Meherwan Irani has spent time as a jewelry importer, car salesman, computer builder, and luxury real estate agent, and is now living his best life as a chef, restaurateur, and spice mogul. Meherwan is changing the perception of Indian culture in America through his spice empire Spicewalla and his obsession with Indian street food, which is on full display at his trailblazing restaurants, Chai Pani and Botiwalla. Along the way he’s been named host of Bon Appétit’s Street Eats: India video series, one of TIME’s People Who Are Changing the South, a Food & Wine Game Changer, and one of Southern Living’s Southerners of the Year, and has won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant. Meherwan grew up in Ahmednagar, a small town in Maharashtra, India, and came to the U.S. at age 20. He now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with his wife and business partner, Molly, and a minimum of two goldendoodles at all times. His new book is No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India.
No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India
People of the earth! James Beard Award–winning chef Meherwan Irani is here to tell you that Indian street food is the best food on the planet—and that with more than 100 of his recipes you can have it at home any time you want.
Entering Meherwan Irani’s restaurants feels like walking into a party—and opening his cookbook is no different. With warmth, affection, and a bit of swagger, Irani makes a compelling, delicious case for adding Indian food to your weekly rotation, providing you with clear instruction on how to build layers of flavor and texture, putting beloved favorites like bhel puri, vada pav, kathi rolls, and more within your grasp.
In the No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World, Irani takes you through the depths of this (liberally defined) subgenre of Indian cuisine that’s filled with delicious snacks, flavorful sandwiches, and curries and chutneys galore. He covers classics like pakoras and chaats as well as stews from roadside cantinas and Chinese-Indian stir fries. Through more than 100 recipes, Irani shares his tips for making street food with minimal time and effort, like sweet, bright, and crunchy Corn Bhel and a Mumbai Toastie, which provides one of the best uses you’ll get out of white sandwich bread. From Dhansak, the triple lentil stew his mom used to make, to the golden-crisp Dosa that’s now found itself in the lexicon of street food, these recipes are rooted in childhood memories, travels through India, and deeply conducted research on the cultures that have contributed to Indian cuisine. Essays throughout dig into areas of Indian cuisine that Irani loves to talk about, like why naan isn’t eaten with every single Indian dish and why chai should be made with substandard tea leaves.
With more than 100 recipes for sandwiches, chaats, fried goodies, and more, you’ll quickly see why this is the No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World.