Mrs Balbir Singh was an Indian cookery teacher and author whose 1961 book Indian Cookery became a landmark English-language cookbook of North Indian cuisine written by an Indian woman. Calling it the first English cookbook on all Indian cuisine goes further than the available evidence supports. Her career also included teaching and television cooking, while the book itself ranged from curries and kebabs to breads, sweets and preserves.
Who was Mrs Balbir Singh?
Singh (1912–1994) moved from teaching cooking and homemaking to publishing and television. The independent profile by Scroll describes that trajectory; details such as her birth date, education and family life come from the family biography and should be understood as that account.
Education, teaching and television
According to the family biography, Singh was born in Punjab on 12 December 1912 and graduated from Punjab University in 1936. She married Dr Balbir Singh and later studied domestic science in London. After Partition, the family spent time in England for her husband’s research fellowship; the family account says she taught Indian cooking to local families there. It also places her work on the cookbook during a period when the family was in Mussoorie.
Back in Delhi, she taught cookery and homemaking classes. The family biography says she was commissioned to present cooking segments on Indian national television in the 1960s. Scroll independently characterizes her shift from homemaker to food writer and television cook, but the specific dates and biographical details above are not independently established by that profile.
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What made Indian Cookery significant?
Mills & Boon published Indian Cookery in English in 1961. The Open British National Bibliography record lists 204 pages; a ckbk listing also identifies the 1961 Mills & Boon book and gives ISBN 0263700194.
Scroll’s 2018 profile calls it “the first landmark English cookbook of North Indian cuisine written by an Indian woman.” That is the careful distinction: a landmark work in English focused on North Indian cuisine, rather than a proven first English-language cookbook about every region and tradition of Indian cuisine. The available bibliographic record confirms the book’s publication, but does not establish that no earlier English-language books about Indian cooking existed.
A broad range of recipes, without diluting their identity
The publisher’s description presents a wide-ranging book: curries, kebabs, rice, breads, sweets, savouries, ices, sherbets and squashes, pickles, chutneys and preserves. It notes a generous proportion of vegetarian dishes. Singh’s stated aim was to make genuine Indian recipes usable for English readers without westernizing them beyond recognition.
In the preface, Singh explained the need she hoped the book would meet: “a comprehensive book dealing with all types of dainties and delicacies of Indian cuisines will meet a good need.” The range matters because the book was not limited to the curry repertoire that often stands in for Indian food in English-language descriptions.
Why is she compared with Julia Child?
“India’s Julia Child” is a popular shorthand for Singh’s role as a cookery teacher and public-facing food writer. Food writer and broadcaster Simon Majumdar made the comparison in a testimonial hosted by the Singh family brand, calling her “the Julia Child, Mrs Beeton or Martha Stewart of India.” It is an endorsement and analogy, not proof that Singh and Child had identical careers or influence.
In another testimonial on the same family page, cookery author Madhur Jaffrey praised the book for producing food that tasted like “real North Indian” cooking, with flavours “true and recognizable.” These are personal endorsements hosted by the family brand, rather than independent historical findings.
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Did Mrs Balbir Singh invent Chicken Tikka Masala?
That claim is not established. The family biography reports that food historians Peter and Colleen Grove, in Flavours of History, discuss competing origin stories and suggest that Singh’s recipe for Shahi Chicken Masala may have preceded Chicken Tikka Masala. This is a reported possible precursor, not evidence that Singh definitively invented the later dish.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can readers start with her work?
Indian Cookery is the most direct way to engage with Singh’s writing and recipes. The catalogue record and ckbk listing establish the book’s identity and original publication details; they do not establish current stock, formats or the availability of a particular edition. Check a bookseller or library catalogue for current access.
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