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Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking
Ever wondered why your grandmother threw a teabag into the pressure cooker while boiling chickpeas, or why she measured using the knuckle of her index finger? Why does a counter-intuitive pinch of salt make your kheer more intensely flavourful? What is the Maillard reaction and what does it have to do with fenugreek? What does your high-school chemistry knowledge, or what you remember of it, have to do with perfectly browning your onions?
Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a science nerd's exploration of Indian cooking with the ultimate aim of making the reader a better cook and turning the kitchen into a joyful, creative playground for culinary experimentation. Just like memorizing an equation might have helped you pass an exam but not become a chemist, following a recipe without knowing its rationale can be a sub-optimal way of learning how to cook.
Exhaustively tested and researched, and with a curious and engaging approach to food, Krish Ashok puts together the one book the Indian kitchen definitely needs, proving along the way that your grandmother was right all along.
Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a science nerd's exploration of Indian cooking with the ultimate aim of making the reader a better cook and turning the kitchen into a joyful, creative playground for culinary experimentation. Just like memorizing an equation might have helped you pass an exam but not become a chemist, following a recipe without knowing its rationale can be a sub-optimal way of learning how to cook.
Exhaustively tested and researched, and with a curious and engaging approach to food, Krish Ashok puts together the one book the Indian kitchen definitely needs, proving along the way that your grandmother was right all along.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2020
998 people are currently reading
5286 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
July 31, 2021
I bought Masala Lab because its blurb sounded interesting. And because it had excellent reviews.
Now, a disclaimer – I’m definitely not the target audience for this book. I’ve been cooking for more years than I care to remember. I grew up in the school of, “When I said one handful, I meant the size of my hand!”, or recipes from relatives that asked for “a pinch of this, a dash of that”. I learnt the basics from my mother and from poring over recipes in magazines. I learnt quickly to adapt to not having a certain ingredient or substituting something else for it. But, as I said, the blurb seemed interesting, and I'm always curious to know the whys and wherefores.
First, the positives. Krish Ashok’s book is a nerd’s foray into the science of cooking – he talks of how heat affects carbohydrates, proteins and fats differently; what a Maillard reaction is and its effect in cooking; why powdered spices should be made/bought in small quantities; how to layer acids to add taste and why they are important, and so on. Split into different chapters, he examines the science – the physics, chemistry and even biology – that goes into the products, processes and techniques of Indian cooking. He dissects various ‘common’ spices such as garam masala, provides a generalised idea of common gravies (much like a restaurant) and suggests how to mimic several regional cuisines using ingredients that are unique to those cuisines. Flow charts and illustrations make the information easier to understand.
He also gives you a general idea of the different ways of cooking – pressure cooking, stove-top and oven; the best way to go about making and freezing different types of gravies (that you can then customize to individual dishes); the different spice blends, and how to use them to good effect. So, experienced as I am, I’m more than glad to incorporate some of the information into my cooking to see how it will go.
I also agree with him that the term ‘authentic’ for a certain dish is redundant, especially in the Indian context where the same dish appears in many regional cuisines with their own localised variations – and they are all authentic. Yet, I must confess that I’d rather get an ‘authentic’ recipe that closely mimics the traditional way in which it was made than a modern version which completely changes everything.
Now, what irked me about the book? Plenty.
First, the condescension that dripped off the page in the “Just kidding” kind of way. Calling people who do something differently from you ‘Idiots” is not the best way to go about imparting information. Suggesting that if someone does something differently – especially when it is not even clear that anyone following your instructions is going to be successful – they are merely wasting their time at best or are downright moronic at worst is beyond condescending; that devolves into, “My, what a big ego he has!” territory.
Secondly, while I agree that having some gravies frozen on hand to adapt to various dishes is a godsend when you are beginning your journey as a cook, the whole point of home cooking is the freshness and the variety you bring to the dishes – with the different spices, techniques, processes. What’s the point if by following Ashok’s ‘algorithms’, you turn your dishes into the same mass-produced generic ‘curry’?
What’s with the condescension towards food bloggers (other than Bongeats, which he seems to approve of) or recipes on the Internet? Good food bloggers not only give you a recipe, but also offer substitutions, tips based on their experience, and simplified versions of doing things. They have tested their recipes many times and made it as fool-proof as possible. Why not take advantage of their experience?
