After publishing Beyond Curry, I knew I wanted to continue the journey.That first book gave me the opportunity to share the way I look at Indian food—not simply as a collection of curries, but as a cuisine with an enormous range of ingredients, regional traditions, techniques and possibilities.Starters became the next chapter in that journey and another part of my Fine Dining Indian cookbook series.For me, modern Indian cooking is not about changing traditional food simply to make it look fashionable. The flavour and character of the original dish always need to come first.What interests me is what happens after that: how can we work with the same ingredients, spices and traditions while exploring different textures, cooking techniques or styles of presentation?

That idea became the foundation of Starters.

Publishing Beyond Curry taught me much more than how to put a cookbook together.It taught me about writing recipes clearly, photographing food, publishing a book and, most importantly, thinking about what the person reading the recipe actually needs.A dish may make perfect sense to a chef in the kitchen, but a cookbook has to communicate that idea to somebody who was not there when the dish was created.After finishing Beyond Curry, I did not want to stop there.I wanted the next book to explore a different part of the dining experience, and starters felt like the natural place to begin.

When people outside India talk about Indian food, the conversation often comes back to the same familiar dishes.Curry, naan, biryani and tandoori dishes are all important parts of Indian cuisine, but they are only part of the story.India’s food culture changes dramatically from one region to another.Different areas use different grains, spices, vegetables, seafood, meats and cooking fats. Techniques also change from region to region. Even the same ingredient may be prepared in completely different ways depending on where you are in India.That diversity is one of the things that continues to inspire me as a chef.Through my books and recipes, I want people to look beyond the dishes they already know and discover more of those regional ingredients and cooking traditions.

Indian starter recipes give chefs plenty of room to explore.A small plate can introduce acidity, spice, sweetness, crunch, softness, warmth or freshness before the rest of the meal begins.It can also introduce an ingredient or flavour combination that returns later in the menu.When developing recipes for Starters, I wanted the food to remain recognisably Indian while allowing a little freedom in the way it was cooked and presented.The aim was never to make food complicated simply because it was described as fine dining.Good food does not become better because it has more components.Sometimes restraint is more important.

I have always believed that a cookbook should do more than give somebody a list of ingredients.It should help them understand the cooking.If you know why a particular technique is being used, you become much more confident when you cook the dish yourself.Eventually, you stop following every line mechanically.You begin to recognise what the food needs. You adjust ingredients, try different combinations and start developing your own ideas.That is something I hope readers take from Starters.

If you enjoy contemporary interpretations of Indian food, you can explore more recipes, techniques and ideas throughout Fine Dining Indian.You will find traditional recipes alongside modern dishes, restaurant-style techniques and food created for passionate home cooks.