An absolute delight of a book. Great stories inspired with tasty recipes, what more could you want ? I think that this would make an interesting gift book for the foodie in your life.

First, I’ll say that I think for what is available to the American market this is a gem. This collection of 10 short stories is a mix of tales — some including Hindu gods, historical fiction, kings, conquerors, a bargain with a witch, talking birds — with each followed by a vegetarian Indian recipe. My favorite stories were: *The Travels of Sansubek* (a young boy with wanderlust and a knack for cooking ultimately holds a fate he must keep secret), *Chef William and Captain Tyrant* (about a British chef who falls in love with Indian cooking and befalls tragedy), *The Cries of Animals* (well, really the first couple pages, which felt like its own short story about a king’s wager with a mysterious court visitor), and *The Emperor loves Mangoes* (again, I just liked the first part of this story, about a ownership dispute over a mango tree). I found the first two stories to be the weakest and overall I wish a lot of the stories had been edited with a critical eye on the storytelling. For that reason I don’t think it’s a strong collection, but one I am glad I read it and recommend if you’re looking to read stories set in South Asia or are on a food SFF/spec fic kick like me.

2.5 Stars
One Liner: Sadly, nope!

This is a collection of stories that explore food in various forms. It combines stories from Indian history, real, mythological, and fictional, where food plays a role in the plot. Some stories are set in the contemporary period.

My Thoughts:
Annapurna is the Goddess of Food and Nourishment, an avatar of Goddess Parvati (Shiva’s consort). We have a shloka we recite thanking Annapurna for providing us with food before the start of every meal.
With food and Indian stories mentioned in the blurb, I knew I had to read this collection. The blurb ends with the sentence, ‘Expertly blending ancient and modern, mystic and mundane, East and West, these delectable tales will banish negativity, to entertain and inspire in equal measure.’
Well, how can I resist something that banishes negativity and promises to entertain? I should have resisted!
The title is Hindu, the tagline says Indian Food; Legends Retold. However, the book leans heavily towards the invaders. Why have so many invaders when there are enough legends about food in Hinduism? And for stories that have Hindu characters, it’s all about giving free gyan. A typical colonial framework, and I’m sick of it.
The book starts with an author’s note about the inspiration and theme for the book. Even that didn’t prepare me for the contents.
As I prefer to do with anthologies, I rated each story after reading it and edited it at the end for typos. This collection has ten stories, each followed by a vegetarian recipe mentioned in it. Of course, I won’t disclose the names of the recipes shared.
I like that each story starts with the character list.
Land of Milk and Sugar – 3.5 Stars
This is about the Zoroastrians who fled to India when their country was invaded by the Arabs. If you know this story, you would have guessed the central plot based on the title. Here, it has a proper arc and a storyteller sharing the details with the reader. While the story is emotional, the narrative style could have been stronger.
Parvati Bai and the Bandits – 3 Stars
What does Parvati Bai do when she hears the news of the fearsome bandits attacking her village? This is a story of ‘thinking outside the box’ that also touches a bit upon human emotions. I wish it were a wee bit longer.
The Emperor Who Loved Mangoes – 2.5 Stars
As you can guess, this story is about Akbar and Birbal. I enjoyed many of these tales as comics, TV shows, etc., so I knew what to expect. However, the narration was disappointing. I just didn’t feel the vibe. The dialogue felt mechanical and bland.
If you want a lighthearted version of Akbar and Birbal, see if you can find the episodes of Har Mushkil Ka Hal Akbar Birbal, which aired on Big Magic a few years ago.
Three Grains of Mustard – 3.5 Stars
This is the story of a mother’s grief. A different version of the story was used in a Telugu movie, so I figured out the plot soon. Once again, the narration feels surface-level for what could have been an intense story. Still, it manages to stir some emotions in the reader.
Annapurna’s Soup Kitchen – 2 Stars
Oh, boy! This should have been my favorite story in the book, but the result was the opposite. This is one about Parvati and her avatar, Annapurna. It is presented as a story-in-story, something a mother reads to her child. Now, would a children’s story (not even MG) mention lovemaking, even if it is between gods? I don’t think so.
Moreover, the Kichadi mentioned here is a modern version. Kichadi is a satvik dish, meaning it doesn’t have onion and garlic. It is also a softer dish, comfort food cooked when someone is ill or recovering. You don’t dump a whole lot of spices into it. The idea of Kichadi is to feed a person something substantial but easy to digest.
Interlude
Not rating this as it provides some snippets about the word ‘curry’ and such, some of which are taken from Wikipedia. *eye roll*
Do the Right Thing – 2.5 Stars
A typical story about a caste and a Sikh guru enlightening a Hindu about being a good human, yada yada. Something the West will love. I’d have liked it better if there had been some nuance or proper character development instead of a bland recital.
The Fisherman and the Sorceress – 2.5 Stars
What happens when an unlucky fisherman gets help from a woman performing black magic to turn the tide for the better? NGL, this one had a heck of a premise and could have been so darn atmospheric. But, sadly, it is not. I’m not sure why the focus shifted from the main character to a side character.
Chef William and Captain Tyrant – 2 Stars
Well, based on the title, you can guess it is about the British Colonizers in India. The beginning was quite interesting. But when it ended, I couldn’t figure out what the story’s purpose or intent was. What was I supposed to take from it?
The Cries of Animals – 2 Stars
This story features Krishna and his cousin, someone I haven’t read about until now. I do know about the famous Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple, where paal payasam is offered as prasad to Krishna. Though I’m not from Kerala, I know that in the South, we don’t use Basmati rice for prasadam. We use locally-grown rice (each state has its own type of rice, some have more than one).
The Travels of Sanbusak – 2 Stars
This doesn’t even seem like an Indian story. The author’s note at the end says it’s a fictional piece. Maybe they should have kept it for another book. I zoned out a few times despite all the drama in the plot. Go figure!

