Whose Samosa Is It Anyway

In this book accompany Sonal Ved on a journey of taste through the various timelines across the Indian subcontinent. We go from the banks of the Indus in 1900 bc to the great kingdoms of the north many centuries later from the time of the Mauryans to when the Mughal Sultanate reigned supreme. Meet the Europeans merchants desperate to trade in Indian treasures be it the deep-blue indigo or the pricey pepper. On this trip discover answers to such questions as What are the origins of chutney or of the fruit punch and how are they connected to India? Who taught us how to make ladi pav and kebabs and how did the Burmese khow suey land up on the wedding menus of Marwaris? The author takes us through the food history and traditions from the mountains in Kashmir to the backwaters of Kanyakumari from the ports of the Bay of Bengal to the shores of the Arabian Sea where traders and travellers arrived from the world over. And finally we find out whose samosa it truly is . . . Review The genius of India has always been its ability to take global traditions and influences and turn them into something uniquely Indian. Indian cuisine is the best example of India's ability to take the international and make it national. Sonal shows us in this marvellous book how India created one of the world's best cuisines through absorption and assimilation. -- Vir Sanghvi journalist and authorTrue perspective for any cook to really have a strong relationship with food comes from understanding where the food comes from not just geographically but historically and culturally. This book is going to be a gift to many of those cooks seeking to elevate their relationship with food and make it more genuine. -- Ranveer Brar celebrity chefThis book is the need of the hour I have waited 20 years for someone to write it. -- Kurush Dalal archaeologist historian food anthropologist and raconteurA long overdue refreshingly modern curiosity applied to the history of Indian cuisine. Sonal aptly brings her quirky and fun spirited personality to the writing desk. -- Garima Arora chef first Indian woman to win a Michelin starThe Vogue India Food Editor begins by describing her highly-coveted lunchbox in school - with its paneer enchiladas and baby corn idlis - and how the 'tiffins' from Sindhi Bohri and Marwari friends were an early learning experience. With this book she aims to explore ""the undercurrents that lay in all those school meals that differentiated Indian cuisine"" from others. ―The HinduCovering an expanse of history from the Indus Valley Civilisation to present-day India a new book looks at global influences on our food. ―Mint LoungeThe scope of the book is breathtaking and research flawless. It will be especially valued by those who are humble enough to cast dogma about nationalism aside and be prepared to embark on a journey to understand what India is - and what it wants to be. ―Business Standard About the Author Sonal Ved is the content director at India Food Network Tastemade India and the food editor at Vogue India. Her second cookbookTiffin was listed in the New York Times as one of the must-have cookbooks for Fall 2018. Apart from writing about food she also hosts cooking shows for Tastemade. Her words have appeared in food publications such as Food52 and Thrillist.