Rasa by Anjalina Chugani - A Cookbook and a Journey

Much-loved local chef Anjalina Chugani has launched her new book Rasa, and it’s a beauty. It’s Anjalina’s third book: first out was her book Soul Spices, and after that an ebook with recipes. Rasa is a very special cookbook that details Anjalina’s Indian roots but in the form of stories and recipes that are important to her.

Rasa has been 2 years in the making, from start to finish. It’s a journey of her life through food, and this is also why many of the photos are from India, where she and the photographer Becky Lawton travelled together. Anjalina grew up in the UK to Indian parents, but when she was 13 she moved to India, where she lived for another 13 years. From there she moved to Spain, where she has been living now for 23 years.

One of the reasons Rasa came to be was to reflect the perspective of an Indian immigrant in today’s society, and what they can achieve on their journey. Anjalina comments that some immigrants might not be in touch with their roots, while others prefer to dive into it. Anjalina has brought her roots here to Barcelona, and has for many years been sharing her vibrant, beautiful Indian food through cooking classes, events, and much more.

Anjalina Chugani. Photo credit: Becky Lawton.

The book is not distributed as recipe books usually are. The recipes start with community recipes to reflect her upbringing in London. From there it moves on to Bangalore, where street food is an important part, and she also mentions Ayurveda which plays a role in her life. From there it moves on to recipes that stem from her life as an adult, creating her own home that entails her husband, children, and entreneurship.

Each chapter of the book has a playlist you can access through a QR code, as music is a big part of Anjalina’s life and she wants to reflect this. The cookbook becomes so much more: the experience it is designed to be.

You’ll find that all of the around 100 recipes in Rasa are vegetarian, which Anjalina tells me happened by accident. The cookbook reflects Anjalina beautifully: it’s colorful, packed with photos of her delicious, beautiful dishes, and of her beloved India. It’s a wonderful book to own; there are recipes for any level of cooking knowledge, and it is an absolutely fantastic gift to give to anyone. You can order the book here.