Food is more than sustenance — it is memory, family and blending of cultures. The new cookbook Amrikan: 125 Recipes From the Indian American Diaspora by Khushbu Shah explores the adaptations of generations within her family.
Shah is an acclaimed food writer and contributing editor at Food & Wine.
Her book is filled with recipes that tell a story, like spinach tadka dal or the unexpected magic of Froot Loops in an Indian snack mix and the recipe KAXE Morning Show host Kari Hedlund can't wait to try: saag paneer lasagna.
Shah said she created the recipe out of her love of traditional lasagna, and an idea to make it Indian. She said, "Why don't I make this with like saag paneer, 'cause it has the cooked down greens. You know, there's a cheese element to it. And so I made it for a dinner party, it was like, the entire tray was gone."
Recipes tell a story
Shaw named her cookbook Amrikan, as a nod to how Indian Americans say "American." She tried the title out and said those who are South Asian laughed immediately.
"It was a joke at first," Shah said, "but then when I kept thinking about it, it's the one that sort of made the most sense. This really is all about the food of Indian Americans, like what food looks like in this country."
Shah features her dad in Amrikan, both on the back cover and for his masala chai.
"It's a simple recipe. A lot of people over complicate chai, but he has it down," she said.
She described the recipe as cardamom, sugar boiled with milk and fresh mint. "It's magical."
Listen to the full conversation from the KAXE Morning Show above.
What family recipes do you make? Let us know!
