10 Best Indian Cookbooks UK 2023

Nisha Katona established the Mowgli restaurant chain in 2014, with the aim of bringing the zingy, sensational flavours of Indian street food to people in the UK. In this book, she shows home cooks how to recreate iconic Mowgli dishes such as "Angry Bird", "Chat Bombs", and their signature "House Lamb Curry".

This book is incredibly popular, with plenty of fun and flavoursome recipes for chefs of all levels. It's visually stunning too, with glossy pages and colourful photos. That's why it's our top recommendation! 

Here's another cookbook from Meera Sodha, but this one is totally vegetarian! It reveals a whole new side of Indian cuisine, with 130 meat-free recipes for you to try. Alongside popular recipes like daal, curry, and bhajis, there are less familiar ones that use seasonal British ingredients.

This is another fantastic book for beginners that covers basic techniques in detail. As Sodha states, Indian cooking is all about vegetables - so why not skip the meat tonight and whip up a veggie feast instead?

This bestselling cookbook promises to change the way you cook, eat, and think about Indian cuisine forever! Guardian columnist Meera Sodha introduces the food she grew up eating every day, with recipes that are fresh, vibrant, and surprisingly easy to make.

With sections for speedy mid-week meals, kid-friendly dishes, and recipes using just store cupboard ingredients, it's obvious that this book has been designed for people with all kinds of lifestyles. It's great for beginners, as it covers a variety of cooking techniques, but would also suit experienced chefs. A fab all-rounder!

Dan Toombs, AKA "The Curry Guy" has perfected the art of replicating British Indian Restaurant (BIR) cooking after sampling dishes and learning curry house kitchen secrets. This book therefore helps you to make homemade curries that taste just like your favourite takeaway, while saving both time and money!

While the recipes can't really be classed as authentic, fans of the book are practically evangelical about the quality and flavour of the dishes included. If you're a huge curry fan or just fancy something a bit different then you can't really go wrong with it!

Chetna Makan, of Great British Bake Off fame, has compiled this wonderful book all about Indian street food. Taking inspiration from the streets of Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Chennai, she's created tantalising dishes that are simple to serve up for your family and friends.

The recipes are arranged by city, which can make finding particular recipes quite tricky. Having said that, this is an amazing look at India's thriving street food scene, and we reckon you'll love the tempting array of snacks, chutneys, desserts, and drinks!

The Essential South Indian Cookbook will definitely take your taste buds on an exciting journey! You'll explore all kinds of regional cuisines courtesy of India's southern states, as well as learning about how each of these areas has contributed to the rich tradition of Indian dining.

Some of the ingredients mentioned could prove tricky to come by unless you have a local Indian supermarket, but the recipes are really fantastic. Plus, this book includes detailed information on the unique food culture of each region.  

Filled with tempting recipes and stunning photographs, this book presents the finest cooking from the south of India. The focus on fresh produce and a balanced approach to eating makes this a brilliant cookbook for vegetarians and omnivores alike.

Unfortunately, the images in this book have been placed in an unusual way which can slightly obscure the text at times. The recipes, however, are absolutely mouthwatering and will leave you feeling inspired!

This book aims to show that Gujarati cooking is a healthy and tasty way of life. Pina Patel shares her family’s recipes, all of which are vegetarian, and shows you how to prepare common ingredients like chillies, garlic, and ginger in order to transform your dishes. 

This is the perfect book for veggie chefs and the recipes are undoubtedly delicious, so it's a shame that this book is so expensive! We understand why though - it's packed with beautiful, high-quality photographs.

In this book, Vijayan Kannampilly explores how Kerala manages to wow food connoisseurs from all over the world with its cooking. He shows readers how to prep each ingredient and recreate some of the region's best-known dishes such as mango curry and stir-fried crab with coconut.

As comprehensive as this book is, it's sadly let down by the lack of photography, which would help readers to visualise the end result. Nevertheless, this is an insightful look at South Indian food that's bound to increase your knowledge of the Keralan region!

This comprehensive beginners' guide to cooking Pakistani and North Indian food is ideal for those without much experience in the kitchen. The recipes are very simple and the author includes all kinds of useful information, from where to buy spices to which cooking oils to use.

Unfortunately, the quality of the text and photography isn't the best. This book is also rather limited in terms of the number of recipes included. Still, the instructions are easy to follow and provide an authentic taste of a region that's not often covered in Indian cookbooks.