Classic Indian Cooking

I bought this for the first time in 2000 right after I left the Army and was heading out on my own. I fell in love with Indian food when I was stationed overseas and wanted to make it on my own. For some reason, I do not remember that many Indian shops in the area that I could go to. When I did find some places they were often too expensive for what you would get. Be that as it may, I have cooked nearly all the main dishes, many of the breads, and a few appetizers. The recipes are easy to follow and very straight forward and there is no clutter in this book. Just the facts, techniques and tips. There are so many recipes you will find many that you will go back to over and over. A strange one that is my go to is the Lamb in yoghurt and cardamom sauce and the ground meat with potatoes and white sauce. So delicious and easy. Basically all the chicken dishes are to die for. Don't get overwhelmed with the spices, if you start cooking it you will get used to the mixes and even come up with some of your own combination. Like fenugreek was a spice I never knew would be one of my go tos in the kitchen. This cookbook was the one that had the most influence on my cooking journey and I am so glad that I found it so long ago. I used that book so much that it finally fell apart beyond repair and I have had to order a new one recently. I will not throw the old one away, I have it rubber banded together and it sits atop my bookshelf so I see it every time I walk by. Thank you Julie Sahni for all that you gifted me.

Highly recommend this cookbook for anyone that is interested in making their own Indian food. Very easy to understand, written very well. Lots more than just a cookbook. I encourage everyone to start at the beginning and read it like you would any book... then try the recipes. Fully describes why certain methods are used and you get a real history of how the dishes came about. Lots of terrific recipes with recommendations for pairing of dishes plus examples of what to eat with rice or just naan. First time try exactly as written to get the full experience! Very easy to follow recipes but some can be time consuming. Very well written recipes but I recommend to read the whole recipe before starting it. The book recommends to roast your own spices. DO IT!!! You will not regret the extra few minutes it takes. Quick flash in a dry skillet and grind. I purchased a cheap coffee grinder just for the spices. I have been roasting my own spices for years now and will NEVER buy the spices in the jar again. It's that much of a difference in flavor. No matter what food I'm making, (Indian, Mexican, American, Italian etc,) I roast my own spices prior to using. Even cinnamon. I buy the cinnamon sticks in bulk and do a quick roast (sometimes just pop in microwave for a few seconds until it starts to uncurl) and then grind and sift. So much fresher than the jars. Incredible information in this book. You don't have to be a gourmet cook to follow it. Even a beginner cook can follow these recipes. I cannot recommend this book enough! I have bought 2 for friends because I didn't want to loan mine out even though I may not be using it at the time they asked to borrow.

I love Indian food and have a bunch of different Indian cookbooks, but this is my long-term favorite. I've been using it for at least four years and have had (almost) nothing but compliments on it. The writing is simple and straightforward, the recipe quantities and timing are accurate and the results are dependably excellent. The descriptions of how to prepare and roast the spices are extremely helpful -- and when I described this to one of my Indian friends, her comment was "but of course, roasting the spices well is essential!" Yet, mysteriously, this process was described in none of my other cookbooks! The description of ingredients is extremely helpful when shopping at the local Indian grocery where they may know the same ingredient under a different term. And, conversely, if you buy something at the grocery and want to know what it is, the cookbook is very likely to tell you. The recipes hav been adjusted for American tastes so they are spicy and flavorful but not full-bore-on-hot, so if you like a really REALLY spicy vindaloo, you'll need to adjust the seasonings substantially. The "go with" menu suggestions are very helpful and the line drawings (at least for me) work better than photographs to illustrate the author's points. Highly recommend: pilaf benares style (makes bismati rice that tastes just the way it smells before cooking); the banana and yoghurt salad seasoned with cardomom, the bhaghan bartha (smoked eggplant with herbs) and the truly amazing murgh masala (chicken with tomato and brown onion gravy).

I think this is a good beginner book for the cuisine, especially if you live in an area with no international grocers.

I have cooked many recipes often and every time am fascinated by the results. The flavors and aromas are amazing and inviting, my guests always ask for seconds, I find the secret is, of course if one is to cook Indian, spices are the key, patience is good and a palate that will accept different flavors all at the same time. This book is the best I have in my collection, and if someone feels intimidated by all the spices that every recipe requires, don't be, you can find all the spices online this days, if no Indian store is available close to you. The auhor wonderfully guides the reader step by step. If you are looking for real Indian food where you can really taste the different flavors this book is for you. Other books on Indian food, tend to reduce the flavor and adjust it to the western palate, this book doesn't. I absolutely recommend it!!! My favorite is Chicken Kabuli!!! The best!!!

Very detailed recipes, good book to have as part of your recipe collection.

Well written. Complete.

No better book on Indian cookery

Un libro vecchio stile, senza foto dei piatti. In compenso, le istruzioni sono dettagliate e rendono tutto più semplice. Adoro il fatto che ci siano suggerimenti sugli abbinamenti alla fine di ogni ricetta, con la cucina speziata talvolta è difficile capire quale piatto possa accostarsi a quale contorno.

I haven't read Jaffrey's books yet, but to date, this is by far the best one I've read on Indian cookery. The instructions are incredibly clear. For example, some books would tell you to 'brown the cumin seeds for some time', whereas Julie Sahni tells you to 'brown the seeds for about ten seconds', which is very useful information. Each recipe is accompanied by a description of its origins, and at the end of each recipe she advises on how to store the food and whether it freezes well, which is a point that a lot of books don't cover. Every Sunday I prepare two dishes from this book which I then eat each day at work. It costs me around £5. My favourite recipe so far is the cauliflower, peas and potatoes in spiced herb sauce. It's an absolute doddle to make, all in one pot, cheap, quick, not much chopping, and the flavour is divine. One small qualm: some of the recipes specify an unfathomable amount of usli ghee (Indian style fat that smells like sick), but with common sense one can adjust accordingly. These are authentic recipes, and most Indians are more needy of fatty, salty food than us westerners. In summary, I highly recommend this book.