James Beard Award–winning Meherwan Irani brings the bold, joyful flavours of India’s streets, truck stops, and home kitchens in a cookbook

Indian street food is built for movement: a handful of ingredients, a hot pan, a few essential spices, and the instinct to make every bite count. In his debut cookbook, No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India (Ten Speed Press, September 22, 2026), James Beard Award–winning chef and restaurateur Meherwan Irani brings that same energy into the home kitchen.

Known for the exuberant restaurants Chai Pani and Botiwalla and his spice company Spicewalla, Irani approaches Indian cooking with warmth, humour, and an unexpected streak of minimalism. His philosophy is simple: you don’t need a kitchen full of specialised equipment to cook great Indian food. Borrowing from the efficiency of street-food hawkers, he focuses on smart techniques, layered flavours, and making the most of a good pot, knife, and ladle.

With more than 100 recipes spanning chaats, sandwiches, rolls, grills, curries, chutneys, and home cooking, Irani makes a spirited case for bringing Indian food into the weekly rotation. These dishes offer a taste of his larger philosophy: Indian cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to be deeply flavourful, and street food might just be the most fun way to get there. The recipes that follow capture that spirit.

Kheema Pav (Sloppy Jai)

Parsi-style spiced ground lamb piled onto toasted pav, inspired by the sloppy Joe. Yoghurt keeps the kheema rich and bound, while chutneys add sweet, spicy, fresh flavour. A great introduction to Indian street food.

Serves 4

Kheema 

• 2 tbsp neutral oil

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds

• 2 cups diced red onion

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

• 2 Thai or serrano chillies, minced

• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• Salt

• 2 tsp coriander powder

• 2 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

• 1 lb ground lamb

• ½ cup full-fat plain yoghurt

• 14½ oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1 tsp white vinegar

• 1 tsp garam masala

To assemble

• Butter

• 4 pav or Hawaiian rolls

• Sweet yoghurt sauce

• Green chutney

• Chopped cilantro

• Diced red onion

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pan. Sizzle cumin for a few seconds, then add onion, ginger, chillies, ginger-garlic paste, and salt.

2. Cook onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden and jammy. Add a splash of water if they start browning too quickly.

3. Stir in coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder, cilantro, and 1 tbsp water. Cook 1 minute.

4. Add lamb and break it up. Cook 5–7 minutes, until browned. Stir in yoghurt and cook another 5 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, garam masala, and salt. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until thick but still spoonable. Adjust seasoning.

6. Butter and toast the pav. Fill with kheema and top with sweet yoghurt sauce, green chutney, cilantro, and red onion. Serve hot.

Shortcut: Use store-bought ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, and chutney to keep this quick.

Quick accompaniments

Ginger-Garlic Paste: Blend equal parts fresh ginger and garlic with enough neutral oil to make a coarse paste. Refrigerate in a glass container for up to 1 week.

Sweet Yoghurt Sauce: Whisk together 1 cup full-fat yoghurt + ¼ cup water + 1½ tbsp sugar.

Green Chutney: Blend 1½ cups cilantro + 3 chillies + 3 garlic cloves + 1 tbsp lime juice + 1 tsp sugar + 1 tsp salt + enough cold water to blend. Keep slightly textured and adjust lime, salt, and sugar to taste.

Roasted Cumin Powder: Toast cumin seeds in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes, cool, then grind. Use as a finishing spice

Fennel-Crusted Eggplant Fritters

Milk-soaked eggplant becomes creamy and mellow inside, while toasted fennel, cumin, and besan make a crisp, spiced crust. Fry in batches and serve immediately—no chutney needed.

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

• 2 lb Italian eggplant

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1 tbsp fennel seeds

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)

• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp table salt

• 2 quarts canola or other neutral oil, for frying

• Kosher salt, to finish

Method

1. Slice eggplant into ¼-inch half-moons. Soak in milk for 30 minutes.

2. Toast fennel and cumin in a dry skillet for 30–60 seconds, until fragrant. Cool and coarsely grind.

3. Mix ground spices with besan, chilli powder, turmeric, and table salt.

4. Remove eggplant from milk and pat dry. Coat evenly in the besan mixture. Place on a wire rack.

5. Heat oil to 325°F in a heavy pot, filling it no more than halfway.

6. Fry eggplant in batches for 3–5 minutes, turning as needed, until golden and crisp. Drain on the rack.

7. Sprinkle with kosher salt while hot. Serve immediately. Be careful—the centres will be very hot.

Tip: Keep your hands dry while dredging so the besan mixture doesn’t become clumpy.

Butternut Squash & Green Bean Coconut Curry

A simple, comforting one-pot curry with tender squash and green beans in a creamy coconut-tomato sauce. The versatile sauce also works with other vegetables, fish, shrimp, or chicken.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp neutral oil

• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds

• 3–4 curry leaves, fresh or dried (optional)

• ½ tsp hing (optional)

• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 1½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• 2 cups diced red onion

• Salt

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes

• 13.5 oz can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

• 3 cups cubed butternut squash

• 2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved

• Cilantro, for garnish

• Basmati rice, for serving

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium-high. Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Lower heat to medium and add curry leaves, hing, ginger, and ginger-garlic paste. Cook about 2 minutes.

2. Add onion and ½ tsp salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden and jammy. Add a splash of water if they start to brown too quickly.

3. Add turmeric and tomatoes. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring, until glossy and the oil separates around the edges.

4. Stir in coconut milk and stock. Season with salt.

5. Add squash and simmer 7–10 minutes until nearly tender. Add green beans and cook another 3–5 minutes.

6. Adjust seasoning, garnish with cilantro, and serve hot with basmati rice. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Easy variation: The same curry base works with cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, peppers, leafy greens, fish, shrimp, or leftover chicken.

Quick Ginger-Garlic Paste

Blend ¼ cup chopped ginger + ¼ cup garlic + 1–2 tbsp neutral oil until smooth. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Perfect Basmati Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice

• 3 cups water

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• ½ tbsp butter (optional)

1. Rinse rice 2–3 times until the water is almost clear.

2. Add rice, water, salt, and butter to a pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until about 80% of the water is absorbed and small holes appear on the surface.

3. Gently fold the rice from bottom to top a few times. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 7–8 minutes.

4. Turn off heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Image credits: Getty Images and Pexels 

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