The repeated ‘jokes’! Ashok is like that annoying old ‘uncle-ji’ he references, who corners you at every family gathering to tell you the same ghisa-pita joke. Which, being polite, you must laugh at, even if it was not remotely funny the first time! His sense of humour punches down and I suppose he thinks he’s being humorous. He’s just being tiresome.
My final conclusion is – Masala Lab has some very good information. But it is badly written, has cringe-worthy humour, and is over-hyped. Buy this book, even if you are a beginner, only if you want to understand the science behind some of the techniques. Because cooking is not just science, it is also an art. It is the joy of creating a dish, not manufacturing a product.
I’m sure there are some excellent cookbooks for beginners out there which make cooking a joy and a journey of discovery. (And doesn't treat you like an idiot for wanting to do something differently.) Find some!
Now, a disclaimer – I’m definitely not the target audience for this book. I’ve been cooking for more years than I care to remember. I grew up in the school of, “When I said one handful, I meant the size of my hand!”, or recipes from relatives that asked for “a pinch of this, a dash of that”. I learnt the basics from my mother and from poring over recipes in magazines. I learnt quickly to adapt to not having a certain ingredient or substituting something else for it. But, as I said, the blurb seemed interesting, and I'm always curious to know the whys and wherefores.
First, the positives. Krish Ashok’s book is a nerd’s foray into the science of cooking – he talks of how heat affects carbohydrates, proteins and fats differently; what a Maillard reaction is and its effect in cooking; why powdered spices should be made/bought in small quantities; how to layer acids to add taste and why they are important, and so on. Split into different chapters, he examines the science – the physics, chemistry and even biology – that goes into the products, processes and techniques of Indian cooking. He dissects various ‘common’ spices such as garam masala, provides a generalised idea of common gravies (much like a restaurant) and suggests how to mimic several regional cuisines using ingredients that are unique to those cuisines. Flow charts and illustrations make the information easier to understand.
He also gives you a general idea of the different ways of cooking – pressure cooking, stove-top and oven; the best way to go about making and freezing different types of gravies (that you can then customize to individual dishes); the different spice blends, and how to use them to good effect. So, experienced as I am, I’m more than glad to incorporate some of the information into my cooking to see how it will go.
I also agree with him that the term ‘authentic’ for a certain dish is redundant, especially in the Indian context where the same dish appears in many regional cuisines with their own localised variations – and they are all authentic. Yet, I must confess that I’d rather get an ‘authentic’ recipe that closely mimics the traditional way in which it was made than a modern version which completely changes everything.
Now, what irked me about the book? Plenty.
First, the condescension that dripped off the page in the “Just kidding” kind of way. Calling people who do something differently from you ‘Idiots” is not the best way to go about imparting information. Suggesting that if someone does something differently – especially when it is not even clear that anyone following your instructions is going to be successful – they are merely wasting their time at best or are downright moronic at worst is beyond condescending; that devolves into, “My, what a big ego he has!” territory.
Secondly, while I agree that having some gravies frozen on hand to adapt to various dishes is a godsend when you are beginning your journey as a cook, the whole point of home cooking is the freshness and the variety you bring to the dishes – with the different spices, techniques, processes. What’s the point if by following Ashok’s ‘algorithms’, you turn your dishes into the same mass-produced generic ‘curry’?
What’s with the condescension towards food bloggers (other than Bongeats, which he seems to approve of) or recipes on the Internet? Good food bloggers not only give you a recipe, but also offer substitutions, tips based on their experience, and simplified versions of doing things. They have tested their recipes many times and made it as fool-proof as possible. Why not take advantage of their experience?
The repeated ‘jokes’! Ashok is like that annoying old ‘uncle-ji’ he references, who corners you at every family gathering to tell you the same ghisa-pita joke. Which, being polite, you must laugh at, even if it was not remotely funny the first time! His sense of humour punches down and I suppose he thinks he’s being humorous. He’s just being tiresome.
My final conclusion is – Masala Lab has some very good information. But it is badly written, has cringe-worthy humour, and is over-hyped. Buy this book, even if you are a beginner, only if you want to understand the science behind some of the techniques. Because cooking is not just science, it is also an art. It is the joy of creating a dish, not manufacturing a product.
I’m sure there are some excellent cookbooks for beginners out there which make cooking a joy and a journey of discovery. (And doesn't treat you like an idiot for wanting to do something differently.) Find some!
February 23, 2021
A wealth of useful information on how to cook better. He makes it easy to understand what is happening to food during the cooking process and which cooking method is best for a particular food.
