Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora by Khushbu Shah

    • Categories: Egg dishes; Breakfast / brunch; Cooking ahead; Indian; North African; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: white onions; red peppers; serrano chiles; garlic paste; ginger paste; garam masala; ground cumin; ground coriander; Kashmiri chile powder; turmeric; canned diced tomatoes; eggs; feta cheese
    • Accompaniments: Tadka focaccia
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Notes about this book

  • Katie on August 07, 2025

    Full of delicious and simple recipes.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Saag paneer frittata

    • gootenbeez on May 05, 2026

      Delicious. I never would have thought about this on my own but it's great! I think maybe after trying this I should start trying all sorts of leftovers in a frittata or omelet.

  • Saffron chia seed pudding

    • SpatulaCity on February 17, 2025

      Delicious! Love the subtle cardamom and saffron flavors. Needed to add a touch more maple syrup. When held overnight the texture turns from slippery seed to silly putty haha! Still tasty, just thick!

    • SpatulaCity on February 21, 2025

      Made this a second time with a mixed nut milk and found that the coconut milk is key! Without the richness and fat from the coconut, the cardamom was too potent and almost tasted medicinal. Stick with coconut milk for the most delicious chia pudding!

  • Shahi tukda French toast

    • SpatulaCity on February 22, 2025

      Another delicious and indulgent recipe from Amrikan! Used leftover brioche buns with their crusts removed. Instead of sweetened condensed milk I made a homemade version from coconut milk and it was amazing! Would highly recommend! The chopped pistachios and rose petals on top elevated the dish to delicious, elegant heights.

    • EmilyR on June 30, 2025

      recipe here : https://www.burlapandbarrel.com/blogs/recipes/shahi-tukda-french-toast

  • Cilantro-mint chutney

    • rmardel on May 13, 2025

      This is utterly addictively delicious. The peanut butter brings the mint and cilantro together without overpowering them and adds a compelling complexity. I want to put this on absolutely everything and can hardly imagine not having this in my kitchen.

    • aubdog on March 28, 2026

      Amazing! Love that you can make a batch and freeze half.

  • Spicy cilantro chutney

    • aubdog on March 28, 2026

      Spicy but so good with almost any recipe in the book. Amazing with eggs.

  • Masala deviled eggs

    • Potawatomus on May 11, 2026

      These were ok. I think the filling was too loose.

  • Masala poutine

    • lisari on July 26, 2025

      The gravy was easy & delicious. I made half the recipe for 2 & only used paneer, next time would include the curds for meltiness.

    • katiesue28 on September 11, 2025

      This made a quick and yummy dinner! I only used curds as I didn’t have any paneer handy, and honestly I’d recommend doing that to make the dish simpler and cheaper. I don’t think the variance of cheese curds and paneer is so different that you need both. I also forgot to add the heavy cream in the gravy at the end, but it really didn’t need it! The gravy is so flavorful. I’m looking forward to using the leftover gravy on some eggs.

  • Tandoori chicken wings

    • Lsblackburn1 on November 19, 2024

      Loved these! Made as written (almost - did take heat down to 1tsp. Of chili powder) and served with store bought chutney.

  • Tortilla papdi chaat

    • TheresaH on December 03, 2025

      This is so delicious and fun to eat.

  • Samosa pinwheels

    • Lsblackburn1 on March 09, 2025

      I doubled the recipe and took these to a party where they were quickly devoured. I did cut back on the spices - the doubled amounts seemed like a lot - and that seemed fine. They needed about 25 minutes to get done for me and I flipped them over half way through. Served with store bought chutneys. Delicious party food!

  • Basic plain dosas

    • rmardel on May 13, 2025

      Recipe worked well, with a nice fermentation tang to the dosas. Unfortunately just not to my taste.

  • Basic Indian pizza dough

    • SpatulaCity on February 20, 2025

      Easy and tasty! Love the whole cumin seeds for flavor as you chomp through a slice.

