India Express

Inspired by a train journey between her parents’ home towns of Kolkata and Chennai, India Express is a collection of 75 south Indian and Bengali recipes, and Rukmini Iyer’s seventh book. The first thing I made from it was Chingri Macher Malai, spiced prawns in coconut milk, which took minutes to prep, simmered quietly for just under half an hour, and was perfect on buttered white rice. Semolina pancakes were similarly successful. This collection follows Iyer’s wildly successful roasting tin series, rightly considered cookbooks for our times. What was it about them? Accessibility? Minimum fuss/maximum flavour? Layout? Trust in the likable, reassuring person who guided you through? All of the above - which, together with more personal material than her previous work, makes India Express a must-have. * Rachel Roddy, The Guardian ‘Best Books of 2022’ *
I am a huge fan of Rukmini Iyer’s Roasting Tin cookery books, but her new one, India Express, is my favourite yet… an absolute joy of a book … It maintains the ease and simplicity of the tin books but is chattier, more complex and goes off in all sorts of interesting directions. Nothing in it is difficult and everything is really, really nice to eat. * India Knight, Sunday Times *
The most delicious things I ate this year were ‘chop’ from [Rukmini Iyer’s] India Express … The book is a practical and inspiring delight. Iyer brings her trademark clarity and fuss-free instruction to some of the South Indian and Bengali recipes she ate growing up. It’s veg-leaning and full of flavour. I have used the book a great deal and am keeping it in the kitchen because this is the kind of food I want to make after Christmas indulgence. * Niki Segnit, author of ‘The Flavour Thesaurus’ and ‘Lateral Cooking’ *
An instant classic * Felicity Cloake, author of ‘Red Sauce, Brown Sauce’ *
It’s beautiful, remaining true to Rukmini’s accessible, flavourful and innovative style * Alice Slater, author of ‘Death of a Bookseller’ *
Effortless innovative cooking and banging flavours * Angela Hui, author of ‘Takeaway’ *
Full of realistic, delicious recipes * Bethany Rutter, author of ‘Welcome To Your Life’ *
Beautiful and mouth-watering * Robert Elms, BBC Radio *
Amazing, simple but really flavoursome curry recipes * Trish Halpin, ‘Postcards from Midlife’ podcast *
Packed with great ideas for quick-to-prepare dishes with some punchy flavours * Madeleine Morrow, London Unattached *

RUKMINI IYER is the bestselling author of the Roasting Tin series, with over 1.75 million copies sold worldwide. Her work has revolutionized the cookery space in the UK, spearheading the one-tin, one-pot, and one-pan cooking movement. These books remain highly popular among those who appreciate maximum flavor with minimal effort.

Rukmini was raised in Cambridgeshire, influenced by a diverse culinary background. Her upbringing encompassed the rich flavors of Bengali and South Indian cuisine from her parents’ Indian heritage, alongside popular 1980s British comfort foods like mac and cheese, sponge pudding, and cheese and pineapple on a stick.

She is a regular columnist for The Guardian and BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, and her writing also features in publications such as BBC Good Food magazine, Waitrose, and Fortnum & Mason. Rukmini firmly believes that dedicating time to prepare and enjoy good food, whether for oneself or for family meals, is a vital part of the day. As a new mother with limited time but a significant appetite, she is dedicated to empowering other households to create delicious, low-effort dinners.

Outside of the kitchen, Rukmini enjoys gardening, exploring food markets with her border collie and toddler, and hosting gatherings at home with her husband. Her entertaining often involves friends, but more frequently, it’s the company of her baby and dog.

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