Monsoon: Delicious Indian Recipes for Every Day and Season

by Asma Khan

AS SEEN ON TV

“Asma's approach here is seasonal, though it’s one that addresses not just the weather, but our needs and moods, offering an edible calendar to give succour and delight throughout the year.” – Nigella Lawson

“Open this book anywhere and you'll find something you'll want to eat” – Delicious Magazine.

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Join chef and founder of London’s famous Darjeeling Express restaurant on a flavour odyssey as she shares delicious Indian recipes and family favourites to awaken your palate and nourish your soul.

Get ready to embrace six seasons of flavour in this stunning new collection of 80 bright and vibrant Indian recipes inspired by Asma’s native Bengal.

Be guided on an atmospheric journey through India's culinary landscape and discover the principles of Ayurvedic cooking. Enjoy a masterclass in creating mouthwatering, easy curries, sides, and desserts that sing with flavour, such

MIDWEEK Quick Bengali chicken korma
VEGETARIAN Delicate lentil fritters with spiced yoghurt
INDIAN Crispy and spicy tawa toasties
COMFORT Spiced and creamy pumpkin dhal
SWEET Yogurt with saffron and pistachio

This Indian cookbook teaches you how to use Indian spices confidently, master new cooking techniques and unearth a treasure trove of unforgettable recipes including, veg-friendly curries and fantastic menus to entertain.

Monsoon celebrates the pure joy of eating with recipes to suit every craving – a must have for anyone looking to bring flavour back to their kitchen.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food

415 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2025

Reviews

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems a curious coincidence that this Indian cookbook filled with traditional, made-from-scratch recipes also divided its chapters by 6 season like the recently read Six Seasons of Pasta did. The book is nicely designed and features matte photos of grouped finished dishes, which does provide an idea of what things should like but was a bit lacklustre.

What did stand out was the traditional techniques incorporated in the recipes, making them a bit more complex since they involve multiple steps, often beginning with frying up whole spices that are then crushed instead of using pre-ground jarred spices. The headnotes were also well-done, often providing the historical origins of the dishes.

Anyone who enjoys learning about interesting dishes, ingredients and techniques will appreciate this cookbook. I learned how ghee was traditionally made, from the cow being milked in the author's front yard and how they had to secure the cream from her sly cats though the churning, boiling and finally the end product. And there was a cooked watermelon curry dish! I am always in the market for novel ways to use up all the melon. The food nerd in me enjoyed this book a lot.

[Sophie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Monsoon hoping to learn more about Bengali cuisine, especially because I’ve always struggled to get precise recipes from my mother or mother-in-law - both of whom cook by instinct rather than instruction. I thought Asma Khan’s book might help me bridge my own Assamese heritage with my husband’s Bangladeshi heritage, and it absolutely did.

The book is surprisingly approachable, and I loved the short stories Asma shares before each recipe. They gave so much heart and context - not just how to cook a dish, but why it matters. I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting and bookmarked at least twenty recipes I now can’t wait to try. I can already imagine how to adapt some of them to reflect my own family’s styles of cooking.

What surprised me most was how reflective it made me. As I read, I found myself WhatsApping my mother for her versions of certain dishes and remembering how my mother-in-law taught me others. It made me think about the small variations in technique and flavour that define each family’s way of eating, and how those differences tell their own stories.

Monsoon is more than a cookbook; it’s a celebration of heritage, memory, and the cultures that shape us. I really loved this.

[loafingcactus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipes off the beaten path of the usual Indian cookbook. Each recipe has a story of how it came into the authors life. These recipes are influenced by other regions and by European colonization, moving as people moved and moving from Indian cooks for colonial households back into recipes used by Indians in their own homes. Of particular note are the wide variety of drink recipes, hot and cold, that again are not the same thing as one finds in so many Indian cookbooks aimed for the European & North American audience.

[Tricia]

As a Canadian girl who lives on the prairies, I was surprised by how relatable this Bengal cookbook is: beef stew with potatoes and carrots, left over roast chicken and salad plates with tomatoes, onions and pickles. The author talks about how British colonialism influenced cooking in her family.

[Joyce W]

Geredigeerd 📝📖