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Masala Lab

The Science of Indian Cooking

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Masala Lab

Written by: Krish Ashok
Narrated by: Ashish Bhandari
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Buy Now for ₹879.00

Buy Now for ₹879.00

About this listen

 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. Cooking Diets, Nutrition & Healthy Eating Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Food & Wine Indian Nutrition
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Let me qualify right at the start that picking up this book was an instinctive choice. I am not into cooking and can barely manage to make my tea and toast. But thought I will try out a different genre. So gave this book a go.

The start of the book was quite fascinating with a scientific approach. But as I read along (rather heard since it was an audible), I realised that this book wasn't for me, but for people who have been cooking since a while. However, out of academic interest and to sound smart on food related conversations, I soldiered along. But it sadly kept the feeling that this book/genre isn't for me just kept getting stronger.

So all in all, pick up a 'physical copy' of this book if you a) Are Indian or of Indian origin b) Know how to cook!!

Not for me

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This is an excellent narration by Ashish of a very enjoyable book about food science...relished it.

excellent narration of a enjoyable book

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Excellent narration! A must for informed cooking! But the pdf often mentioned in the book is not included in the audio book.

Chemistry and physics of cooking

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If you’ve ever stared at your sambhar bubbling away and wondered, “What sorcery is this?” — Krish Ashok is your Dumbledore. Except instead of a wand, he wields a ladle and a thermometer.

This book is like a science class taught by your funniest friend after two cups of filter coffee — equal parts hilarious, mind-blowing, and drool-inducing. I now say things like “Maillard reaction” while frying onions and feel 200% more intelligent. My family still thinks I’m just making rasam, but I know I’m conducting a culinary experiment in thermal diffusion.

And oh — the Audible narrator Ashish Bhandari deserves his own Michelin star. Seriously. Perfect tone, perfect comic timing, and the kind of voice that makes you grin while learning why your chapati puffs up (or doesn’t). They somehow make even the “boring” bits sound like TED Talks for hungry people.

If you like science, food, or laughing at your own cooking mistakes — this book will change your life, or at least your spice box. 🍳📚

“Masala Lab” by Krish Ashok — A deliciously nerdy feast!

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