Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: EEP (Environment Education Promoters)
Pages: 318
Rating: 5/5
Published: November 27th, 2022
Buy at: Amazon | Add to Goodreads
Blurb:
A bold, brassy commitment-phobic young woman. A wannabe chef whose Michelin star aspirations are constantly thwarted by his ramrod-backed war hero father. A family scandal. A lost recipe book.
Steeped in the aroma of curries and roasts, brimming with love, banter and culinary secrets ancient and modern, The Indian Café in London is a tale of lost recipes, lost loves, and lost identities.
Review:
“If books and cooking are your relaxation mantra, how can you not read The Indian Café in London?” When I received this message from the author regarding the book review, I knew I had to pick it up. After all, how could I refuse a book about food and lost recipes? The generous dose of nostalgia as an army brat was a pleasant surprise.
At its heart, The Indian Café in London by Veena Nagpal is a story about food. Relationships with food. Relationships around food. Lost families. Found families. It is a love story in all its forms. Romantic, filial, and above all, with food. A story woven around three primary characters who cannot be different from each other but are linked by a common thread.
“Relationships develop around food – not just cultural memories of particular foods but how they fit into a person’s individual experience, his family values and history.“
Akhil, the son of a larger-than-life war hero who wants to pursue his culinary dreams. A dream that takes him from the cozy comfort of the cantonment to the bylanes of Chandni Chowk and eventually the streets of London. In search of his great-grandmother’s lost recipe book. In search of his grandfather and a promise to fulfill.
Jamila, a bold, brassy, wild child. Always surrounded by friends but perennially alone. Who wants to set roots but is commitment-phobic. Daughter of a war hero who came back wrapped in the Indian flag. Something she is yet to come to terms with.
Puru, an octogenarian, a former restaurenteur dealing with loneliness. A family secret that brings his life crashing down. Coming to terms with decades of deceit. A yearning to belong. A yearning for family.
The story also has well-etched supporting characters who add to the narrative. Khan Chacha a.k.a. Khanu, the voice of reason in the Khanna household. Akhil’s caretaker and sounding board. Ustad, an eccentric old-school bawarchi who shares some of his culinary secrets with Akhil along with some valuable life lessons too. Bebe, a loud and brash Punjabi woman, the only family Puru really had in London.
“Find what you truly and firmly believe in. And when other people tell you to think otherwise, keep believing.”
The charm of the story is the evocative writing. The lyrical prose and the descriptive narration have you turning the pages. You are transported to the kitchens and almost smell the heeng tadka. The author is a master storyteller. Narrated in first person through the three central characters, the tone and vocabulary effortlessly switch to match the characters. Be it spunky Jamila or a quiet, defeated Puru. It also switches between multiple timelines with equal ease.
The book does take a detour towards the end reflecting the divisive nature of modern-day politics. Where members of the minority need to prove their patriotism. Where they need to choose between country and religion. I wish we had more insights into Jamila’s thought process here.
If you are a foodie, you are in for a treat. The book is peppered with food trivia and recipes in the form of Akhil’s journal. I would definitely be returning to the book again and again for the recipes.
The book is an ode to lost recipes. Some are only being kept alive in army messes and an occasional continental food festival. Tipsy pudding. Baked Alaska. I could well be listening to the food stories shared by my grandmother or my mother. Or browsing through their recipe diaries.
“Pickling she used to say, is an act of love – of preserving the past and having faith in the future to come.”
A love story of two army brats, kids of two brother officers, cannot be without a generous dose of army nostalgia. The mess food. The tricolor sandwiches and those ever-popular pineapple-cheese-cherries on toothpicks. The MES furniture. The three-tonner school bus. And the unmistakable smell of the CSD canteen.
A love story. A recipe book. A book on food trivia. It is difficult to box the book into a genre. The book is meant as a tribute to all grandparents who have left behind love-infused food memories. An attempt by the author to gather food memories and recipes for the coming generation to cherish.
I enjoyed reading the book and would highly recommend it. A delectable read that will warm your heart.
About Veena Nagpal
“Though she be but little, she is fierce….”. When it comes to her writing Veena Nagpal lives by Shakespeare’s words. Through the years; raising a family, shifting cities and jobs in Corporate Communications; she has always fiercely guarded her ‘writing time’. Born an army brat, she studied English literature at Lucknow University. Today, at the age of eighty, living in Noida with one husband and around five hundred plants, she still spends her day sitting at her roll-top desk, tap-tapping stories on her laptop. The Indian Café in London is her fifth novel.
Follow her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
I want to thank the author Veena Nagpal for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Monidipa Dutta.
July 10, 2023 @ 5:18 am
Your book review has me hooked! As a lover of food and stories, “The Indian Café in London” seems like the perfect blend of both. I appreciate the way the author weaves together themes of food, family, and lost identities, creating a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences. The inclusion of food trivia and recipes throughout the book is a bonus that I can’t wait to explore. Your review has convinced me that “The Indian Café in London” is a must-read for a foodie lover like me.
August 1, 2023 @ 5:51 pm
I am so glad to know that. 😊 Do pick it up. I am sure you will enjoy it.
July 10, 2023 @ 11:49 am
Here’s another must-read book and I still have to get to Yellowface! My TBR is giving me anxiety.
Loved that quote on Pickling.
August 1, 2023 @ 5:53 pm
Anxiety notwithstanding, that is what I am here for 😊. Thanks for stopping by, Tulika.
