Prashad at Home, published by Saltyard Books, priced £25

SINCE the extraordinary success of Prashad - which started off in a former launderette in Bradford and went on to win the heart of Gordon Ramsay, who declared it the best vegetarian food he had ever tasted - the restaurant has gone from strength to strength.

Now in Drighlington, the family business, which shot to fame by coming runner-up on Channel 4's Ramsay's Best Restaurant, has grown in size and reputation. In this, the second Prashad recipe book, family matriarch Kaushy Patel returns the focus to the heart of Indian home cooking.

Kaushy established Prashad with her husband Mohan more than two decades ago. It grew into an award-winning restaurant offering authentic Gujarati and Punjabi vegetarian cuisine.

The restaurant has been involved in Bradford's bids to become Curry Capital of Britain, and Kaushy supported Bradford's World Curry Festival.

Kaushy learned to cook at her grandmother's farm in northern India, where she discovered the magic combination of quality ingredients and fresh produce. Aged seven, Kaushy took over cooking for the family while her grandmother cooked for the farm workers."

When Kaushy and Mohan married they moved to the UK in 1966. In 1992 the couple bought a launderette and adjoining deli which they called Prashad, meaning 'blessed food'. Today the restaurant is a destination for food-lovers and fans of vegetarian cooking. It has won numerous awards and last year saw the launch of a new venture, Bundobust in Leeds, championing traditional Indian street food dishes with craft beers.

In Prashad at Home, Kaushy simplifies traditional recipes using readily available ingredients. "These are the quick dishes that can be prepared in the evenings when you're tired after work, meals to leave bubbling away while you relax at the weekend, and feasts for special occasions - as well as everything you need to serve alongside: the breads, the rice and the chutneys," she says.

There are also recipes drawing influence from British, Chinese and Italian cuisines, as well as snacks and treats.

Beautifully illustrated with vibrant images of Kaushy's mouth-watering dishes, the book has chapters on 'speedy suppers', light lunches and leftovers, feasts, festivities and sweets and Indian fusion dishes. Dishes include Uttapam (South Indian mixed vegetable pancakes); Renghan Bharta (smoky mashed aubergine curry); Turai Patra (courgette and spinach parcels); Sabudana Vada (tapioca, peanut and potato bhajis); Mausami Tikki (leek, broccoli, spinach and asparagus croquettes; Tameta Reveya (vine tomator satay).

Also included are practical tips and a chapter on 'Kaushy's Store Cupboard and Supplies' so you can stock up on essential ingredients.

"Family and community are at the heart of Indian culture, and there's no better way to bring people together than through sharing a meal," says Kaushy. "Times change, people are busier and many of us don't live as close to our families anymore. But that doesn't mean we can't all enjoy eating well, and taking every opportunity we can to get together around the table with people that are important to us.

"In this book I have included all the recipes we cook at home. Eating well means paying attention to what we put into our bodies and so, although these aren't specifically healthy recipes, they are all good wholesome meals to feed our hunger as well as our soul.

"But, since we Gujuratis are also well known for our love of nibbles and sweets, you'll find plenty of tasty treats too. Life is all about balance, after all."