To summarize, Annapurna's Bounty, while providing some interesting recipes, doesn’t meet expectations. The book (recipes) might appeal to the target audience, though the dry narrative style doesn’t do the stories any favor.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dundurn Press, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Good stories and good food work magic anyday. So, when in the introduction to the book Annapurna's Bounty, the author Veena Gokhale writes that she was drawn to Indian folktales, legends, myths and historical narratives when she started giving Indian vegetarian cooking lessons and we realise that the book packs ten tales closely associated with food, we know that we are in for a double treat. Well, the author meets our expectations but not without a set of flaws.

The book begins with the story where a Zoroastrian family leaves their home in Baqat to escape Arab occupation and oppression, the story ends with a recipe of a Persian vegetable stew. The second story, my most favourite
one, highlights the power of food, how it can win over evil or harmful intent. Popular stories of Akbar and Birbal, story of three mustard seeds featuring a grieving mother and Gautama Buddha and the story of Parvati assuming the form of Annapurna in Benaras serving the poor and hungry.
appear along with stories of Nemi, the Jain monk, another
featuring a Brahmin and Guru Nanak, then the story of Sanbusak and the origin of samosa and one with a British cook facing the wrath of a British officer. Each story ends with a vegetarian recipe.

Now for the book's shortcomings - though the cover says Indian food legends retold, the last story has barely anything to do with India. I would have loved to see Bhima from Mahabharat prepare avial (purportedly the inventor of the recipe) for the story that had Avial recipe at the end rather than the story of a fisherman. The recipe for paal payasam served at the Amabalapuzha temple in Kerala at the end of the story titled The Cries of Animals specifies usage of Basmati rice, this variety of rice is never used in temples down South. Also, the recipe for Goda Masala at the end of the second story would have felt authentic with the inclusion of Pattar phool or stone flower lichen in the list of ingredients.

Overall, Annapurna's Bounty is a good blend of stories and food showing how recipes/food are quintessential elements of great storytelling from the times of yore, a good collection.

