A Year of Cooking Like Mummyji [Paperback]

I am sorry to note that one reviewer stated that the recipes are not authentic, but I wonder, authentic to what? If he/she is comparing it to traditional Indian or Pakistani cuisine then he/she has not read the book properly! Vicky states quite clearly that the book contains British-Asian and Punjabi classics, ie they consist of recipes collected from Asian families living in the UK.

I think this is a lovely book which is a collection of recipes where British and Asian ingredients are skillfully blended to produce superb flavoured food. Normally, I avoid so-called 'fusion' cooking like the plague as I find it does not usually work. However, Vicky has triumphed here, so maybe authors of other 'fusion' cookery books should buy themselves a copy of this book and learn something.

However, I had to knock off 1 star because I find the recipes quite difficult to read because the text is a light black and on different coloured backgrounds. If the pages were white, then it would be far easier to read. Also the binding is not that brilliant and I feel that if used a lot, pages may fall out. But recipes all the same!

I clearly must have bought a completely different book to the one S.Kaur.rodgers bought???!!! I couldn't disagree more! I came across Vicky Bhogal's latest book Flavour after seeing her gorgeous recipe spread in Waitrose magazine recently so went onto her fascinating website to find out more about other books she has written. Unfortunately Cooking Like Mummyji is out of print (CRIMINAL - from what I have seen of the extracts on Vicky's website, this book deserves to be on the shelves for everyone to buy! But from what I could tell, it seems there is a worldwide following of this book and a campaign to get it reprinted, so hopefully I won't have to wait too long!) so I bought A Year of Cooking Like Mummyji instead.

I was absolutely delighted with it and has been worth every penny and much more in just compliments received on the dishes alone! It's the best book on Indian food I have ever bought (and I own a huge stack as I unfortunately didn't learn from my mum before she passed away) and is in my top 5 of favourite cookery books of all time, along with the geniusly original Flavour. The recipes are utterly stunning - a mouthwatering blend of truly traditional, authentic Indian and Pakistani home cooking recipes such as Dhokla, Falooda, Sambar, Green Masala Roast chicken Breasts, Gobi di Sabji, Biryani, Gulab Jamun, Bhartha, Masala Dosas, Jalebia, Paneer Skwers, Idli, Karahi Chicken, Zeera Chaul #how anyone could call this inauthentic is beyond me! there are also hints of Vicky's trademark elegant, creative fusion which I saw more of in Flavour with dishes like Cranberry Tikkia, Black Forest Samosas, Potatoes with Cumin and Mint, Pumpkin Kofte, Fruit Chaat and Spiced Quesadillas. All the recipes I have tried, and I've tried 36 so far, have been wipe-your-plate-clean truly delicious! Getting hungry again just writing this!

Vicky is clearly a rare talent (and so BEAUTIFUL it is unfair!!!! It should not be allowed for someone to be so young, talented, intelligent, look like a supermodel AND be so nice! When you watch the clips of her on the website and listen to the radio pieces you will see what I mean, she is extremely humble and charming and I wish she was my best friend!). This book is a MUST for anyone who wants to know about proper home-style Indian cooking. As a bonus, it is visually coffee-table-book stunning and written so beautifully, which sets it miles apart from the usual, boring, bland, functional cookery books, although it still tells you everything you need to know and when you're cooking, it almost feels like she is a friend and in the kitchen with you.

I also particularly enjoyed the magical-feel of the seasons and the exquisite poetry (is there anything she can't do? She could probably run a country with one hand and cook the fluffiest roti with the other!) It has such a warm, intimate feel. I have also bought Vicky's amazing charity book A Fair Feast, which is packed full of great recipes totoo, though these are by other chefs and celebs but it does feature one dish from Vicky which was yummy (I also particularly enjoyed the chocolate section!). All I can say is that Vicky's books never fail, all 3 that I have seen so far have been amazing, so I now eagerly await getting my hands on a copy of Cooking Like Mummyji!!!!

Like the reviewer Preeti Rai, I also heard of this book from Vicky's website after buying her fascinating and gorgeous book Flavour earlier this year.

This book simply has the most scrumptious traditional Indian recipes, which my Indian friends tell me they make at home but which I haven't come across in an Indian cookery book before, and is bursting with style too. The photos, illustration, poetry and stories all make it feel really special. She does indeed write like a dream and it has lots of interesting cultural information and anecdotes, so, like books by Nigel Slater, Molly Wizenberg and Sophie Dahl, this is definitely one to read and not just cook from in the kitchen.

Buy it even if just for the green masala chicken breast marinade (which I also use for prawns before skewering and grilling - delish) and cashew and prawn rice recipe (which I ate 3 nights in one week!). It's also a great book to give as a gift as it's the kind of book you'll treasure.

I'm now on a hunt for her first book too!