Order Up! One Potato Interviews Khushbu Shah, cookbook author of AMRIKAN

Plus, how to support those affected by the LA Wild Fires.

Acclaimed food writer and cookbook author, Khushbu Shah shares her infectious joy about food and creative ways to expose kids to new flavors - this is Order Up! Our One Potato Interview Series, where we interview chefs, founders, food writers, home cooks, and members of our community about cooking and food. We hope these interviews and their accompanying recipes and food inspiration give you an easy way to expose your kids to new foods, flavors, cuisines, and cultures. Paid Subscribers can read the full interview, and have access to the full archive of Recipes and Specials Interviews and Community Voices for $5/month or $45/year, while Free Subscribers receive one full interview and one full recipe / month. 🥔

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We’ve been having so many inspiring conversations, and this interview is no different. Today, we’re talking to Khushbu Shah—a trailblazing food writer, journalist, and cookbook author whose work shines a light on culinary traditions and inclusivity. As the youngest and first person of color to serve as the restaurant editor at Food & Wine, Khushbu has paved the way for a richer, more diverse conversation about food.

Khushbu is based in Los Angeles - where devastating wildfires continue to destroy countless homes and businesses, not to mention displacing hundreds of families. Last week, Khusbhu’s own Substack newsletter focused on the LA Wild Fires and the climate crisis, including many links to how to donate to support those in need. We echo Khushbu’s message in, “encouraging those who can afford to, to donate directly to the Go Fund Me Campaigns of people and families who have been displaced by the fires.” You can read and share her post right here:

Restaurants Were The First To Step Up During the LA Wildfires — But Who Is Taking Care of Them?

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Back to our regularly scheduled programming! Khushbu’s debut cookbook, AMRIKAN: 125 Recipes From the Indian American Diaspora, is a vibrant homage to the flavors and traditions of Indian American families. Growing up in Michigan, Khushbu learned early on how food can create lasting memories. From her dad’s “perfect” chai to her childhood memories of frying puris with her mom, Khushbu’s recipes are deeply personal, steeped in love, and brimming with joy. Her work not only invites us to try bold new flavors but also shows how food can be a bridge to exploring different cultures.

In this interview, Khushbu shares thoughtful tips for getting families—especially kids—to expand their culinary horizons, including creative ways to introduce unfamiliar ingredients and flavors. Plus, don’t miss her genius saffron hacks (hint: there’s an ice cube involved!) that will take your home cooking to the next level.

You can follow Khushbu’s latest on her Substack Tap is Fine, and her articles in Food & Wine online. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, GQ, Eater, and the Best American Food Writing anthologies, and she’s even shared her insights on TV shows like Ugly Delicious.

When writing Amrikan, Khushbu traveled across the United States to showcase how the Indian diaspora is cooking today - and a whole chapter of her book is dedicated to Indian Pizza. We can’t think of any food more accessible to our kids than pizza! Talk about inspiration for an easy way to get them to try new foods and flavors. She also created a recipe for Paneer Lasagna, combining a family favorite we know and love (lasagna) with paneer cheese (a key ingredient in Indian cooking). Let’s dig in.

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A yummy note from Goldbelly:

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Introduce Yourself: My name is Khushbu Shah and I am a food writer based out of Los Angeles. I don’t believe in food snobbery and I love great fruit.

Mango Pie, recipe in AMRIKAN - Photos©Aubrie Pick Photography, LLC

What was your inspiration for writing Amrikan? For embarking on your Indian American food journey in the first place?

I had yet to see a book that really celebrated the foodways of the Indian American diaspora, that really acknowledged its own unique culture, and so I wanted to create something that did just that. This book is my love letter to this diaspora.

At One Potato, we talk a lot about how food and cooking is a way that traditions are passed down through generations. In Amrikan and on your Instagram, you share a recipe for your dad’s chai. Do you have a favorite memory of cooking with your dad, mom, grandparents, or other family members?

—> Behind the Paywall: The full interview with Khushbu, including her memories of cooking with her mom, her tips for getting kids to try new foods (hint: Indian pizza!), and her super helpful hack for cooking with saffron…

Helpful Links from this Interview:

Buy AMRIKAN Here from Bookshop.org

Khushbu's recipe for Achari Paneer Pizza

Indian Food in America, Delivered Right to Your Door from Goldbelly

Go Fund Me Campaigns of people and families who have been displaced by the Los Angeles Wild Fires

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