Toronto-based cooking expert Vijaya Selvaraju is revolutionizing how Canadians approach Indian cuisine with her new cookbook, Indian Food Is Easy. Released in November 2025, the book aims to make authentic Indian dishes accessible for home cooks any day of the week.
From Food Network Fan to Cooking Authority
Vijaya Selvaraju describes herself as a kid of Food Network, having watched more cooking shows than cartoons during her childhood. This early immersion in culinary programming laid the foundation for her future career. I would talk about chiffonading basil when I was 10 years old, Selvaraju recalls with a laugh.
Her mother, Meena, founded a South Indian catering business more than 25 years ago, giving Selvaraju early exposure to professional cooking. While she helped her mother where possible, she credits much of her knowledge to simply being in that environment - observing, smelling, and tasting the food.
A Digital Beginning Leads to Television Success
After completing her Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Toronto, Selvaraju launched a food blog and YouTube channel in the late 2000s. Her chicken tikka masala recipe video gained millions of views, with home cooks enthusiastically reporting their successful attempts in comments and forums.
This digital success translated into television opportunities beginning about ten years ago. Selvaraju started with appearances on The Marilyn Denis Show before landing a hosting role on Gusto's flagship series, One World Kitchen. This marked her first serious exploration of Indian cuisine on screen, where she discovered she had absorbed more knowledge from her mother than she initially realized.
Three Signature Recipes for Busy Cooks
The cookbook features three standout recipes that embody Selvaraju's philosophy of simplicity. Her teaching approach centers on the belief that if I can do it, you can do it, too.
The recipes highlighted include what she calls the best butter chicken, easy mixed vegetable samosas, and 30-minute Amritsari chole (chickpea curry). Each recipe is designed to demystify Indian cooking while delivering authentic flavors that don't require complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
Selvaraju's mission goes beyond just sharing recipes - she wants to build confidence in home cooks who may have found Indian cuisine intimidating. Her proven track record of helping millions create successful Indian meals through her digital content suggests she's well-positioned to achieve this goal with her new cookbook.
