660 Curries

No. While Raghavan Iyer draws heavily on regional Indian traditions, the book also includes curries influenced by communities and cuisines beyond India's borders, such as British, Thai-inspired, and South African variations. The 660 recipes span vegetarian curries, legume-based dishes, meat, poultry, and egg preparations.

Iyer, an Indian-born cooking teacher based in the U.S., structures the book around technique and building blocks like spice blends and curry pastes rather than just listing recipes. He explains the logic behind each component so cooks understand why steps matter, and includes recipes organized by core ingredient rather than by region alone.

Yes, Iyer wrote the book explicitly for a Western audience and includes guidance on sourcing spices and substitutions. He provides notes on finding ingredients at Indian grocery stores and offers practical swaps for items that may be hard to find.

Yes, the book dedicates substantial early sections to homemade spice blends, curry powders, and pastes. Iyer walks through toasting and grinding whole spices, and many recipes build on these foundational preparations rather than calling for store-bought blends.