Indian cuisine doesn’t really need a champion. Still, it has one in Padma Lakshmi, an activist, television host and author of three cookbooks, including “The Encyclopedia of Spices & Herbs: An Essential Guide to the Flavors of the World.”

The championing of Indian food in Japan, however, has mostly been left to the few Indians who bring their culture with them when immigrating. I’ve always found it surprising that, despite religious ties dating back to the sixth century, there appears to have been little culinary crossover between Indian and Japan — even Japanese curry came about via the British naval tradition.

However, as noted in Robbie Swinnerton’s September Tokyo Food File, “There’s a growing number of chefs offering spice-driven meals that draw their inspiration directly from the original wellspring of South Asia.” It’s exciting to think what kinds of crossovers have yet to come from this partnership, like the dishes being produced at Spice Lab Tokyo. Reading of a similar partnership in “Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family” — Priya Krishna’s ode to her mother’s Texan-Indian fusion — I was inspired by the idea that dishes could be equal parts modern and traditional, incorporating slow-cooking methods and condiment pragmatism. Here mustard seeds and tamarind are replaced with grain mustard and vinegar.