Curry On Cooking; Quick and Tasty Indian Dishes on a Budget [Paperback]

this is a great book - easy to follow recipes that I have used for quick midweek meals or catering for the many - highly recommend!

Try the beef and pepper curry for a dish that vibrates with flavour - and doesn't require hours of dedication to make! I love the way the recipes are set out clear and fuss free. Now that I have found it, this recipe book says close at hand!

I write as a single and fairly well-domesticated man who's always had an intense aversion to cookbooks, and especially to those which don't contain the words `Instant' or '10-Minute' in their titles. (And by the way, why did no one ever think to write `Pot Noodle Variations'?) As for foreign cuisine -- of any description -- well, in this house there's always been a permanent embargo on books peddling recipes originating from further afield than Dover; I was simply never willing to sign away my life for an evening of pungent toil, with ultimately little more to show than heaps of tainted and abandoned utensils and dishes, and little half-full spice jars decorating the bin's interior.

But that was before this pretty Indian cookery book came along. It is slim and elegantly presented, and has nice big writing for me throughout. I'd heard of most of the dishes contained within its pages, and had long fantasised about creating them myself, despite being overwhelmed by the thought of all the work involved.

`Curry on Cooking' is broken down into eight well-delineated sections, which even include a before-you-start hand-holder that advises you from the outset which essential ingredients and utensils to buy. The illustrations are tantalising without being digitally enhanced, and everything is just so thoughtfully simple. At the end, there's even a bonus section on how to cook for 20 people in less than 60 minutes and for less than £30. The author, who juggles a family with various business pursuits, has obviously been there and done that, and even worn the chutney-stained t-shirt, I imagine.

So far, I have created six of the dishes: Chicken and Nut Curry (page 51); Sag Aloo [Spinach with Potatoes] (page 36); Dried Lentil Soup [Tarka Dal] (page 27); Chicken Chilli (page 48); Spicy Sardines (page 79); and Chicken Tikka Masala (page 45). All but one were completed within an hour, and all were produced to specification -- that is, they tasted truly delightful, and were generated entirely by me in my own spotless little kitchen. I'm going to attempt more from the vegetarian section next.

Take my word for it. If you're anything like me, and can hear dark sitar chords playing in the background every time you even consider cooking something more adventurous than cottage pie, then this is the book for you. If you're thinking of spicy food but its creation gives you the shivers, Wendy Alidina's slim volume will prove to be a very satisfying little journey of discovery.

I'm quite proud of the fact that I have made my own delicate, exotic and potent culinary inventions as directed by `Curry on Cooking', and I have had fun doing it. There was surprisingly little collateral damage to the kitchen, and no ingredient backtracking was necessary. In fact, I found it all very involving, and really rather addictive.

This is a must-have book in the kitchen of anyone who wants to surprise themselves now and again. It brings new pleasures to your palate in the most straightforward way possible; and that, on balance, makes it everything a cookbook should be.