“Absolutely delectable. No doubt about it! And what’s more, these recipes are very possible to make without fuss or worry. If I folded pages, every page would be turned down, marking a dish I just have to make, and soon.” —Deborah Madison
For all who love the magical flavors of good Indian cooking and want to reproduce effortlessly some of the delectable dishes from that part of the world, here is a groundbreaking book from the incomparable Madhur Jaffrey that makes it possible. By deconstructing age-old techniques and reducing the number of steps in a recipe, as well as helping us to understand the nature of each spice and seasoning, she enables us to make seemingly exotic Indian dishes part of our everyday cooking.
First, she tantalizes us with bite-size delights to snack on with drinks or tea.
A silky soup is mellowed with coconut milk; a spinach-and-ginger soup is perfumed with cloves.
Fish and seafood are transformed by simple rubs and sauces and new ways of cooking.
A lover of eggs and chicken dishes, Jaffrey offers fresh and easy ways to cook them, including her favorite masala omelet and simple poached eggs over vegetables. There’s chicken from western Goa cooked in garlic, onion, and a splash of vinegar; from Bombay, it’s with apricots; from Delhi, it’s stewed with spinach and cardamom; from eastern India, it has yogurt and cinnamon; and from the south, mustard, curry leaves, and coconut.
There is a wide range of dishes for lamb, pork, and beef with important tips on what cuts to use for curries, kebabs, and braises.
There are vegetable dishes, in a tempting array—from everyday carrots and greens in new dress to intriguing ways with eggplant and okra—served center stage for vegetarians or as accompaniments.
At the heart of so many Indian meals are the dals, rice, and grains, as well as the little salads, chutneys, and pickles that add sparkle, and Jaffrey opens up a new world of these simple pleasures.
Throughout, Madhur Jaffrey’s knowledge of and love of these foods is contagious. Here are the dishes she grew up on in India and then shared with her own family and friends in America. And now that she has made them so accessible to us, we can incorporate them confidently into our own kitchen, and enjoy the spice and variety and health-giving properties of this delectable cuisine.
Download three recipes from this cookbook: Salmon in a Bengali Mustard Sauce, Eggplants in a North-South Sauce, and Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Raisins
Madhur Jaffrey is the author of many previous cookbooks—six of which have won the James Beard Award—and was named to the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation. She is also an award-winning actress with numerous major motion pictures to her credit. She lives in New York City.
Will be in NYC from Nov 4 to 7, and would love to meet briefly with Madhur Jaffrey.
I’m a Bombay-born professor of humanities and English, married to an American woman who has taught herself Indian cooking. She adores Madhur’s work and would faint if she knew she could meet her while we are in NYC.
As it turns out, Madhur Jaffrey will be introducing a movie screening at the Rubin Museum of Art in NYC this Friday, November 5th. She’ll also be signing copies of her new cookbook—you and your wife can certainly meet her there! Here are the event details.