What We Call Masala | A cook’s practical guide to the poetry of Indian spices

'Gripping and beautiful. A masterpiece.' Tony Tan, author Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class

'One of the best books on spice that I have read ... it will change the way you cook.' Bhavna Kalra Shivalkar, The Modern Desi Co.

Through more than 70 spices and fats, and 80-plus recipes, What We Call Masala shows readers that masala is so much more than spice. It offers lessons in both culinary mechanics and magic to any level of cook - from can't-boil-water to cordon bleu.

Sarina's mission is to construct and share a library. First floor? Aromatic practicalities. The things you need to know to build flavour that tastes good, and to know how that deliciousness happened. Start with taste. Keep the spices by your side. Chew the seeds. Rub pinches of ground powder against the roof of your mouth with the push of your tongue. Swallow fats in slippery mouthfuls. If all you get to is proper use of salts and fats, this book will have paid for itself.

Next? Move past the palate, if you like. Second floor-a step into regional Indian domestic practice, and how Indian cooks use food in their homes. This is masala as a vehicle to eat well and to live longer and quieter. To explore Ayurveda, the Indian tradition of food as medicine that is as old as masala itself. Peaceful soul. Feeling heart. Calm mind. What We Call Masala invites you to choose this adventure, too.

Another step up. The third and final floor. Past the palate and the body, this is Sarina's home. A Kashmiri Hindu kitchen. The poetry of any family is personal. But through evocative words and full-colour photography in this captivating hardback, Sarina shares how her family made masala theirs, so you can make it yours.