Rao says that's exactly the point of this book. That's a nod to the many second-generation Indian-Americans, myself included, who grew up with both cuisines, dipping our American grilled cheese sandwiches in Indian tamarind chutney. The book features recipes from all over India, like rajma, a bean stew from the north, and dosa, a savory crepe from the south, alongside classic American recipes like butternut squash soup and pan-roasted Brussels sprouts. Nevertheless, I find myself walking past it every day, just to catch a whiff of familiar smells and spices. I live near an Indian restaurant that serves dishes like chicken tikka masala (which isn't really Indian, by the way). But now, as a 23-year-old living on her own, far away from home, I find myself missing mom's deep-fried pakoras and hot tomato chaaru with rice. I grew up in suburban Georgia, craving Chik-fil-A and Waffle House. Like Rao, my identity as a hyphenated American has been confusing. "And I'm always looking for ways to bring those two things together."
"I feel like I'm very adamantly American in my identity, but at the same time, I appreciate my cultural roots in terms of being Indian-American," he says.
Josh Loock/NPR A series of spices used in rajma He says, even today, his identity can be confusing at times. Rao was born and brought up in Mechanicsburg, Pa., where he was one of the few people of color in town. He's a screenwriter for American television and has produced and written for Bollywood films, too. "I was really telling the story of how I grew up and how these films connected me to a motherland I never knew," Rao says.įull disclosure: Rao is not a chef. Author Sri Rao says he wrote this book based on his experience growing up in America as a brown kid. The book was, in fact, made exactly for me - a second-generation Indian-American who is intimidated by the thought of making Indian food herself. So, when I came across the new cookbook Bollywood Kitchen, I feared it might have been written by someone who knew nothing about Indian culture and only a bit about Bollywood, " curry" and naan. As an Indian-American, I don't immediately associate Bollywood films with food - mostly because the characters in many Bollywood movies are too concerned with dance numbers and melodrama to be bothered by what's for dinner.