Shortlisted for Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2017 - Best Indian Cuisine Book

Meeru Dhalwala and Vikram Vij, the dynamic team behind North America’s celebrated Indian restaurants, bring together a beautiful new collection of beloved recipes cooked at their restaurants that they also regularly cook at home. These are those special recipes that come from the journey of life and are full of meaning, stories and Indian flavours.

This is a cookbook for Indian home cooking, which is Meeru and Vikram’s source of nourishment and health. They eat and enjoy meat, but at home they (especially Meeru) emphasize healthy, delicious vegetarian food, with meat curries served once or, at most, twice a week. Through the beauty of cooking with Indian spices, their vegetarian meals are so delicious that you won’t even think of meat. Inside, you’ll find an abundance of vegetarian recipes along with plenty of fish, poultry and meat recipes for everyone’s enjoyment.

Vij’s Indian features 80 original and inspiring recipes, carefully crafted for both new and experienced home cooks. Meeru and Vikram will show you how to make dishes like their Grilled Squash with Sugar-Roasted Beets and Cumin-Spiced Onions, Chickpea and Sprouted Lentil Cakes, Vegetable Koftes with Creamy Tomato Curry, Green and Black Cardamom Cream Chicken Curry, Mildly Curried Beef Short Ribs and Lamb Popsicles with Garlic and Ricotta-Fenugreek Topping. It’s for everyone who wants to cook modern Indian cuisine, and Meeru and Vikram are with you every step of the way. They’ve included pairing suggestions for recipes, so you’ll have lots of ideas and options to keep your Indian cooking dynamic. Assorted Mushrooms and Winter Squash Curry paired with Brown Rice and Yellow Channa Daal Pilaf or Clay Pot Saffron Chicken and Rice paired with Sprouted Lentil, Bell Pepper and Carrot Salad—the combinations are endless! Complete with all the basics on Indian spices, essential Indian staple ingredients, expert tips and suggested wine pairings, Vij’s Indian is a beautiful new collection of recipes.

Meeru Dhalwala was born in India but moved to Washington, D.C., at a young age. Prior to moving to Canada, she worked on human rights and international development projects. She and Vikram live in Vancouver.

Meeru Dhalwala's profile page

Vikram Vij was born in India and grew up in Amritsar and Mumbai. He studied hotel management in Salzburg, Austria, before moving to Canada to work at the Banff Springs Hotel. He opened the original 14-seat Vij's Restaurant in Vancouver in 1994.

Vikram Vij's profile page

• Short-listed, Gourmand World Cookbook Award - Best Indian Cuisine Book

“For the cookbook genre, so commonly filled with professionally-styled pictures and brief, impersonal blurbs, Dhalwala’s narrative is a welcome injection of realism, focusing on the supportive role food plays as we navigate life’s sometimes unglamorous, but always interesting complexities.” —NUVO

“Vij’s restaurant is simply extraordinary. Unsurpassed flavours and spice combinations, Vij’s Indian cuisine is like no other I’ve tasted before. A journey in cooking tailored by a master in Indian cuisine.” —Daniel Boulud, chef and owner, The Dinex Group

“If there was one place I would go to see the future of Indian food it would be to Vij's. This food isn't ripped from the heart of tradition like so much modern junk these days. Meeru and Vikram cook in thoughtful, organic, intuitive ways cherishing history but not being bound by it ... I love it!” —Tom Douglas, author, restaurateur and three-time James Beard Award winner

“Meeru and Vikram have been friends of mine for years, and I have proudly followed their successes. Together they have embedded an incredible cultural and culinary overlay to the entire west coast food scene. They push the boundaries of Indian cooking, while remaining true to traditional spicing—I love it all. Vij’s Indian will be a valuable addition to any home cook’s kitchen library.” —John Bishop, chef, restaurateur and cookbook author