Masala Farm

I recently attended an event hosted by ICE and Blue Star stoves where my friend and accomplished chef Suvir Saran shared his delectable recipes along with his views on health.

Like me, Suvir grew up with his grandma’s home-cooking and I think he’d agree that when it comes to healthy delicious food, cooking from scratch is best. One of the things that sets Suvir apart in my mind is his ability to migrate Indian flavors to the American palate. Once you read the recipe titles in his new book “Masala Farm”, you’ll want to delve in.

Like me, he loves to tuck in the “chef’s twist” into classic American dishes — like fresh ginger and saffron to rhubarb jam, or peanut flour to buttermilk fried chicken, or even cilantro and hot chilies in deviled eggs.

He makes traditional recipes exciting but preserves the base flavors and textures — keeping the meals still comforting and recognizable. Beyond these delightful recipes, Suvir shares a little peek into his current life, where he has achieved his dream of living and cooking on a farm. He and his partner Charlie Burd are living the “farm to table” dream that so many of us aspire to, and in the book they share adorable stories called “farm yarns” that include “teaching kids to eat well” and “the weed we grew to love”. The tales focus on their adventures cultivating the land and raising heritage-breed chicken, and of course cooking in their own farmhouse kitchen.

As I write this from my small apartment, there are no gardens in sight — but I’m sipping Suvir’s recipe for “Farm House Chai” as the same, savoring the aroma of fresh ginger, black peppercorn, and clove. Looking forward to my first spring trip to the farmer’s market this season, I’ll be making his “Rhubarb Raspberry Cobbler”, one of many recipes you’ll savor when you get your copy of the book.

Dying to try Suvir’s recipes right now? Visit Suvir’s recipe page.