Foreword to the 40th anniversary edition

As I look through this book that I wrote forty years ago, I am surprised to note how little I would change were I writing it today. It is not that Indian eating fashions do not vary over time. They do. Foods come into style and go out again, certain foreign influences are strong at one time, then others take over. Some changes and additions are accepted permanently. But what really sustains India are those reliable, trustworthy, dependable meals that are cooked at home daily. These foods vary from state to state, sometimes from town to town. Indians remember them wherever they are, especially when far from home, as ‘their food’ and get teary-eyed when a familiar kitchen scent wafts their way. My book is filled with these home-cooked regional dishes and they are timeless.