Vikram Vij is a Canadian icon, founder of the Vancouver eatery lauded by Mark Bittman in The New York Times as “easily among the finest Indian restaurants in the world.” His 2017 memoir Vij recounted a rags to riches story from college dropout in India to world-renowned chef and entrepreneur, overcoming extraordinary odds along the way. He is a popular television personality, a philanthropist, and champion of immigrant and under-represented communities. His three previous cookbooks have been national bestsellers and have won multiple awards.
It is clear from the moment you open My New Indian Kitchen, with its jewel-bright turquoise and gold embossed cover, that this is a love story. Vij has been passionate about food and cooking all his adult life but, he writes with characteristic candour, true happiness had evaded him. Until he met Jaan (Jennifer Muttoo), currently his professional and life partner, and collaborator in this book. Vij’s delight in his new relationship spills over in this cookbook, pervading the recipes and text and if he’s a little sappy at times, it would be churlish to begrudge him such joy.
The book is divided into five chapters: Raise A Glass; Bounty of the Earth; Coastal Flavors; The Butcher’s Block; and Sweet Endings. Recipes carry symbols helpful for people with dietary restrictions: Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-free, Dairy Free, and for those in a hurry or looking for something simple: Five Ingredients or Fewer. The majority of recipes are accompanied by photographs and there are candid shots of the authors in India that set a happy mood.
I started out with the drinks chapter, which contains recipes for some creative cocktails (including a G&T served to Harry and Meghan, and a whiskey-based tipple honouring Mick Jaggert) and non-alcoholic beverages. I was intrigued by Jaljeera, a spiced refresher that Vij’s mother made for him in India to keep his energy up. “An acquired taste” according to Vij, it calls for cumin, amchur (mango powder), pepper, ginger, cloves and black salt, whisked into water and served with ice and mint. Kala namak (black salt) has a very distinctive aroma (some might say stink) and my first taste of this “restorative mocktail” produced a grimace. But once over the initial shock, I drank it down and it did indeed perk me up.
Bounty of the Earth yielded Chilled Pea Soup with Fried Mint, a delightful cold pottage with emerald hue and sweet pea flavour. The absolute kicker is a garnish of crispy fried mint leaves. I love fried sage but had never thought to fry mint. Try it!
From the same chapter, I made Spiced Feta and Corn Salad, a crunchy melange of fresh vegetables with nuggets of salty feta tossed in an intriguing spicy/sweet dressing, twice. Initially I served it like a salsa, with corn chips for scooping, and it disappeared in minutes. Second time around I took it to a potluck (adding a can of chickpeas to bulk it up) and it received rave reviews. It’s a versatile recipe, with a tangy spiced dressing the secret ingredient.
Spiced Cauliflower Fritters were equally delicious, tossed in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried until crispy. I tried baking them in the oven and don’t recommend it. They tasted great but I had to finish them in the air-fryer to really crisp them up.
Spiced Baby Eggplant, sautéed in oil with fragrant spices, is an easy way to add pizzazz to a pretty bland vegetable. Vij suggests using the same technique with Brussels sprouts or regular eggplants. I chose the latter and the flavours were great but the eggplant’s skin was too leathery after cooking and I had to peel it off. That recipe is included here. If using regular eggplants, I would recommend peeling them before frying.
Mushroom Curry, made with green curry paste and coconut milk and clearly Thai in origin, was delicious but the recipe seemed out of place in a cookbook promising Indian cuisine. Vij is unapologetic about departures from tradition in his cooking “cuisines are like rivers – they should flow freely without boundaries,” he writes, and some of his recipes (tiramisu with chai replacing coffee; chocolate filled samosas) benefit from an inspired cross-fertilization between culinary traditions, but this recipe and a few others (Goulash; Chicken Schnitzel, Chocolate Chip Cookies) strike an incongruous note in an otherwise cohesive collection of Indian-inflected recipes.
The two recipes for dhalI in this chapter call for cooking in a pressure cooker for two whistles. That sent me down an internet rabbit hole trying to convert “whistles” to cooking time in a Western-style pressure cooker. The best answer I found is to look up a recipe for the main ingredient (lentils, meat etc) and use that time. Since this cookbook is aimed at the North American market, the use of whistles strikes me as an affectation, or perhaps an editorial oversight.
Coastal Flavours produced my favourite recipe. Spiced Pan-Seared Salmon with Herbs is now my go-to treatment for salmon. The crispy-skinned fish with a crust of spices is truly delectable. It takes about 10 minutes pull together but is sophisticated and striking enough to serve to guests. I’m happy that the publisher agreed to share the recipe here.
From The Butcher’s Block Tandoori Chicken Wings, marinated in spiced yogurt, baked in a hot oven and served with a creamy Butter Chicken Dipping Sauce, were a knockout and crispy enough to please fans of deep-fried wings.
Pork is not eaten in many parts of India except for Goa (a Portuguese colony for hundreds of years). Vij’s Spice-Encrusted Pork Tenderloin is an excellent alternative to the very spicy Vindaloo that the region is famous for. A mix of fragrant spices (excluding chili) is rubbed into the meat before it is cooked on the grill or in the oven. As long as you don’t take it beyond the recommended internal temperature of 145˚F, and let it rest, it emerges beautifully moist, with a pink centre and a burnished crust of spices. Delicious.
With the exception of my quarrel with whistles, and nitpicking over a couple of anomalous recipes, I have nothing but praise for My New Indian Kitchen. These are well crafted recipes that deliver Vij’s trademark creativity and bold flavour profiles, presenteded in a book that is beautiful to hold. I haven’t tried any of the Sweet Endings yet but that Indian Tiramisu and those Chocolate Samosas sound mighty good!
