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The Illustrated Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking

by Krish Ashok

The science behind Indian cooking

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AlbakiReads Editorial

The science behind Indian cooking

Krish Ashok connects familiar Indian cooking practices with ideas from chemistry and food science, including browning onions, cooking chickpeas and balancing flavor in kheer. The book frames recipes as more than steps to follow: understanding the reasons behind them can help explain how ingredients and techniques work together. This illustrated edition adds charts, infographics and artwork by Meghna Menon, giving the subject a visual guide alongside its explanations. Its kitchen-laboratory approach brings scientific questions into everyday cooking, with experimentation as a way to explore Indian food.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Home cooks curious about the science behind Indian cooking techniques
  • Readers interested in food chemistry and illustrated culinary guides
  • Cooks who enjoy experimenting with ingredients and methods

Themes

Indian cookingFood science and chemistryCooking techniquesCulinary experimentation

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Masala Lab returns as an irresistible collector's edition, adorned with ingenious additions, illustrations, infographics and charts: it's the collector's edition you know your kitchen-laboratory needs.

Ever wondered why your grandmother threw a teabag into the pressure cooker while boiling chickpeas, or why she measured using the knuckle of her index finger? Why does a counter-intuitive pinch of salt make your kheer more intensely flavorful? What is the Maillard reaction, and what does it have to do with fenugreek? What does your high-school chemistry knowledge, or what you remember of it, have to do with perfectly browning your onions? Just like memorizing an equation might have helped you pass an exam but not become a chemist, following a recipe without knowing its rationale can be a sub-optimal way of learning how to cook.

Masala Lab is a scientific exploration of Indian cooking aimed at inquisitive chefs who want to turn their kitchens into joyful, creative playgrounds for gastronomic experimentation. In this special edition, Meghna Menon's vibrant illustrations effortlessly complement Krish Ashok's lighthearted approach to the demystification of culinary science, making it the perfect vehicle to absorb the exhaustive testing, groundbreaking research and scientific rigor that went into the making of this revolutionary book.

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