Book Review: The Modern Tiffin
The Modern Tiffin: On-the-Go Vegan Dishes with a Global Flair by Priyanka Naik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A wonderfully chatty and culturally informative cookbook. I’d recommend this to anyone wishing to learn more about India, even if they don’t care about cooking! Author Priyanka Naik shares her Staten Island (Yes! New York!) childhood memories, as well as insights on Indian family life, religion, culture, and of course the incredible diversity of Indian food.
You’ll learn how to temper spices, a technique that was a real eye-opener to me. But in her excellent conversational style, Priyanka explains not only the how, but the why of it. Mastering this technique will enhance all your Indian food recipes, so pay attention, and learn.
I’ll admit I’ve thought of Indian food as complicated and intimidating. I love it, but until reading The Modern Tiffin I never thought about trying my own hand at it. But now I want to—and here’s two of the reasons I’m convinced to try. First: I cook low-sodium, due to my husband’s heart condition. So does Priyanka. And when she explained how she played with classic Italian bruschetta to give it a delicious Indian-twist, I relaxed. Priyanka grew up in two cultures, India and New York City, and happily fuses her favorite comfort foods together. That sounds fun. That sounds like something I want to be a part of. As she says about combining bruschetta with her mother’s Maharashtrian style Chole, a chickpea-based dish, “Two completely different dishes, but together they make the marriage that no one saw coming—almost like Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, eh?”
My thanks to author Priyanka Naik, Tiller Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital advance review copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Lori Alden Holuta
Lori Alden Holuta lives between the cornfields of Mid-Michigan, where she grows vegetables and herbs when she’s not writing, editing, or playing games with a cat named Chives.
