Cookbook by Roshan Hirani and Simon Daley

Simon, a keen self-taught home cook and curry addict, fell in love with his Indian mother-in-law’s cooking the first time they met 11 years ago.

Together, they have now produced a book revealing her culinary secrets and irresistible dishes.

Cooking With My Indian Mother-In-Law includes traditional dishes inspired by his in-laws’ Gujarati roots in India, influences from Islam and Africa and modern adaptations, so the dishes are suitable for today’s British cooks.

Simon, a 36-year-old art director, is lyrical about that initial meeting with Roshan – whom he calls Rose – Hirani after being taken to her house by his then girlfriend and now wife, Salima, 38.

“I’ll never forget my first visit to Rose’s house. She welcomed me into her home in the way she knew best – by offering good food.

“The moment I tasted her divine chicken curry I was in awe. Like any Brit, I knew and loved Indian food, but the food I tasted on that day was something beyond what I had come to expect. The flavours were cleaner, brighter, and yet, despite its depth and savour, the food was somehow lighter than I had experienced before.”

Over the years, he and Rose, 63, slaved over a hot stove together, and Simon faithfully recorded the exact ingredients and methods.

The book is a real family affair – Salima, an editor, took all the photographs while the other two worked away in the couple’s east London kitchen.

“We got the idea for the book because, traditionally, these recipes have been passed from mothers to daughters over centuries,” Simon explains.

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