1-tbr-owned-but-not-yet-read
August 17, 2022I've had this book for a while. It was the cover that got me. It seems to be an Indian version of Harold McGee's excellent On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Also the blurb, "Ever wondered why your grandmother threw a teabag into the pressure cooker while boiling chickpeas?" No. My grandmothers didn't cook chickpeas. One of them couldn't cook at all making visits to her, which lasted a week or more since she lived so far away, an absolute misery, and the other was a superb cook especially with cakes.
BUT, I nearly did have an Indian grandmother. My father was engaged an Indian woman, the daughter of the only importer of Tampax into India at that time so I might have had a tea-bag tossing grandmother if only he hadn't met my mother.
BUT, I nearly did have an Indian grandmother. My father was engaged an Indian woman, the daughter of the only importer of Tampax into India at that time so I might have had a tea-bag tossing grandmother if only he hadn't met my mother.
July 22, 2021
As a kid, I grew up reading funny blogs of Krish Ashok. On twitterverse he started posting food pics and I thought it's a phase. When I read this book - It all clicked! Welcome to cooking food for nerds - if you were scarred by Chemistry, Physics or Thermodynamics in schools stay away!
Despite the meandering commentary that are borderline funny, the book is really serious! The chemistry of cooking the perfect Dal and Channa is for those of us who get scared by "as needed" instructions.
I loved the metarecipies towards the end and the application of concepts such as A/B testing in cooking appealed to the nerd in me. This is a book that I will occassionally turn to when I have a highly innovative day and the missus doesn't throw me out of the kitchen for making a mess.
If you are novice cook who cracked the IIT JEE and hope to have half decently tasting food on your own - the book will open up a new world! Else relish in the days of swiggy and the secrets of your family's kitchen - which is hit and trial mostly.
Despite the meandering commentary that are borderline funny, the book is really serious! The chemistry of cooking the perfect Dal and Channa is for those of us who get scared by "as needed" instructions.
I loved the metarecipies towards the end and the application of concepts such as A/B testing in cooking appealed to the nerd in me. This is a book that I will occassionally turn to when I have a highly innovative day and the missus doesn't throw me out of the kitchen for making a mess.
If you are novice cook who cracked the IIT JEE and hope to have half decently tasting food on your own - the book will open up a new world! Else relish in the days of swiggy and the secrets of your family's kitchen - which is hit and trial mostly.
September 15, 2023
3.75/5
Take a dip into food engineering, by turning your kitchen into a chemistry lab.
Loved:
1. Multiple takeaways (elaborated later)
2. Laugh out loud surprise punches in the narration.
3. Methods, algorithms, variations - beautifully structured.
4. Myth busters.
Takeaways:
1. Order in which ingredients needs to be cooked depending on moisture content, and degree of desired flavor extraction.
2. The science and reactions behind common day to day happenings in an Indian kitchen.
3. Thinking a dish in terms of acid and base profiles.
4. Precise points to take your cooking to next level.
What did not percolate through:
1. Usage of MSG and baking soda - though beautifully explained covering technical and logical details, can't (don't want to) get over that barrier.
2. Usage of tomato ketchup and paste over puree for the next level cooking - I'd happily prefer to stay a noob and avoid any ingredient with preservatives.
3. So many repetitions made this narration a little soggy, could have been crispier.
Overall:
Highly recommended if you love reading about the science involved in your food and are game for some good experiments.
Take a dip into food engineering, by turning your kitchen into a chemistry lab.
Loved:
1. Multiple takeaways (elaborated later)
2. Laugh out loud surprise punches in the narration.
3. Methods, algorithms, variations - beautifully structured.
4. Myth busters.
Takeaways:
1. Order in which ingredients needs to be cooked depending on moisture content, and degree of desired flavor extraction.
2. The science and reactions behind common day to day happenings in an Indian kitchen.
3. Thinking a dish in terms of acid and base profiles.
4. Precise points to take your cooking to next level.
What did not percolate through:
1. Usage of MSG and baking soda - though beautifully explained covering technical and logical details, can't (don't want to) get over that barrier.
2. Usage of tomato ketchup and paste over puree for the next level cooking - I'd happily prefer to stay a noob and avoid any ingredient with preservatives.
3. So many repetitions made this narration a little soggy, could have been crispier.
Overall:
Highly recommended if you love reading about the science involved in your food and are game for some good experiments.
