Introduction to Indian Cooking

by Julie Sahni

Offers a variety of Indian recipes, including fish, chicken, meat, vegetables, breads, soups, salads, and desserts

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[John]

The trouble started when it was announced that an "Indian Barbeque" restaurant is opening soon near my office. As a sort-of-southerner, barbeque is serious business. I read the menu, hopeful for some creative fusion, but soon lamented, "This isn't barbeque! All the meat is cooked quickly in the tandoor; the chief characteristic of barbeque is that it is slow." To which my coworkers replied, "Yeah but you're not a gourmet Indian chef, what do you know?" So I came home from work, perused my bookshelf, and located this volume, which I inherited from my father some years ago but had never opened.

Having read it, I have mixed feelings. Many cookbooks use their chapter introductions to introduce theory or common patterns among the entries of that chapter. This one really doesn't, which I found disappointing. As a book of recipes, reasonably successful; in providing a foundation for generalization and further experimentation, not so much. Some space is spent on regional differences in Indian cuisine, which was interesting and worthwhile. Many of the recipes make use of modern conveniences and shortcuts, which is reasonable. While I have not executed any of the recipes in this book yet, my father made notes in pencil on some of them, in several places noting ingredients used in the recipe text but omitted from the initial bill of materials. In one case his notes also indicated that a recipe was "bland." Given that the curries in this book seem to use both fewer and less spices than the curries I habitually make, I'm inclined to believe this note. There were a number of dishes in here that I want to try, though, and several that I recognize now as things my father used to make.

And now the resolution of the frame story - there was a brief note on chutneys. "Chutney, from the word chatni, which means licking good in Sanskrit, is a spicy condiment that appears in most Indian meals. It is a uniquely Indian combination of fruits, seasonings, vinegar, and sugar..." Vinegar-sugar sauce with a name that means licking-good? Sounds rather like barbeque sauce with fruit in it. I suppose I may have to give them a pass after all... but only if they have chutney.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to cook Indian.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked my way through this book and feel confident that I have a good understanding of the basics of this cuisine. Well written, very organized, and delicious!