ultimate Desi Egg Sandwich. Recipes for building-block items like chutneys and a few classic dishes like butter chicken (leftovers of which can be repurposed into nachos) follow, as well as chapters dedicated to snack foods such as Rice Krispie bhel and chile-cheese toasts (avocado toast's more glam cousin). There is even a chapter focusing on pizza the Indian American way. The writing itself is a joy, being richly infused with Shah's sense of humor. VERDICT Even with other terrific guides on the subject, such as Priya Krishna's Indian-ish (which is cited in Shah's bibliography), cooks will not be able to resist this vivaciously written and vibrantly packaged paean to Indian American culinary mashups.—John Charles