I really enjoyed this collection of ten short stories from India. Some are historical fiction (such as the migration of Zoroastrians from Persia to India), some are mythology (such as ‘Annapurna’s Soup Kitchen’), some relate to figures in India’s major religions (such as ‘Three Grans of Mustard’) or rulers, others date from the time of British rule (‘Chef Willian and Captain Tyrant’), while still others are just fantasy (‘The Fisherman and the Sorceress’). All relate to some region, era, or religion of India, and most have food and/or hospitality as a central theme. All the stories are great – each in their own way. My favourites were ‘Three Grains of Mustard’ which is about coming to terms with grief, and ‘Do the Right Thing’ about being holy in your speech and actions as well as in your religious devotions:
“We must take care not to let someone from a low caste contaminate our food by his presence and particularly not an achhut, an untouchable, the lowest of the low. We must offer the purest food to God.” Guru Nanak heard him out and said, “I still don’t understand. You clean everything so well to cook food that is so pure and sacred only to put it in a mouth polluted by curses and defiled by belittling other humans and a body dominated by a mind filled with anger and egotism. Surely, this sacred food deserves a mouth that is equally pure, a mouth that enunciates words that are kind and loving?”
A special mention also, for ‘The Cries of Animals’ which starts with a chess game between a king and disguised Krishna, as a warning about gambling without knowing the magnitude of the forfeit, and a note on the importance of understanding maths:
“Oh, mighty king. If you lose, you will put a grain of rice on the first square of the chess board and double it on every subsequent one.” “There’s no dearth of rice in the royal granary.” “Think carefully about what I have asked you for.”
And if that was not enough, each chapter ends with a delicious recipe for a vegetarian Indian meal. The recipes are all relatively easy, and designed for Western kitchens, with helpful hints, substitutions, and extensions. So far I have made five of the recipes, my favourites being ‘Madakini’s dal’ and ‘The World’s Oldest Curry’ (aubergine and mango).
So, whether you want some wonderful stories, some tasty Indian vegetarian recipes – or both – this is a book for you. Highly recommended.

Annapurna’s Bounty isn’t only a cookbook nor is it only a collection of Indian tales.
It is a nice mixture of both. The folklore and mythology is made accessible and the recipes blend into the whole narrative to a large extent.
The recipes are equally accessible.
I would have liked to see photos of the ingredients, some cooking and preparation techniques and the food.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. All opinions are my own.

Annapurna’s bounty was a clever collection of stories which are woven together based on famous folk tales from India with an exciting twist; each chapter ends with a mouthwatering recipe. I am extremely excited to try out the dishes! I frequently try out Indian restaurants and it has become one of my favorite types of cuisine.

Veena did an excellent job weaving the recipes into the stories and giving readers a glimpse of the different legends that are present within Indian culture. Each story left an impact on me and taught me more about the customs and ideas that are valued in the region. My favorite chapters were “Three grains of mustard” and the final chapter “The Travels of Sanbusak”.

The only critique I have of the collection was that some of the stories moved too quickly. I was, at times, unable to remember what character was who (which is alleviated by the list at the beginning of chapters) but I also had trouble connecting to some of the characters. I felt the pace was good for a casual read, but made me lack interest in some of the stories as I had no prior knowledge of the folklore mentioned.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers that are interested in dipping their toes into Indian folk tales or anyone that wants to have access to very comprehensive recipes!

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a huge fan of reading about other cultures, even retellings of their stories. I also have a very strong interest in food. Annapurna's Bounty was a great combination of those two things for me.

The stories are enjoyable and easy to read. They start with a quick description of who each character is, which I found helpful. I really liked a lot of them. Two that immediately come to mind as I'm writing this are the one about the emperor who loved mangoes and the one about the fisherman and the sorceress. There's just something about them that really stuck in my mind.

As the title tells us, food is a running thing in the stories. To add to that, each story also ends with a recipe. The notes at the end of each recipe is a welcome and helpful addition. I'll be revisiting the book to try the recipes out. I'm familiar with the vast majority of the ingredients and they all sound delicious. I'm very interested in trying out the one that's described as "the world's oldest curry".

Thank you Netgalley, Dundurn Press, and Veena Gokhale for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book wasn't what I expected at all. I was expecting more deeply Indian lore, and more stories involving gods and legends, and not stories about colonizers.

The stories were interesting, but very dry and sometimes hard to read. I did enjoy them though.

The recipes were fantastic. Easy to read, and understand. I also appreciate the tips on where to find specific ingredients that are harder to come by in US grocery stores.

