Beth’s Staff Pick: Fresh India by Meera Sodha
A standout vegetarian cookbook for harvest season.
"I’m obsessed with Meera Sodha’s recipes, and Fresh India is a standout for harvest season! Indian cuisine isn’t usually associated with freshness, but Sodha flips that script, delivering vibrant, veggie-packed dishes without sacrificing flavor. In fact, we crafted our entire 2022 Thanksgiving feast from this book." —Beth, Gneiss Spice
“The tastiest, liveliest, spice-infused fare this side of the Sabarmati river.” —The Guardian
A celebration of India’s love of vegetables, Fresh India is filled with vegetarian recipes rooted in Meera Sodha’s Gujarati family traditions, adapted to seasonal UK produce. These are dishes her mother made with whatever was growing locally, and Sodha continues the tradition of vegetable-forward, feel-good Indian food.
Unlike heavier Indian cookbooks, this one is lighter, more modern, and incredibly accessible. Each recipe is labeled VE, GF, or DF, and Sodha includes an “alternative contents” section to help you find quick meals, pantry recipes, or great first-timer dishes.
Who it’s for:
Vegetarians, gardeners, and anyone seeking modern Indian recipes that are fresh, filling, and approachable.
To cook all of the recipes in Fresh India, you’ll want to stock the following spices: ajwain, amchur, asafoetida, bay leaf, cardamom (ground), cardamom (pods), chili flakes, cinnamon (sticks), cinnamon (ground), chaat masala, clove (ground), cloves (whole), coriander (ground), coriander (seed), cumin (seed), cumin (ground), fennel (seed), fenugreek (seeds), garam masala, ginger (ground), kashmiri chile (referred to as “red chile” throughout), kashoori methi, mustard (black seed), nigella, nutmeg (whole), pepper (black), peppercorns (black), rose petals, sesame seeds (tan), saffron, sea salt, star anise, turmeric, and vanilla extract.
Other ingredients you may need (often optional): tamarind paste, Eno fruit salt, fresh curry leaves, lime pickles, chana dal, hard paneer, and chickpea flour.