Now Your Average Kitchen: Mish Sen Reflects on Writing Her First Cookbook and Shares a Must-Try Mango Lassi
“When I searched on Amazon, I didn’t think see any Indian cookbooks that were truly beginner level. I decided to create my book for lovers of Indian food who are beginners and would therefore need a truly beginner level cookbook. My main goal is to reduce the overwhelm and her mission is to lower the barriers to cooking Indian food at home. “ Today’s woman dreamer, Mish Sen is the creator of popular Instagram food blog, Eats with Mish, and the author of Indian Kitchen Secrets: 52 Easy-to-Make Indian Recipes for Beginners. In this installment of Not Your Average Kitchen, she shares the inspiration behind her platform, reflects on writing her first book, and shares a must-try mango lassi recipe. Enjoy her story!
1) Tell us your story. You have built the platform, Eats with Mish, and have a strong passion for both food and social media. Tell us your exciting story?
I started my journey to become an Instagram Indian food blogger back at the beginning of the pandemic. Because more people were cooking at home, my following grew substantially – especially due to how I structure my content as step-by-step instructions with full recipes.
In the beginning, I shared my knowledge and recipes with my family, colleagues, and neighbors. Quickly receiving fantastic feedback from them, I expanded into teaching classes as well. From there, I discovered that the potential audience for what I could teach was far greater than I ever imagined. This realization is what finally led me to now becoming an author of a cookbook of authentic Indian food titled, Indian Kitchen Secrets: 52 Easy-to-Make Indian Recipes for Beginners.
Based on my experience as a teacher, I’ve come to realize that people shy away from things that they already know they like, if they’re too afraid to even attempt it. I’ve found that for most people, cooking Indian food is no different – it’s extremely popular, but most people are too afraid to attempt it in their own kitchens. Through my unique teaching angles and the way in which I simplify complex topics, I’m able to quell those fears in my students and my readers. I have no doubt that many would benefit greatly from this knowledge.
2) You had an exciting cook book coming out. What inspired the book? What was the need you saw?
The cookbook is out and doing well. It was the followers also influenced the decision to release my first cookbook. Indian Kitchen Secrets: 52 Easy-to-Make Indian Recipes for Beginners has been available for purchase on Amazon since early 2022.
Throughout 2020 when my blog launched and got traction, I received many compliments on how the step-by-step instructions that I provide in the captions and also in my video tutorials were helping people cook confidently. People wrote in about how that they were finding success in the kitchen, getting compliments and how easy the recipes were.
Additionally, my students in Community Education classes gave me great reviews and told me that they always thought Indian cooking was hard till they actually did these cooking lessons. That got me thinking that there must be a ton of people out there who love Indian food but are intimidated to cook it at home.
I searched Amazon and although finding many great Indian cookbooks, I didn’t think any of them were truly beginner level. I then decided upon creating this book for lovers of Indian food who are beginners and would therefore need a truly beginner level cookbook. My main goal is to reduce the overwhelm and her mission is to lower the barriers to cooking Indian food at home.
My debut cookbook begins by informing readers about the basic core spices I’ll need in their pantries to create authentic-tasting Indian cuisine. Ingredients they will use over and over again. “It’s not a long list” In keeping with my objective of lowering the overwhelm when cooking Indian food, I wanted to structure the recipes in a way that when people saw the ingredients list they would be able to identify the core spices (that they would have been encouraged to stock up on), and then discover that the rest of the ingredients are manageable, and may already be in their pantries.
You can purchase the book on Amazon - linked here
3) Share your favorite recipe from the book. And, what is the story behind the recipe (is it a family recipe, a special occasion?) Please include a photo of it as well.
I don't have favorite recipes as I love a lot of my recipes. But an eay recipe that evryone can try is Mango Lassi-photo attached.
4) What excites you most about Eats with Mish? Tell us more about your journey in building the platform? What were some highs you experienced, and some challenges faced along the way?
I'm excited to have a community that look up to me! AND a community that I can help and guide in their culinary journey.
5) What does women empowerment mean to you? And, what is your next big dream?
Women empowerment is to me the opportunities that become available to women when people believe in them. Just one door has to be opened and others follow.