January 13, 2024
"29 degree Celsius Chennai declares winter" If you liked this joke(is that a joke? for authors happiness lets call it joke) then continue reading or if you got irritated, annoyed then dont try this book.
January 11, 2021
I learnt about this book from Amit Varma's the seen and unseen podcast.
I have always followed recipes passed down by family pretty blindly, Sometimes I wondered why do it this way, but never found easy answers.
This is a good book for all curious home cooks, it talks about food science of Indian cooking, on a meta level.
Things I learnt from this book :
- How to use of baking soda
- Use of alcohol in cooking
- Why a certain flavor combination is used frequently
- I specifically found rice, pulao, gravy generators helpful
- Value of maintaining food log.
- Science of rice
A bit repetitive at times, but definitely worth the read.
I have always followed recipes passed down by family pretty blindly, Sometimes I wondered why do it this way, but never found easy answers.
This is a good book for all curious home cooks, it talks about food science of Indian cooking, on a meta level.
Things I learnt from this book :
- How to use of baking soda
- Use of alcohol in cooking
- Why a certain flavor combination is used frequently
- I specifically found rice, pulao, gravy generators helpful
- Value of maintaining food log.
- Science of rice
A bit repetitive at times, but definitely worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2021
Fills a gaping hole in the Indian cooking literature. The chapter titled 'Burn the recipe' is absolutely phenomenal especially for a beginner cook like me. The writing is pretty amateurish and makes you cringe with its high school level humor but it's not bad enough to deter you from reading. There was also a lot of repetition which was mildly annoying.
In all, read it if you want to improve your cooking skills or are a food science enthusiast.
In all, read it if you want to improve your cooking skills or are a food science enthusiast.
July 22, 2021
This book needs serious editing. It is verbose beyond measure. Anything which could be said in 2 lines is said in 10 and then repeated multiple times over. All the repition makes it a tedious read.
July 8, 2021
How heat works to cook food, how proteins and carbohydrates and fats are affected by heat, acid, sugar, salt, etc. Why you shouldn't store powdered spices for months altogether, and why Coke is absolutely the wrong choice to counteract a massive dose of chillies. And much more.
In the first few chapters of Masala Lab, Krish Ashok focuses on the physics, chemistry and some of the biology that goes into the ingredients, utensils, processes and techniques of the average Indian kitchen. He examines common flavours and what they consist of, how they work, and so on. In the last section of the book, Ashok suggests algorithms to make individualized rice, bread, gravy, chutney/raita and salad dishes, based on several different regional cuisines.
The best thing about Ashok's writing is that he is good at explaining science in layman's terms. He knows how much explanation is needed, and how much would be too much: he strikes the balance well. The many illustrations to explain concepts are a bonus. That said, while the writing tries to be witty, it does go overboard at times and becomes irritating.
Earlier this year, I had read Harold McGee's definitive tome on food science, On Food and Cooking. Having read that, I was a little sceptical if Ashok's book, only about a quarter of the length of McGee's, would be as impactful. While the books do cover some of the same ground, their goals are separate. McGee sets out to cover food science in its entirety (he even examines, for each ingredient group, nutritive values, history, manufacturing, spoilage and contamination); he is thorough. Ashok's book, on the other hand, has a relatively narrow focus: just a few major Indian cuisines, and just enough knowledge imparted to help an Indian home cook understand the how, why, what and when of Indian food.
That said, I was not really the target audience for this book. I have been cooking for the past thirty years and more; I studied hotel management, so do have some food production training. And, given that I cook three meals a day without any domestic help, I simply don't have the time to do any of the experiments Ashok suggests. What's more, I realize a lot of what the 'average Indian' seems to do—pressure cook by the ‘whistle system’; pressure-cook rice, mostly cook Indian food, adore chillies, etc—is not me. At all.
But yes, I did learn some things that I will be implementing in my cooking. And I can imagine that anybody who likes cooking but is worried about following recipes, or is new to cooking, might benefit a good deal from this book.
In the first few chapters of Masala Lab, Krish Ashok focuses on the physics, chemistry and some of the biology that goes into the ingredients, utensils, processes and techniques of the average Indian kitchen. He examines common flavours and what they consist of, how they work, and so on. In the last section of the book, Ashok suggests algorithms to make individualized rice, bread, gravy, chutney/raita and salad dishes, based on several different regional cuisines.