I wish there had been some photos of the food, because I have no idea what these recipes are supposed to look like when they are finished.

Overall it is a good book if you are interested in Indian history, but maybe not if you are looking specifically for a cookbook.

What an incredibly charming book! Gokhale approaches every one of her retellings with warmth and empathy toward her protagonists, rendering them lovable and relatable and terrifically human. Her recipes are equally approachable, easy to follow and annotated with useful notes for the amateur cook. I'll definitely be making at least some of these, and probably seeking out Gokhale's other writing as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

This book is a beautiful celebration of hope, human values, and the joy of making the most of life. What makes it truly unique is how it weaves together storytelling with the rich, comforting world of Indian vegetarian cuisine. Each story not only engages the heart and mind, but also ends with a recipe that feeds the body and soul—a true feast for all the senses!
Set across various eras and regions of India, the book introduces us to an eclectic mix of characters—from kings and commoners to travelers, refugees, bandits, and mystics. Each of the ten stories opens with a title and a cast of characters, making it easy to dive into the narrative. The storytelling is immersive, vivid, and accessible, drawing you right into the world of each tale. You’ll find yourself walking beside these characters, experiencing their journeys as if you’re part of the story.
What truly sets this book apart is the delicious twist at the end of every chapter—a detailed vegetarian recipe from tale you’ve just read. These aren’t just add-ons; they’re fully fleshed out, complete with serving size, cooking time, difficulty level, a list of ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Each recipe concludes with helpful notes on substitutions and tips, making them friendly even for those less experienced in the kitchen.
Some of my favorite stories were “The Land of Milk and Sugar,” “The Emperor Who Loved Mangoes,” and “The Fisherman and the Sorceress.”
I especially want to try the Goda Masala and Veena’s Karanji, which has a wonderfully unique stuffing I can't wait to experiment with.
The book wraps up with a thoughtful afterword where the author shares how this delightful collection came into being. There are also additional notes that provide deeper insight into each chapter and the inspiration behind the stories and recipes.
Last but not least, I absolutely loved the beautiful cover—it perfectly captures the essence of the book and gives a glimpse of the richness within!
The only thing I felt was missing was a photograph of each dish—this would have added to the visual appeal and been especially helpful for readers trying out the recipe for the first time, giving them a clear idea of what the final dish should look like.
In all, this book is a heartwarming blend of fiction and food—a journey through time, taste, and tradition. Whether you’re a reader, a foodie, or both, this one is sure to leave you smiling, inspired, and maybe a little hungry!

This was an interesting blend of cultural stories connected to food, along with some recipes from each. I loved the idea of showcasing the depth of connection with food in our culture, which is tied to the innate nourishment of all beings. and also introduce some of our core philisophies that drive it. It was great to travel across the land, taking inspiration from significant personalities though time. The story of Annapurna was good, and I enjoyed the first story connected with the history of Parsi community in India, as well as the second story from Maharashtra about the bandit. Overall, a very creative endeavor that I appreciated.

My one general gripe with most Indian authored literary fiction books is that there are always underlying social messages woven in, influenced by colonial perspectives of our histories and western ideologies rather than being informed by an Indic view. Therefore, they often include subtle diminishing narratives when it comes to the representation of our indigenous culture. I think this book did a fairly balanced job of celebrating our culture in the right spirit, but there were instances where it was mixed.

The richness and avaiablility of stories from different parts of India connected with our indigineous cultures is so vast, that I would have liked to see more of those kind of stories adapted instead of ones about Akbar (a mughal colonial ruler, from a long line of brutal foreign invaders), the British (the last of the many european colonial rulers that exploited us), and the last Persian story (which just didn't really seem to be connected to India). I bring this up as the book on the cover says "Indian Food Legends Retold", and while the Mughal's and British have been part of Indian history - they are not representative of our native cultures (which they actively and mercilessly worked to destroy).

When it comes to the representation of Bhagavan and the devatas, I was not always comfortable with the fictional spin. I am personally quite particular about reading our spiritual histories and stories in their authentic form, as they are presented in our Puranaas and shastras.

Overall, a good book with an interesting concept, and fairly good representation of our culture and food.