Author profile: Radhika Howarth (author of Radikal Kitchen)
Radhika Howarth is a food influencer, columnist, content creator, recipe developer and curator of bespoke culinary events, whose cooking draws on a wide range of international cuisines, while incorporating her own Indian heritage. Her first cookbook, Radikal Kitchen: Flavours without borders, was published in October 2024. ckbk co-founder Matt Cockerill spoke to Radikha to find out what makes her style of cooking so “Radikal”.
There’s a great section of the book where you take one ingredient and offer three contrasting recipes from different regions of the world. If you had to pick a favourite ‘flexible’ ingredient which really showcases the different personalities that a single ingredient can have, what would it be?
The fascinating thing about Flavours Without Borders is that it shows how every ingredient—whether it’s a potato, coconut, or something else—has this incredible flexibility. Each ingredient adapts and transforms, adopting new flavour profiles and embracing local cultures and cooking techniques as it travels across the globe.
If I had to pick a favourite flexible ingredient, it would be the humble potato. If I had to pick a favourite flexible ingredient, it would be the humble potato. It’s amazing to see how this simple ingredient is reinvented in delicious ways around the world. For example, in India, the potato is spiced and turned into crispy aloo tikki, while in Peru, you’ll find it in the form of creamy causa, and in Eastern Europe, it’s turned into hearty pierogis. The same ingredient takes on a different character in each region, reflecting local tastes and traditions.
And this adaptability isn’t unique to just one ingredient—every ingredient has this character. One of my favourite examples is the journey of the samosa along the Silk Road. In India, you have the familiar spiced filling inside a crispy pastry, but as it travels through Uzbekistan, it becomes the flaky samsa, and by the time you reach Zanzibar, it’s transformed into samboosa with a whole new twist. It’s the perfect example of how food evolves, adapting to different cultures while still retaining its essence.
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Adjusting the yield of our recipes is simple and designed to fit your table, whether you are cooking for one or hosting a dinner party. Most recipes in our cookbooks are optimized for four to six servings, but they can easily be scaled by multiplying or dividing the ingredient measurements accordingly. We recommend keeping a close eye on cook times when scaling down, as smaller portions may heat through more quickly, and always seasoning gradually to ensure the flavors remain perfectly balanced as the volume changes.
Our cookbooks are written with the home cook in mind, so you won’t need a kitchen full of industrial equipment to achieve professional results. We focus on recipes that utilize standard essentials like a sharp chef’s knife, a reliable skillet, a medium saucepan, and basic measuring tools. If a specific dish requires something more specialized, such as a food processor or a Dutch oven, we clearly note it at the start of the recipe and often provide suggestions for common household alternatives you can use instead.
Every book we publish is crafted to be approachable and empowering for cooks at any skill level, including those just starting their culinary journey. We strip away the intimidating jargon and replace it with clear, chronological instructions and helpful “Chef’s Notes” that explain the techniques behind the steps. Our goal is to help you build kitchen confidence with every page turn, ensuring that even our most impressive-looking dishes are achievable for someone picking up a spatula for the first time.
Think of this cookbook as a flexible roadmap for your kitchen adventures rather than a rigid set of rules. We encourage you to browse by your current mood or time constraints using our organized chapters, and don’t be afraid to make the book your own by jotting down notes or substitutions in the margins. Whether you are following a recipe step-by-step for a special occasion or just looking for a quick weeknight spark of inspiration, these books are designed to be durable, practical companions that grow more seasoned and loved with every meal you prepare.
