Maria Marianayagam,
Geeta Ladi (Illustrated by)
Oct 28, 2025
Hardcover
Juvenile Fiction / Cooking & Food / Asian American & Pacific Islander / Family / Parents
Ages 4 to 8, Grades P to 3
Fry Bread meets Bilal Cooks Daal in this story about a girl and her mom introducing a school friend to curry—and discovering all the things that curry means to them as they learn to make it together.
When Shirin’s friend Charlotte asks what curry is, Shirin realizes she’s not sure—she’s tried many curries and they’re all so different. So Shirin’s mom invites them to explore the fragrant world of curry by helping her cook a curry dish. Together, the two girls sniff tangy curry leaves, roll mustard seeds like tiny pearls in their palms, and watch with wonder as Shirin’s mom measures ingredients with heart and hand. Over the course of the afternoon, the girls discover that the dish isn’t just a form of sustenance—it’s the scent of home, a piece of wisdom shared between generations, an art open to invention, and it’s flavored with love.
When Shirin’s friend Charlotte asks what curry is, Shirin realizes she’s not sure—she’s tried many curries and they’re all so different. So Shirin’s mom invites them to explore the fragrant world of curry by helping her cook a curry dish. Together, the two girls sniff tangy curry leaves, roll mustard seeds like tiny pearls in their palms, and watch with wonder as Shirin’s mom measures ingredients with heart and hand. Over the course of the afternoon, the girls discover that the dish isn’t just a form of sustenance—it’s the scent of home, a piece of wisdom shared between generations, an art open to invention, and it’s flavored with love.
