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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeously illustrated cookbook that demystifies Indian Food, 1 Nov 2001
By A Customer
Gorgeously illustrated with pictures of the cooked meals, spices, people and places in India, the The Indian Spice Kitchen is a tasty read. Thoroughly researched, it offers skilled cooks traditional recipes, quick snacks and old favourites. A large portion of the cookbook is devoted to vegetarian recipes, many of which are quite unusual. Definitely no Chicken Tikka Masala here!The more unusual recipes like Tali Hui Bhindi (Crisp Okra), Puli Shaadam (Tamarind Rice) and Pavta Patties (Lima Bean Patties) are flavoursome new discoveries. The only drawback is that some of the recipes like the Karanji (fried jaggery pastries) and Dosa (rice & lentil pancakes) are definitely not for beginners. The author has worked hard to demystify Indian Food & Drink and achieves this result stylishly. If nothing else, the book is a delight to peruse and reading it makes me feel hungry.....so obviously it works.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
An ingredient information book with recipes., 19 Aug 2005
This 240 page book is not the average cook book.It gives information on the ingredients used in Indian cookery rather than just pages of recipes. Each double page is dedicated to an ingredient. It gives info on how it grows, appearance and taste,buying and storing, medicinal uses, culinary uses and atleast two recipes using each ingredient. There are seven sections - spices,spice mixtures,dried herbs,nuts,Dals and pulses,cereals and flours,miscellaneous ingredients. Its a paper back book with lots of colour photos and very easy to read. The 200 recipes cover everything from starters to drinks,desserts and sweets. Each recipe has some information with it regarding storage and when the recipe would be used. As the pages are set out via the ingredients and not courses, it could be a bit tricky to navigate if you had to plan a whole meal. So if you are looking for a basic Indian cook book then this may not be for you, but I find it a fascinating book which is an excellent addition to other Indian cook books. It would make an unusual gift for someone interested in Indian cookery.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truly magical book for the lover of Indian food, 20 Sep 2005
I have enjoyed cooking Indian food for many years. I have just finished reading Curry: A Biography of a Dish and realised that, though I roasted and ground my own spices, most of what I cooked was very anglicised. I came across this book by doing an Amazon search. It is truly magical. It matches, in geography, ingredients and techniques, all of the points made in Biography. When I first opened it I was put off by the fact that it is arranged by ingredient. However this approach works superbly. Each ingredient is introduced and its place in traditional medicine and cooking is described. Then there are two or three recipes using it. Normally when I skim a recipe book I reject this and that, and finish with just a handful of dishes that I like the sound of. Having gone through this book I have cancelled all culinary plans for the next two weeks. I cannot believe just how many wonderful sounding recipes there are. Many I have never even remotely heard of before.Highly, highly recommended!
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