Reading about India has been quite an adventure. I never knew the complicated history of that country before I delved into it. When I think of India—especially now, after reading the literature and eating the food—I think of aromatic spices and colors, conquering sultans and rajas, sumptuous palaces and temples. I think of gold and jewels and steamy jungles. I think of a faraway world that’s perhaps not nearly as far away as I’d thought.

Although India: A History was super-long, it was also super-informative. Midnight’s Children offered me an understanding of a nation—three really—before, during, and after partition. And, although I wasn’t a fan, A Passage to India helped me to further comprehend the relationship between the English and the Indians before India’s independence.

Naturally, I had to whip up some authentic Indian dishes. Because I couldn’t decide between potato curry and chicken curry, I opted for both. They were a hit. Curry is truly a miracle of taste.

And then there was the India cuisine. Confession time: I choose my country mostly based on where I want to eat. True story. Had I been more on the ball, I would’ve tried more than one Indian restaurant, but the one I did go to was definitely not a disappointment. There was fresh naan bread, sumptuous mango yogurt, and—naturally—chicken dishes. The coconut kurma was good, but it was the tikka masala that won the day.