The best thing about Ashok's writing is that he is good at explaining science in layman's terms. He knows how much explanation is needed, and how much would be too much: he strikes the balance well. The many illustrations to explain concepts are a bonus. That said, while the writing tries to be witty, it does go overboard at times and becomes irritating.
Earlier this year, I had read Harold McGee's definitive tome on food science, On Food and Cooking. Having read that, I was a little sceptical if Ashok's book, only about a quarter of the length of McGee's, would be as impactful. While the books do cover some of the same ground, their goals are separate. McGee sets out to cover food science in its entirety (he even examines, for each ingredient group, nutritive values, history, manufacturing, spoilage and contamination); he is thorough. Ashok's book, on the other hand, has a relatively narrow focus: just a few major Indian cuisines, and just enough knowledge imparted to help an Indian home cook understand the how, why, what and when of Indian food.
That said, I was not really the target audience for this book. I have been cooking for the past thirty years and more; I studied hotel management, so do have some food production training. And, given that I cook three meals a day without any domestic help, I simply don't have the time to do any of the experiments Ashok suggests. What's more, I realize a lot of what the 'average Indian' seems to do—pressure cook by the ‘whistle system’; pressure-cook rice, mostly cook Indian food, adore chillies, etc—is not me. At all.
But yes, I did learn some things that I will be implementing in my cooking. And I can imagine that anybody who likes cooking but is worried about following recipes, or is new to cooking, might benefit a good deal from this book.
March 28, 2021
It's one of the best books I have read on cooking in general. It is definitely not as comprehensive as The Cooking Lab, but it has a lot of what he calls metamodels about a variety of Indian dishes. It makes me wanna cook, and more importantly, it makes me wanna think about cooking.
So a bit of background. I am not very good at cooking, but do enjoy trying to make new things. Generally, when I cook, I follow the instructions as best I can. It almost never tastes very good and I never understand where I should try to improve. By explaining the various cooking methods, instead of giving me a bunch of recipes, this book provides the debugging tools needed while cooking.
There are a plethora of western cookbooks and videos taking a (somewhat) scientific approach to cooking. There is the aforementioned book by J. Kenji López-Alt, there is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. The whole of America's Test Kitchen is based on this. Heck even Tasty (by Buzzfeed) does some stuff like this. Prior to this book the best source (I had found) for understanding India cooking was this video by an American youtuber. Nothing in the Indian cooking sphere spoke to me. I am looking forward to more resources like this book. I would love to have a more in-depth understanding of how various spices interact with one another.
I don't have a lot of criticism of this rather unique book. One thing a absolutely hate is the lack of references. All the claims made in the book have zero backing. You just got to trust the author. Foreseeing this criticism, the author does say towards the end of the book that you shouldn't trust him, but rather try out the various methods for yourself, and see how it pans out.
P.S.: I would love to see his notebooks.
So a bit of background. I am not very good at cooking, but do enjoy trying to make new things. Generally, when I cook, I follow the instructions as best I can. It almost never tastes very good and I never understand where I should try to improve. By explaining the various cooking methods, instead of giving me a bunch of recipes, this book provides the debugging tools needed while cooking.
There are a plethora of western cookbooks and videos taking a (somewhat) scientific approach to cooking. There is the aforementioned book by J. Kenji López-Alt, there is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. The whole of America's Test Kitchen is based on this. Heck even Tasty (by Buzzfeed) does some stuff like this. Prior to this book the best source (I had found) for understanding India cooking was this video by an American youtuber. Nothing in the Indian cooking sphere spoke to me. I am looking forward to more resources like this book. I would love to have a more in-depth understanding of how various spices interact with one another.
I don't have a lot of criticism of this rather unique book. One thing a absolutely hate is the lack of references. All the claims made in the book have zero backing. You just got to trust the author. Foreseeing this criticism, the author does say towards the end of the book that you shouldn't trust him, but rather try out the various methods for yourself, and see how it pans out.
P.S.: I would love to see his notebooks.
March 22, 2023
Excellent guide to becoming a better home cook (and maybe a starting point towards chef for some people?).
Anyone who has tried their hands at cooking knows it's very difficult when you are in a new territory and following a recipe, because you are really scared of messing up at some stage spoiling your entire effort. This is because "recipes" traditionally are Steps without reasons and you don't know what every step is adding to the final product.
This book will help you answer all those WHYs and let you make your own dish. That's awesome, isn't it?
