Written from the life, travels and culinary passion of Shalabh Prasad, ‘FoodSutra: A Memoir of the Foods of India’ is a delectable, entertaining walk alongside the author, as he explores India’s diverse foods and their unique place in Indian culture. In fifteen comprehensive chapters, Prasad presents the cuisines and dishes that represent each part of the country, alongside associated facts, myths and the author’s own memories and experiences. It’s a must-read for millions of people around the world who cherish and enjoy Indian food.
For Indians all over the world, the country’s food remains close to their hearts and stomachs. Indian food has afforded Shalabh Prasad, a self-proclaimed foodie and food explorer, endless education, pleasure and insights into Indian culture.
In his new book, ‘FoodSutra: A Memoir of the Foods of India’, India-born Prasad uses his own experiences to take readers on a journey through the many and diverse regional cuisines in Indian food through their main dishes – spiced up with facts, anecdotes and vignettes.
Synopsis:
A comprehensive and entertaining exploration of the foods of India, told through a foodie’s experiences, with delightfully quirky facts and stories.
Indian food is the aggregate of many regional cuisines. This wide-ranging account describes these regional cuisines and their main dishes, connected by the author’s travels, experiences, and memories over many decades. Over 400 dishes are covered, including not only ingredients and methods of cooking, but also associated interesting facts and anecdotes. For example: why a fish dish is called Bombay Duck; the misconception that Vindaloo means vinegar and potatoes; the special kabab created for an ageing and toothless nawab; how multiple elements in Chaat, the Indian street foods, combine to create a symphony of tastes; and many more.
With beautiful photographs, FoodSutra is an essential, easy-to-read reference on Indian food. It gives a comprehensive overview of the foods of this vast and complex country and will appeal to anyone who wants to know more about Indian food and its association with Indian culture.
“This books is food described in a unique way,” explains the author. “It’s a “food memoir” that brings Indian cuisine to life through stories, anecdotes and my own personal experiences. It’s an immersive way for people to better explore and understand the food they love, told by someone who knows India intimately.”
Continuing, “The book will serve as a useful guide and reference for anyone who loves Indian food. While there is little need for background information to enjoy Indian or any good food, the experience is usually enhanced with a little bit of knowledge. For all readers, in India and abroad, it should be a handy refresher on familiar Indian foods and revelatory about foods from other parts of the country, especially as part of learning more about Indian culture.”
‘FoodSutra: A Memoir of the Foods of India’ is due for imminent release. For more information, contact the author.
About the Author:
Shalabh is a business executive with a passion for food.
He was born in Begusarai in the state of Bihar in India and spent most of his early years in the eastern states of Bihar, Bengal and Assam. These years were spent in public sector townships which were unusually a microcosm of the states of India. His love for the foods of India was probably seeded at that time. Since then he has travelled widely in India during his college and working years, developing and indulging his curiosity and passion for food. He moved to the UK in the late 1990s. His work takes him back to India frequently and his love for all kinds of Indian food is only mildly tempered by the exigencies of age.
Shalabh has previously authored India: A Beginner’s History. He writes as Shalabh Prasad using his family surname but is known in his personal life as Shalabh Kumar. He lives in Surrey, UK.