  • Cheesy masala corn pizza

    • SpatulaCity on February 20, 2025

      Tasty, simple and a fun mix of flavors. May like to add a more pungent cheese next time, even if it’s just a bit of parm, for dimension. Very thinly sliced red onion would be delicious with the corn as well! My dough rolled out to a larger round, so maybe the flavors were less concentrated than on a 9” or 10” round pizza. Husband loved it

    • rmardel on May 13, 2025

      Fabulous pizza with a fun and complex mix of flavors. I liked the way the masala corn offset and balanced the mildness of the mozzarella. The jalapeños added a bit of acid and heat which were necessary. Rather than garnishing with cilantro, I used the cilantro mint chutney, which added another layer of complexity and flavor. I would make this combination again.

  • Green chutney pizza

    • rmardel on May 13, 2025

      This is quite a simple and quite good white pizza. Recommended for those who are a little worried about making something "too spicy". The green chutney is amazing and elevates this pizza well beyond cheese and bread.

  • Makhani mac and cheese

    • Breannetuttle on November 04, 2024

      This was tasty! I felt the sauce was pretty saucy, so upped the pasta from 8 to 10oz and it was perfect. Did not take very long to put together either. I opted to add breadcrumbs and to bake it for 15 min per recipe option.

    • SpatulaCity on February 13, 2025

      A tasty twist on traditional Mac. The Gouda cheese flavor was subtle against the robust Makhani sauce, but with a rich and creamy texture there was a lot to like here. I saw a video on TikTok of this dish, and thought the dish wound up looking very dry. It was surprising then when this recipe turned out so saucy! You could increase the pasta noodles to compensate.

    • Lsblackburn1 on May 18, 2025

      Yum! I also upped my pasta amount to about 10 oz. Made it ahead then added panko and baked for 30 minutes.

    • gootenbeez on May 05, 2026

      Loved this! The sauce is amazing. I think I'd like to add some veggies to the dish next time.

  • Saag paneer lasagna (aka laSAAGna)

    • SpatulaCity on February 24, 2025

      Tasty lasagna for when you want something a little spicy and green. I like my layers all separated by noodles, and used extra noodles to allow the saag to be separated from the bechemel layers. The only thing I’d switch up next time - instead of shredding the paneer , I’d cut it into small cubes. Because the paneer doesn’t have a lot of flavor, it felt lost once it had melted into everything. Leaving some cubes throughout would give you fun bites of paneer and almost mimic the classic dish.

    • aistern on February 27, 2026

      I prefer classic lasagna and saag paneer each over this but it was super fun to try and a big hit! I’m excited to try her saag recipe with regular saag paneer. Surprisingly easy to make the saag!

  • Shrimp moilee

    • rmardel on May 04, 2025

      This is very simple and very good. It is probably the simplest version of Moilee in my cookbook collection and that may well be what makes it shine above the rest. It is also the only version that does not include tomatoes. I love tomatoes, but think perhaps they muddy the flavors here; perhaps this is a dish that shines simply because it is so simple. Note that the sauce can be made ahead and frozen; great news when you are cooking for one.

  • Classic butter chicken

    • Lsblackburn1 on July 22, 2024

      This was tasty. I made a special trip to an Indian grocery for the chili powder and fenugreek leaves. The chili powder was hot so it was a good call to scale back from her suggested 1T to 1 tsp. Not sure if the fenugreek leaves added anything, but maybe!

    • rmardel on May 09, 2025

      This was fabulous! I marinated the chicken (I used breast) for about 28 hours and it turned out beautifully, tender, moist, flavorful. Note that my chicken cooked in less than 10 minutes in the 400* oven. The entire dish came together while the rice cooked, which makes it simpler than many Butter Chicken recipes I have made which seem to become a production. This one can be made easily enough that it might go in regular rotation.

    • acwebb2 on March 03, 2026

      The flavor of this was delicious, and the recipe is very easy. However, I found that it was significantly dry as written, and ended up at least doubling the amount of half and half to produce the expected creamy sauce. Once that change was made, it was perfect and everyone loved it!

    • aubdog on March 28, 2026

      Really easy but absolutely delicious butter chicken recipe. Goes really well with spicy cilantro chutney.

  • Rajma

    • Logan92995 on April 27, 2025

      Tasty, but watery. The recipe recommends 3 cups of water if you use canned beans, and I think that is perhaps too much, as even when I cooked it for double the time, it came out pretty soupy. Would probably half the amount of water next time.

    • bfurrow on September 07, 2025

      Unfortunately this didn’t have enough flavor for me. Could maybe retry with lots of tweaks but have tried other recipes we like better.