The book largely talks about all the chemicals in various ingredients used while cooking and the corresponding chemical reactions at each stage with their effects. Understanding this fully, I believe, is optional and I didn't spend too much time trying to always read the big chemical names.
Krish Ashok breaks a lot of myths which are prevalent in Indian cooking and tells if one does the right thing with the correct technique, it can do wonders for your food.
The best part, the author is an Engineer and he (knowingly/unknowingly?) takes an engineering approach to a lot of concepts in the book and I absolutely love it being able to relate.
I personally was on a search of a such a guide to Indian cooking and this is exactly what I needed. The author never speaks about a part 2, but hell yes, I'm more than ready for it!
Anyone who has tried their hands at cooking knows it's very difficult when you are in a new territory and following a recipe, because you are really scared of messing up at some stage spoiling your entire effort. This is because "recipes" traditionally are Steps without reasons and you don't know what every step is adding to the final product.
This book will help you answer all those WHYs and let you make your own dish. That's awesome, isn't it?
The book largely talks about all the chemicals in various ingredients used while cooking and the corresponding chemical reactions at each stage with their effects. Understanding this fully, I believe, is optional and I didn't spend too much time trying to always read the big chemical names.
Krish Ashok breaks a lot of myths which are prevalent in Indian cooking and tells if one does the right thing with the correct technique, it can do wonders for your food.
The best part, the author is an Engineer and he (knowingly/unknowingly?) takes an engineering approach to a lot of concepts in the book and I absolutely love it being able to relate.
I personally was on a search of a such a guide to Indian cooking and this is exactly what I needed. The author never speaks about a part 2, but hell yes, I'm more than ready for it!
December 23, 2020
I've always been scared when it comes to cooking, for one reason that it was sounding very boring to me and second reason it being very tough! But everyone's gotta learn atleast basic cooking right 🥺 we all get bored of restuarant food someday and want some comfort food 😋
Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a non-fiction book about the science of Indian cooking. The book talks about some all old tricks and tips and explains us in a very simple way the link between healthy and right eating with scientific research and testing.
Hats off to the author for researching and testing at such a great extent for us readers and bringing this book to us. I'm half way through the book and have already quoted and highlighted so many things 😄 I recommend you guys to pick this up even if you're a great cook or a non cook like me 😬
But the way the book is written won't even feel like it's cooking, but more of a story. I loved the creative writing style of the author and compilation of thie book. The illustrations and charts in the book are very cute and helpful at the same time. It helps us gain a better idea and understanding of the topic.
Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a non-fiction book about the science of Indian cooking. The book talks about some all old tricks and tips and explains us in a very simple way the link between healthy and right eating with scientific research and testing.
Hats off to the author for researching and testing at such a great extent for us readers and bringing this book to us. I'm half way through the book and have already quoted and highlighted so many things 😄 I recommend you guys to pick this up even if you're a great cook or a non cook like me 😬
But the way the book is written won't even feel like it's cooking, but more of a story. I loved the creative writing style of the author and compilation of thie book. The illustrations and charts in the book are very cute and helpful at the same time. It helps us gain a better idea and understanding of the topic.
November 16, 2021
No words. I am wondering why i invested money in this book. I wouldn't say that the content is not interesting. The concept is why I bought it in the first place. But, it is written in a way that I couldn't even finish reading it. I probably never will.
March 20, 2022
The science of Indian cooking is an alluring topic and I jumped and bought Krish Ashok's book the moment I saw it. It was a disappointment. The book is full of scientific facts that don't help me understand what happens when we cook foor. I don't want so much science. But I do want to know the science behind the common mistakes that happen in cooking, I do want to know the best way of doing things and the science behind them, and I would love cooking tips. I would like to know why our grandmothers recommended we do things in a certain way, and not in other ways, and why things go wrong sometimes. But what the book offers is a lot of hard science. I am guessing that most ordinary cooks like me will find the book disappointing. I hardly gained anything from it, and I am so interested in kitchen science.
August 29, 2021
A very educative book ...
Am a bad cook working upon instinct rather than science and most often than not , one who brings forth below par cooked food. Will try to be scientific and refer this book, next time I cook.
Also planning to try out the various basic recipes described here
The science of cooking is interesting indeed ( though a bit drab at times)
Would have given 5 stars but for the irritating bit of humor ...reminded me of Rujuta Diwekar books which had similar irritating humor.
