Some cookbooks teach you how to cook. Others make you want to get into the kitchen immediately, turn on the stove, and start chopping onions. My New Indian Kitchen by celebrated Canadian chef Vikram Vij, with Jennifer Muttoo, belongs firmly in the second category.
Vij is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking Vancouver restaurant Vij’s and his modern, deeply personal approach to Indian cuisine. In this beautiful new cookbook, he and Muttoo bring that spirit home, offering 80 recipes that combine the vibrant flavours of India with local ingredients, contemporary ideas, and plenty of culinary imagination.
The book’s philosophy can be summed up in its wonderfully inviting premise: cook with your heart and eat with your hands. (Check out our Canadians + Food section for How To Eat With Your Hands for more inspiration!) It is an approach that feels less like a set of culinary rules and more like permission to have fun. Vij encourages home cooks to experiment, trust their instincts, and make recipes their own rather than worrying about achieving some mythical version of perfection. And speaking of eating with your hands, try their Tandoori Chicken Wings in our Recipe section.
And there is plenty here to inspire experimentation. The recipes move comfortably between traditional Indian flavours and playful combinations. Chilled Pea Soup with Fried Mint, Burrata with Spiced Fig-Mango Chutney, Gnocchi with Garam Masala Tomato Sauce and Paneer, Spicy Cod Pakoras, Chicken Korma, Lamb Rogan Josh and Indian Tiramisu all demonstrate the book’s adventurous range.
What makes the collection particularly appealing is its Canadian sense of place. Vij draws inspiration from the produce and ingredients around him, including the bounty of British Columbia and the seafood of the West Coast. Indian culinary traditions aren’t treated as something frozen in time; instead, they mingle naturally with local ingredients and contemporary cooking. The result is food that feels both rooted and wonderfully free.
Then there are the photographs. Food photography by Gabriel Cabrera makes the dishes look almost irresistible, while stories about Vij’s travels, culinary memories, inspirations, and philosophy add another layer of flavour to the book.
The book is also highly approachable. Despite Vij’s considerable restaurant experience, these aren’t intimidating recipes designed only for serious cooks. I especially love the sense of generosity running through My New Indian Kitchen. This isn’t simply a collection of recipes; it is an invitation to gather around the table, share food, explore flavours and connect with the people you’re feeding.
For anyone who thinks Indian cooking is complicated or intimidating, this cookbook may be just the nudge they need. For experienced cooks, it offers plenty of fresh ideas and unexpected combinations. And for food lovers in general, it is simply a gorgeous reminder that the best cooking isn’t about following rules—it is about curiosity, generosity and joy.
My New Indian Kitchen doesn’t just promise dinner. It promises an adventure—and one delicious enough to make you reach for the spices before you’ve even finished reading the introduction.
Recipes and images excerpted from My New Indian Kitchen by Vikram Vij with Jennifer Muttoo. Photography by Gabriel Cabrera. Copyright ©2025, Vikram Vij. Republished with the permission of Figure 1 Publishing. https://www.figure1publishing.com/book/my-new-indian-kitchen/