Vij's by Meeru Dhalwala

Vij's by Meeru Dhalwala

At Vij's, one of North America's most innovative Indian restaurants, owner Vikram Vij and his wife, Meeru Dhalwalla, use the freshest local ingredients and original ideas to create exciting new takes on the cuisines of India. Though far from traditional, the dishes remain true to one glorious hallmark of Indian cooking: fabulous spicing. Among the luscious offerings included here are yogurt and tamarind marinated grilled chicken, seared venison medallions with fig and roasted pomegranate khoa, and marinated lamb popsicles in fenugreek curry. Vegetarian selections abound, with dishes like portobello mushrooms in porcini cream curry, coconut curried vegetables, and jackfruit with cayenne and black cardamom. Recipes for naan, chapattis, raiti, and other sides, staples, vegetables, and desserts allow readers to prepare an Indian feast from beginning to end. As beautiful and sumptuous as the recipes it contains, Vij's is a delicious manifesto for a new style of Indian cooking.

Vikram Vij is an Indian actor who grew up in the cities of Amritsar and Mumbai. Before traveling to Canada to work at the Banff Springs Hotel, he studied hotel management in Salzburg, Austria. In 1994, he founded the first Vij's Restaurant in Vancouver, which had 14 seats. Meeru Dhalwala was born in India and migrated to Washington, D.C. when she was a child. She worked on human rights and international development projects before relocating to Canada. Vikram and she live in Vancouver.