The strength of this cookbook is its stunning photography -- it's truly mouthwatering, and sets this book in the category of coffee-table-worthy. I love a memoir-cookbook combo, but the narrative sections are not as compelling as I had hoped. I found them repetitive and overly casual/colloquial in language at times -- perhaps if I was familiar with Nawab's speaking style, it would sound endearing instead of awkward. The recipes are appealing and I learned some great tips for ingredient swaps and techniques. I would gift this cookbook to a gluten-free friend who loves trying new flavors and ingredient combinations.

I have recently adopted a whole-food plant-based lifestyle and have been searching for all of the cookbooks that I can find that provide such recipes. I saw this one pop up on NetGalley and was so excited when I was approved an advanced copy. This cookbook has many wonderful options and I loved reading about the chef's journey to his various recipes and a healthy lifestyle. It provided an insight that you generally do not find in a cookbook and a background of many recipes. So far I have tried a couple of the recipes and they have been delicious. A few look very intimidating, but the author breaks it down and makes each recipe surprisingly simple that I believe any level of cook would be able to accomplish them. There are also beautiful pictures accompanying many of the recipes. My only wish in this cookbook would be that there were more pictures and more options from the author on how to make certain recipes with no animal products. These are the two reasons that I gave it four rather than five stars. Overall, this is a wonderful cookbook with many wonderful and enticing recipes.

This is a beautiful book filled with exotic flavors, and I found it a pleasure to read. Sadly, I didn’t find very many recipes I could use because I have nightshade intolerance, and the majority of these recipes include nightshades such as tomatoes and peppers.

The recipes are well written with clear instructions and many helpful tips. I tried the Keema Muttar with Peas, omitting the Serrano chile, and it was delicious. Most of these recipes require more time and effort than I am typically willing to devote to cooking, and sometimes they require ingredients I don’t have on hand. (I had never heard of Tajin seasoning or aji amarillo before.) However, I might use this cookbook on special occasions. Most of the recipes serve 4 to 6; I can imagine a lovely dinner party based on these recipes.

The visual design is sumptuous. You won’t find pictures for every recipe, but there are many photos, and they are gorgeous!

I loved how both the table of contents and the individual recipe pages specified whether the recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, or vegan. Most of the recipes are both gluten free and dairy free, and many are vegan or vegetarian, except in the main dish section, where only 4 of 17 recipes are meatless.

I wouldn’t recommend this book for those with busy schedules or for beginning cooks, who are likely to feel overwhelmed. If you’re a more accomplished or adventurous cook looking for new ideas for gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian or vegan recipes, this might delight you. While it wasn’t the best cookbook for my needs, I think it will appeal to many others, so I am giving it 4 stars.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.