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Heartland Masala
An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen
Table of Contents
About The Book
Take a delicious deep dive into Indian cooking and culture with a Midwestern mother-son duo.
Jyoti Mukharji has been teaching cooking classes out of her Kansas City kitchen since 2010. Heartland Masala is an artfully photographed collection of her favorite recipes, enriched with droll, illustrated vignettes authored by culinary historian Auyon Mukharji.
Inside you'll find restaurant staples like Saag Paneer, regional specialties like Murgh Rezala (Chicken Curry with Water Lily Seeds and Cashews), and creative originals like Masala Brussels Sprouts. A feast for culturally curious readers and adventurous cooks alike, this inventive collaboration is unlike any Indian cookbook you’ve seen before.
About The Illustrator
Olivier Kugler is a German-born London-based editorial illustrator and visual journalist. He has travelled to Iran, Laos, Iraqi Kurdistan, Cairo, Ghana and many other places on assignment for a variety of publications including The Guardian, New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, French journal XXI and German GQ. He has done extensive reporting on Middle Eastern refugees in Europe and a book collecting this work called Dem Krieg Entronnen was published in German by Edition Moderne – and in the UK and North America as Escaping Wars and Waves. The book has won two major European design and illustration awards. Oli is also a past winner of a V&A Illustration Award and World Illustration Award. You can visit his portfolio at www.olivierkugler.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: The Collective Book Studio (September 9, 2025)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9781685552329
Raves and Reviews
“Authentically delicious, and deliciously authentic.”
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"...evocative illustrations and photographs make Heartland Masala a feast for the eyes as well as the palate—a vibrant mother-son collaboration that bridges continents and generations."
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"There is no place like home, which is exactly where Heartland Masala begins."
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"Complete with radiant illustrations and photographs, as well culinary and cultural gems sprinkled throughout, this book will live on your kitchen counter for years to come."
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“This is not a cookbook to simply go to the index and then directly to your favorite recipes. It's fun! It's fascinating! This is a cookbook to actually read!”
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“I defy you to find another Indian cookbook that gets it right on all counts: food that promises to taste like it came from a home kitchen, excellent technique advice for the uninitiated, gorgeous artwork, and that warm fuzzy feeling that a cookbook should leave you with.”
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“Heartland Masala is an approachable creative, informative, and flat-out fun look at a rich array of regional Indian dishes. Whether it's the classics or new interpretations, Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji make any cook feel right at home in their kitchen.”
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“Heartland Masala is one of those rare books on food that can keep you enthralled far into the night...Not only is this book fun to read and to anticipate cooking from, it’s a valuable cross-cultural document.”
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“Heartland Masala is a joyous ode to Indian food and to the immigrant experience in America...With recipes ranging from entry-level to advanced, there’s something for everyone in this book.”
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“A must-have for home cooks who love bold spices, tips and tricks to make cooking less stressful, and a touch of history!”
– Hetal Vasavada, cookbook author and blogger at Milk & Cardamom
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Heartland Masala eBook 9781685552329
- Author Photo (jpg): Jyoti Mukharji (0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
- Author Photo (jpg): Auyon Mukharji (0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit