Masalamandi: A Guide to the World of Indian Spice Blends
SADAF HUSSAIN
This is a unique cookbook that focuses on Indian spices, specifically the intricate world of spice blends. What is fascinating about spice blends, you ask? Well, a garam masala may contain anywhere between four and fifteen varied spices; a pickle masala may have a different recipe in Andhra Pradesh than it does in Delhi; a chai masala may have a distinctive recipe in the winter than it does in the summer.
In Masalamandi, the author sets out on a quest to unravel how a single dish can be prepared with multiple spice blends, all created from the same whole spices, yet resulting in distinct flavours! While sharing his own experiences and interactions with these spice blends, he also offers a comprehensive exploration of the history, mythology and cultural significance that surrounds each of them.
This is a spice trail like no other.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SADAF HUSSAIN is an author, chef, food writer, podcaster and two-time TedX speaker, who was among the top 8 on MasterChef India in 2016. He has worked with over 18 Indian restaurants, assisting them in developing new menus or establishing themselves in the market. He was also a researcher and contributor to the University of Sheffield-commissioned project, Forgotten Food of Rampur. Sadaf’s writing explores not only food but also stories; he is fascinated by foodlore and the stories that surround it. He is a chronicler exploring the customs, traditions and rituals of food; for him, food is just a conversation starter and not the end in itself.
MORE INFORMATION
Published by Penguin, 2024
ISBN 978-0143466550
304 pages, hardback
16.51 x 5.08 x 24.13 cm