Our votes for some of theessential Indian cookbooks every kitchen needs
Indian food is an inheritance. Throughout history, recipes were not so much written so much as remembered—carried in the body like a song. (Maybe that’s part of why we named our restaurant Passerine: a song bird, singing love, love for the history and remembrance of our food…)
A pinch of this, a handful of that, the sharp percussion of mustard seeds crackling in hot oil announcing that something warm and familiar was on its way. Indian food is a heritage passed down through generations, alive in muscle memory and in the perfume of toasted cumin drifting through the house.
Yet alongside family wisdom, some great Indian cookbooks have always inspired us. They teach us more about the stories behind our favorite regional specialties. We learned to cherish (and practice) technique alongside instinct. Here are some of our favorite must-read Indian recipe books:
Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery felt like a revelation. Jaffrey translated regional Indian dishes for global audiences. She offered structure to flavors we all knew and loved but didn’t always fully understand, giving measurements to what had once been guided only by touch and taste.
660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer reminds that that catch-all term curry is not a single dish but a constellation of techniques, spices, and regional expressions. Each recipe expanded our curry concepts and invited exploration.
Made in India by Meera Sodha moves gracefully between Indian heritage and living in another place—Britain. A bit like how we Her recipes feel rooted yet adaptable, honoring tradition while acknowledging the pace and ingredients of contemporary kitchens. Through her voice, heritage feels both steady and evolving.
Indian cooking will always begin with family. But these cookbooks, and the famous, viral chefs who wrote them, help us see our culinary inheritance as something more globally literary and enduring. Something to nurture, to expand, and to share with intention and pride to everyone else, here in New York. That’s the spirit we bring to Passerine. Stain your pages with turmeric and ghee. Blend spices boldly. And obviously, when you want someone to do the dishes for you but you’re craving the best Indian food in Manhattan, come on in to Passerine.