  • Pav bhaji

    • DKennedy on September 02, 2024

      This recipe was included in a preview on Eater. Made it today using 1 whole cauliflower, 1 bag peas, 1 white onion, 1 small can of Marzano tomatoes and a handful of dutch yellow potatoes. I also added some garlic cloves to the saute. I omitted the 2 t. of Kamari Chile and added 1/2 t. of a mild Chile instead. I used an immersion blender to created a thicker paste and left 3/4 in larger chunks. I will freeze and serve on top of small flatbreads next week alongside an Indian spiced cocktail.

    • Lsblackburn1 on November 19, 2024

      Meh… I’m still searching for a pav bahji recipe that is as delicious as what I’ve eaten in restaurants. This was too bland and the potatoes were grainy. Not terrible, but not what I was hoping for.

  • Spinach tadka dal

    • aubdog on March 28, 2026

      Amazing. Served with paratha, chutneys, and raita.

  • Saag paneer

    • gootenbeez on May 05, 2026

      Delicious, easy, and fast. Fed us a few times plus made the frittata suggested in the book as well. I used fresh baby spinach and canned spinach together.

  • Classic kachumber

    • rmardel on May 09, 2025

      Very good fresh salad: simple, flavorful, bright. A refreshing note to offset richer and more savory fare.

  • Amchur ranch salad with crispy chickpeas

    • Lsblackburn1 on May 18, 2025

      The ranch dressing is awesome. This was great alongside the Mac and cheese.

  • Indian tomato soup

    • DebCooks on May 20, 2025

      Delicious! I used 1/2 tsp of ground cloves and will back that off for next time.

  • Tamarind chutney margarita

  • Mango pie

    • lisari on July 27, 2025

      Very good.

    • yaleksly on November 28, 2025

      Very tasty and reminiscent of mango lassi. I halved the recipe as I only had one pie tin, and this was easy to do though you will have leftover ingredients (e.g. the mango puree which can often only be sourced in the 30 oz can she calls for -- this is no real issue though, as you can use the leftover to make mango lassi!). I used salted butter in the crust to boost the salt; this worked great. In lieu of melting the gelatin on the stovetop, I zapped it in the microwave for about 20 seconds, until no grains of gelatin remained.

  • Indian fruit salad

    • jenmacgregor18 on September 12, 2025

      Delicious! My only tweak was swapping the mango for banana. The cardamom was lovely. I found Bird’s custard powder and I really recommend it. It held up well in the fridge for a day, but the leftover portion on day 3 wasn’t so great— the sugar and flavor had leached out of the fruit into the milk, making the fruit flavorless and the milk overly sweet. Next time, I think I’ll halve the recipe for us. Otherwise it’s great.

    • kshell on February 16, 2026

      So good, and easy. Perfect for winter as the fresh fruits called for are year-round staples in my house. Kept the cut up fruit and custard separate in the fridge to combine smaller portions upon serving and they are holding up well in the fridge now on day 2.

  • Mango cardamom tres leches cake

    • Lsblackburn1 on June 23, 2024

      This was delicious. My first time making a tres leches cake and I loved how this one was not too soggy like others I’ve eaten. Soaked the sponge overnight in the fridge. Using the boxed cake mix made it super easy, too.

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  • ISBN 10 1324036257
  • ISBN 13 9781324036258
  • Linked ISBNs
  • Published Jun 04 2024
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 320
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher W. W. Norton & Company

Publishers Text

Khushbu Shah is tired of hearing the same myths about Indian food: it’s too spicy, it’s too complicated, it’s all curry. Growing up in Michigan with immigrant parents, Shah would help her mother craft delicious, simple Indian dishes from ingredients available in middle America Bisquick, ketchup, and even peanut butter. Amrikan (how Desis say “American”) is the story of Indian food in America, with Shah its energetic translator. When it comes to cooking in the diaspora, adaptation is key. Shah’s recipes perfect beloved staples like creamy upma and crispy dosas and introduce third-culture comfort food like Makhani Mac and Cheese and Mango Pie with a graham-cracker crust. And Shah makes it easy to dive in, equipping home chefs with numerous ways to use pantry staples like lentils and instant noodles. Packed with vivid color photographs, Amrikan presents a deeply personal, comprehensive, and exciting guide to Indian American cooking.

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