Am a bad cook working upon instinct rather than science and most often than not , one who brings forth below par cooked food. Will try to be scientific and refer this book, next time I cook.
Also planning to try out the various basic recipes described here
The science of cooking is interesting indeed ( though a bit drab at times)
Would have given 5 stars but for the irritating bit of humor ...reminded me of Rujuta Diwekar books which had similar irritating humor.
January 28, 2022
2.5/5
Though it’s a compelling premise, repetitive content, bland writing style, and forced pun/jokes make it a tedious read! If you are not into cooking but interested to know the science behind it(like me), this could be either a hit or miss(mostly a miss for me!).
Pro Tip: As soon as you see a 'quick recap from chapter ..’, ‘if you recall from chapter …’, skip that entire paragraph, unless you want to read the content from the previous chapter again and again
Though it’s a compelling premise, repetitive content, bland writing style, and forced pun/jokes make it a tedious read! If you are not into cooking but interested to know the science behind it(like me), this could be either a hit or miss(mostly a miss for me!).
Pro Tip: As soon as you see a 'quick recap from chapter ..’, ‘if you recall from chapter …’, skip that entire paragraph, unless you want to read the content from the previous chapter again and again
January 26, 2021
was good in the beginning, gets awfully repetitive and show-offy.
February 13, 2021
Although the content is reasonable, the unnecessary humor and digressions are off-putting. I would have re-read Douglas Adams if I wanted to read comedy.
May 12, 2021
Painful attempts at writing humorously but some good insights on the science behind Indian cooking that anyone who cooks knows intuitively.
July 31, 2021
Apparently, adding baking soda makes cooking anything better. Also Indian spice packets are amazing. Parboiled rice is healthier.
Actually, this podcast covers almost everything in the book, and the accents are better: https://seenunseen.in/episodes/2020/1...
Actually, this podcast covers almost everything in the book, and the accents are better: https://seenunseen.in/episodes/2020/1...
April 15, 2022
Although book's name has 'masala' in it, the content is quite bland.
May 16, 2022
Great content, but not yet polished. Several parts of the book read more like a cheat sheet than a coherent description of kitchen sciences. Nevertheless a must read.
March 4, 2022
Loved it. Would recommend if you are a nerd like me who like to understand the science behind everyday cooking techniques.
This is very similar to content from food-science inclined YouTubers like Adam Ragusea or J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
This is very similar to content from food-science inclined YouTubers like Adam Ragusea or J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.
February 24, 2021
" Knowledge is knowing tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad, and philosophy is wondering if ketchup is a smoothie - Anonymous"
This is how one of the chapters in Masala Lab begins and its this narration, peppered with (yes, pun#1) the authors own judgements on people who do things like leave whole spices in the biryani and put raw radishes in salads makes the book a breezy read.
It is tempered with (#2) just the right amount of sass that comes to the rescue everytime the science of cooking gets too technical.
This book is NOT filled with insights that you can use to curry (#3) favours with the REAL cooks at home - its something that the author also says upfront - but rather, educates us on why certain cooking ingredients are used in certain ways.
It's a great book if you are someone who has always wondered why tea bags are used to cook chhole and why ginger and garlic are added before tomatoes while cooking any thing.
What I liked: The science behind spices, cooking and everything really! Liked the illustrations, the jokes and everything in the book really. Have decided to buy a coffee grinder now, so definitely have been influenced by this book ;)
What I didn't like: The book did get a bit tedious and formulaic after about the 70% mark - found the AHA moments decreasing from about here. Partly understandable, because the last sections are more about setting up metaprocesses around cooking, so can get a bit dry.
This is how one of the chapters in Masala Lab begins and its this narration, peppered with (yes, pun#1) the authors own judgements on people who do things like leave whole spices in the biryani and put raw radishes in salads makes the book a breezy read.
It is tempered with (#2) just the right amount of sass that comes to the rescue everytime the science of cooking gets too technical.
This book is NOT filled with insights that you can use to curry (#3) favours with the REAL cooks at home - its something that the author also says upfront - but rather, educates us on why certain cooking ingredients are used in certain ways.
It's a great book if you are someone who has always wondered why tea bags are used to cook chhole and why ginger and garlic are added before tomatoes while cooking any thing.
What I liked: The science behind spices, cooking and everything really! Liked the illustrations, the jokes and everything in the book really. Have decided to buy a coffee grinder now, so definitely have been influenced by this book ;)
What I didn't like: The book did get a bit tedious and formulaic after about the 70% mark - found the AHA moments decreasing from about here. Partly understandable, because the last sections are more about setting up metaprocesses around cooking, so can get a bit dry.
