With a great takeaway shop down the road and my local supermarket stacked with ready-made jars of sauces, loading up my cupboard with spices seemed like an unnecessary extra step to fix my craving for Indian food. 

But Rishi Desai’s Modern India proves you only need a few spices to get started. 

For those shy of bold and rich flavours, Desai’s take on classic nachos, masala papadum, is the perfect way to wean you on to Indian flavours. 

Papadums are used in place of corn chips, while tomatoes and avocado are used to balance out any spiciness in the chilli, coriander and masala. 

A bit of creative flair is thrown into most of Desai’s recipes, giving a contemporary twist to some well-known Indian classics. 

Inspiration for his chaat recipe comes Northern India and China, served with san choy bau - the lettuce iceberg lettuce giving the dish some extra crunch. 

As a whole, the vegetarian recipes in this book are great. 

Potato tortillas with yogurt and peanut chutney, aloo tikki (potato croquets), and coriander rolls are good lunchtime alternatives to the plain old sandwich.

Afterwards, enjoy the chai brulee with pistachio biscotti -  a re-invention of the classic dessert creme brulee, with a spicy twist thrown in. 

■ Modern India by Rishi Desai is available through New Holland Publishers, RRP $45.