East: 120 Easy and Delicious Asian-inspired Vegetarian and Vegan recipes

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I had also spent two years writing a vegetarian Indian cookery book; I knew how to make bitter cavolo nero leaves sing and how to tempt a beetroot-hater into eating a plateful.

I know that cuisines are prone to appropriation, although perhaps, like languages, that helps our cooking repertoires to grow and we then come to appreciate the originality and complexity of certain dishes. Top: Emporio Armani View image in fullscreen Meera Sodha: ‘I was excited to enter this brave new world. Place the pistachios, chilli and garlic in a food processor and process until the pistachios have broken down. I travelled east to Thailand, and on to Japan, where the katsu curry bears little resemblance to anything I’ve eaten anywhere else.Boasting a wide range of dishes from India to Thailand to Japan and a host of other countries, this is a celebration of Asian cuisine like no other. Packed with straightforward recipes to suit every occasion, I have cooked authentic-tasting dishes that I have gone back to over and over again because they have become real family favourites. Meera explains in the introduction that this recipe persuaded her to finally fall in love with kale – and persuasive it is. Take the cake out of the oven and leave to rest for exactly one minute, then place a sheet of baking paper over the top, followed by a large chopping board. Add the garlic, chilli and cashews, and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes and pop the lid on.

Taking you from India to Indonesia, Singapore to Japan, by way of China, Thailand, and Vietnam, East will show you how to whip up a chard potato and coconut curry and a swede laksa; how to make Kimchi pancakes, delicious dairy free black dal, and chilli tofu.Recipes we love: Chard Potato and Coconut Curry, Kimchi Pancakes, delicious Dairy Free Black Dal, Salted Miso Brownies and a no-churn Vietnamese Coffee Ice-cream.

Each dish sits against a monochrome background so as not to distract from the food, while flat overlay shots really emphasise the use of colour and texture in each recipe. Modern, vibrant, fuss-free food made from British ingredients but with an Eastern slant, East is a must-have whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or simply want to eat more delicious meat-free food. To my untrained palate, the recipes in East by Meera Sodha have an authentic taste and feel and her approach makes it easy to produce dishes that you may otherwise have veered away from. There are some great cookbooks out there, but some have ingredient lists as long as your arm that assume you have access to a vast larder of herbs, spices and exotic food products.Whether you are vegetarian, want to eat more vegetables or just want to make great, modern Indian food, this is the book for you. Other favourites include the Chickpea Flour Chips with Chilli Sauce; Black Dal; Honey (I use Maple Syrup) Soy and Ginger Braised Tofu; and Sprout Nasi Goreng.