The book you are holding is a unique cookbook about Indian spices, specifically focusing on the intricate world of spice blends. What is fascinating about spice blends, you ask? Well, a garam masala may contain anywhere between four and fifteen varied spices; a pickle masala may have a different recipe in Andhra Pradesh than it does in Delhi; a chai masala may have a distinctive recipe in the winter than it does in the summer. In Masalamandi, the author sets out on a quest to unravel how a single dish can be prepared with multiple spice blends, all created from the same whole spices yet resulting in distinct flavours! While sharing his own experiences and interactions with these spice blends, he also offers a comprehensive exploration of the history, mythology and cultural significance that surrounds each of them. This is a spice trail like no other.