July 11, 2023 @ 2:34 pm
This book seems to be a fascinating story of family, love and tired up to food recipes. Indeed it seems to be a fab read is what I get to understand from your review.
July 13, 2023 @ 7:55 pm
What an awesome review Ritu… one of your best so far for me… it really brought out the writer in you and I love that!
I haaaaaaave to read this one no matter what… that’s how your review’s made me… and I would love to check out the forgoten recipes too😊
August 1, 2023 @ 5:58 pm
Thank you so much for your kind words, Kaveri. You are too kind.😊
August 1, 2023 @ 5:55 pm
It sure is. Do give it a read. 😊
July 11, 2023 @ 3:42 pm
I loved the cover, very well made. She is 80 and writing. I hope I will be able to do that. It’s very nice to know about lost recipes, but you say some are still alive in the Army canteen. Certainly a book that foodies will love. I would like to read about the minority angle too.
August 1, 2023 @ 6:00 pm
The army messes are practically the keepers of some of the age old recipes. You must check out her interview on Siddhi Palande’s Insta.
July 13, 2023 @ 4:49 am
Your enthusiasm for a book centered around food and lost recipes is evident from the start. The mention of nostalgia as an army brat adds a personal touch to the review. The characters and their interconnectedness, as well as the supporting characters, are praised for their depth and contribution to the narrative. Your evocative writing style and the ability to switch between multiple timelines and character voices are much highlighted. The inclusion of food trivia, recipes, and your intention to preserve food memories and recipes for future generations are also appreciated.
August 1, 2023 @ 6:02 pm
Thank you so much Jeannine for the kind words 😊. Books and food are an unmissable combination for me. 😁
July 13, 2023 @ 8:25 am
Wow, this book sounds absolutely enticing! The combination of books and cooking as a relaxation mantra already has me hooked, and the theme of lost recipes adds an intriguing touch. It’s fascinating how the story revolves around relationships with food and explores different forms of love. The three primary characters seem incredibly diverse yet connected by a common thread, making me eager to uncover their journeys. Akhil’s pursuit of his culinary dreams, Jamila’s struggle with commitment, and Puru’s quest for belonging all sound captivating. I can’t wait to dive into this book and unravel the secrets and emotions that lie within.
August 1, 2023 @ 8:23 pm
Do pick it up, Anjali. Looking forward to reading your thoughts. 😊
July 13, 2023 @ 6:09 pm
Ritu how far you know me I am sure that you know I am connected with cooking and books. I find peace when I read and I enjoy moments when I try some new recipes in my kitchen. When both these two things mix up, life turns into Jinghalala. Food itself has a strong relation with our mind and soul and when a story revolves around- uff I can smell the story is going to be fantastic. It’s indeed a captivating story and I can make out that from your review. It’s a clear indication that its a must read book for me
August 1, 2023 @ 8:24 pm
We are kindred spirits, Samata. 😁 I am sure you will enjoy it.
July 13, 2023 @ 8:07 pm
I am sure Veen Nagpal has done a wonderful job of bringing Grandma’s cooking alive in this story. Being a foodie, a book that revolves around food is already a winner for me, adding to it a bit of romance and mystery, I think is a perfect recipe for success. That was a delicious review !
August 1, 2023 @ 8:24 pm
Thank you, Preeti 😊
July 15, 2023 @ 5:31 pm
Lovely review. I am looking forward to reading this book. I am more interested in the recipes though. Some of them are from my childhood which you don’t see anymore.
August 1, 2023 @ 8:25 pm
Exactly. The hours we spent discussing those lost recipes 😊
July 15, 2023 @ 6:44 pm
The blurb reminded me of the movie, “Luv shuv tey Chicken Khurana” that I loved watching. It’s about a lost chicken recipe with a crazy twist 😉
Now, I’m curious to read this book. Thanks for the review 🙂
August 1, 2023 @ 8:26 pm
Now I am curious 😀. I have heard of the movie and will check it out.
July 16, 2023 @ 2:02 am
A story about food can never go wrong! I love the plot already…so many intriguing things going on! Gonna grab this book!
August 1, 2023 @ 8:26 pm
Absolutely 😊
July 16, 2023 @ 7:59 am
After reading your review I definitely need to read this book. It sounds like it has so much of a mix that one would enjoy. Good Review.
August 1, 2023 @ 8:27 pm
Thanks Flavia 😊
July 16, 2023 @ 12:51 pm
Food as a theme, I’m sold already!! A 5 star review from you means I should pick it up asap. 🙂
August 1, 2023 @ 8:27 pm
Do pick it up, Shalini. Would love to read your thoughts on it. 😊
July 17, 2023 @ 9:46 pm
What a beautiful review. I’m getting this one for sure. Thank you for the wonderful review.
August 1, 2023 @ 8:27 pm
Thank you so much Janaki 😊
July 18, 2023 @ 9:21 am
Surely gonna add this book to my TBR
August 1, 2023 @ 8:28 pm
😊
July 21, 2023 @ 1:16 am
Amazing review and so detailed as many of your reviews are. Looks like the book has many facets and some part of the plot is also very relatable.
August 1, 2023 @ 8:28 pm
Thank you so much Vasumathi 😊
July 24, 2023 @ 10:35 pm
Your review has piqued my interest, and I can’t wait to dive into this enchanting world of food, nostalgia, and love. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this book, and I’ll definitely be adding it to my reading list.
August 1, 2023 @ 8:28 pm
Do pick it up, Felicia 😊
August 14, 2023 @ 10:01 pm
Sounds like a fun book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review of it.