An Invitation to Feast is a culinary romp through the length and breadth of India, spanning across Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Goa, Assam, Surat, Lucknow, and more. Food writer Sona Bahadur follows eleven classic Indian dishes—biryani, dosai, butter chicken, vada pav, dhansak, Goan fish curry, undhiyu, shami kebabs, chhole, smoked pork, and rasgulla—to their sources, sampling their variations and hunting down their authentic recipes.

In this sprawling gastronomic tour, Bahadur digs into India’s most beloved dishes while also engaging deeply with the people behind them. Whether it’s Moti Mahal’s fabled butter chicken, The Ambur Canteen’s smash-hit mutton biryani with khatta baingan, SOCIAL’s swanky vada pav bao, or Sangeetha’s trusty ghee-roast dosai—Bahadur lays down precise recipes for the biggest crowd-pullers, including their coveted secret ingredients.

Exploring the intersection of food, culture, people, identity, and places, An Invitation to Feast is much more than a cookbook. It’s a cross-country adventure that blasts through stereotypes about Indian food and unravels the intimate relationship between food and feelings.