November 2, 2022
Listened to this book on audible and this was a mixed bag. I felt the book promised a lot but under-delivered. Or maybe, the tips and tricks will be more useful to the completely uninitiated cooking Indian food. I also found some of the author's humor to be a little off putting (cannot seem to remember examples right now!) which kind of spoiled the experience for me. It's still worth a read if you want to know day to day science of why we do the things we do while cooking- like adding tea bags while boiling chana, marinating techniques for meats etc.
March 16, 2025
Honestly not qualified enough to rate this book, but I love his love for cooking (Yeah, I cringed at some of the sarcasm but okay) and would love to have a meal cooked by someone who truly understood all his tips and implemented them. Will try to become a good cook in my retirement years, until then I will treat myself to the substandard crap I cook for myself😭
December 23, 2020
I've always been scared when it comes to cooking, for one reason that it was sounding very boring to me and second reason it being very tough! But everyone's gotta learn atleast basic cooking right 🥺 we all get bored of restuarant food someday and want some comfort food 😋
Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a non-fiction book about the science of Indian cooking. The book talks about some all old tricks and tips and explains us in a very simple way the link between healthy and right eating with scientific research and testing.
Hats off to the author for researching and testing at such a great extent for us readers and bringing this book to us. I'm half way through the book and have already quoted and highlighted so many things 😄 I recommend you guys to pick this up even if you're a great cook or a non cook like me 😬
But the way the book is written won't even feel like it's cooking, but more of a story. I loved the creative writing style of the author and compilation of thie book. The illustrations and charts in the book are very cute and helpful at the same time. It helps us gain a better idea and understanding of the topic.
Masala Lab by Krish Ashok is a non-fiction book about the science of Indian cooking. The book talks about some all old tricks and tips and explains us in a very simple way the link between healthy and right eating with scientific research and testing.
Hats off to the author for researching and testing at such a great extent for us readers and bringing this book to us. I'm half way through the book and have already quoted and highlighted so many things 😄 I recommend you guys to pick this up even if you're a great cook or a non cook like me 😬
But the way the book is written won't even feel like it's cooking, but more of a story. I loved the creative writing style of the author and compilation of thie book. The illustrations and charts in the book are very cute and helpful at the same time. It helps us gain a better idea and understanding of the topic.
February 14, 2023
Easy read. Liked the way the author explains different concepts and the occasional witty statements.
Some things were a bit too repetitive.
Would recommend only for those super interested in Cooking.
I liked author's conversation in "The Seen and the Unseen" podcast related to this book which covers most of the interesting bits. Will recommend watching that.
Some things were a bit too repetitive.
Would recommend only for those super interested in Cooking.
I liked author's conversation in "The Seen and the Unseen" podcast related to this book which covers most of the interesting bits. Will recommend watching that.
August 26, 2021
I have had this book on my bedside for almost 5 months. I have been reading little by little, even though the subject is most fascinating; the reason for that is the dry writing. It's hard to not think of this book as a science text book, and that's probably not what the author was going for, but unfortunately that's how it has turned out.
While Krish Ashok tries hard to make the subject fun for the reader, he assumes too much of them and delves deep into science that is not common knowledge. Even for someone like me, who is a science student, it was not the easiest book to follow and it was quite an overload of factual information. Every chapter had some life hack and every ingredient had a trick that needed to be kept in mind. Many of these tricks are counterintuitive and while it's interesting to know why we do them, it is not always necessary. I suppose that's where the science of cooking fails one in its clinical approach, as opposed to the art of cooking.
An engineer writing a cookery book was an interesting experiment, but one that failed to meet my taste (kindly pardon the pun).
While Krish Ashok tries hard to make the subject fun for the reader, he assumes too much of them and delves deep into science that is not common knowledge. Even for someone like me, who is a science student, it was not the easiest book to follow and it was quite an overload of factual information. Every chapter had some life hack and every ingredient had a trick that needed to be kept in mind. Many of these tricks are counterintuitive and while it's interesting to know why we do them, it is not always necessary. I suppose that's where the science of cooking fails one in its clinical approach, as opposed to the art of cooking.
An engineer writing a cookery book was an interesting experiment, but one that failed to meet my taste (kindly pardon the pun).
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