Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking

Ever wondered why your grandmother threw a teabag into the pressure cooker while boiling chickpeas, or why she measured using the knuckle of her index finger? Why does a counterintuitive pinch of salt make your kheer more intensely flavorful? What is the Maillard reaction and what does it have to do with fenugreek? What does your high school chemistry knowledge, or what you remember of it, have to do with perfectly browning your onions?