Indian Cookery Course

There are so many cookbooks for Indian cooking that it was hard to decide what to get because I only wanted one. I'm so glad I choose this because it has all the information I needed for blending spices and what to use with what dish and why. It's an encyclopedia of info plus delicious recipes. It's a solid cover, heavy book with beautiful pages and pictures so will be used very frequently and will hold up well under my use.

The book arrived promptly within 24 hours and I was surprised by how heavy it was. This is not a complaint: this is a beautiful hard-cover book designed to last a lifetime, and with LOTS of full-page, full-color photos of the dishes and ingredients. The author clearly intended to make this the go-to book for Indian cooking that replaces all others, and I believe she succeeded magnificently. Besides mere recipes, the author explains the reasoning behind the seasoning, if you will excuse my rhyme. The intention is really to make this a MASTER CLASS on cooking Indian food, including the regional differences, discussion of ingredients, and the logic behind spice pairings. I daresay, if one dedicates sufficient time and care in the reading of this beautiful and practical book, and gets busy cooking the recipes in the kitchen...one will be able to cook authentic Indian food as good as/better than any Indian restaurant. Buy it!

I am so impressed by the details that is put into this book. It is not just about food but history as well (where the dishes come from, etc). I believe you can master the art of Indian cooking from this book.

First off – I'm an American-born Indian that can barely boil his own rice. I've always wanted to learn how to cook Indian food but never knew where to begin. Indians always tell you to add "a pinch of this and a pinch of that." There's no standardization, there's no clear cooking technique. It's all just passed down as tradition. I'm an engineer at heart, so I'm very uncomfortable with just tossing things in a pan and hoping it tastes good. Monisha Bharadwaj does an incredible job of systematically teaching you how to cook. Her writing style is wonderful, as she weaves history and culture into her writing in a way that makes it so fascinating to read. All the bits and pieces of knowledge I had about Indian cooking all come together in a way that's easy to understand. She teaches fundamentals, like how to cook rice, how to do a waghar, how to cook different types of foods like bread, vegetables, etc., understanding the different types of tastes, Ayurveda, and more. Her recipes are presented in a way that progresses from simple to more complex. I enjoyed this book so much, I already bought several more copies and sent it to friends as gifts. If you want to learn Indian cooking fundamentals, THIS is your book.

This is a very good, but not great, introduction to Indian cooking. It is clearly laid out, with gorgeous photography and a ton of recipes. However, often, the pictures are not labeled with which of the several recipes on the facing page is pictured. Ingredients might be challenging for some to locate, if there isn't a good Indian market nearby (Amazon has a lot of spices, but some of the fresh ingredients are harder to source).The author is also sometimes casual with steps and ingredient amounts which will be a challenge to less experienced cooks. For instance, the author never gives salt amounts ("season to taste"), and does not have a specific base recipe for garlic ginger paste (noting only a two to one ratio of garlic to ginger). One roti recipe calls for 3-5oz of water to create a thick, pourable batter. That ended up being nowhere near enough water to create the right consistency. Similarly, another recipe called for sauteing onions over high heat, stirring in the other ingredients, then adding a "few tablespoons" of water and allowing to cook for 15-20 minutes. Someone following this recipe exactly would end up with some pretty burnt curry, but a more experience cook would realize that they had to turn down the heat and keep stirring. The recipes I have cooked so far have all been wonderful, despite these obstacles. In all, a very good introduction to Indian cooking and a beautiful book, but not for someone who isn't already comfortable in the kitchen.

I just got this book and hosted a dinner party. I made several dishes from it and they were all unbelievably delicious. The pictures are beautiful, the directions are clear and easy to follow, and the background information and tips are all very informative. All the dishes I made rivaled anything I have ever eaten from Indian restaurants....the recipes are that good.

I own about 1,000 cookbooks of all kinds. This cookbook is awesome although it came slightly damaged. It is hugh with wonderful color photographs. The recipes look marvelous and doable for the novice Indian cook.

I absolutely love this Indian cooking book! The recipes are easy to follow and the flavors are authentic and delicious. I have tried several recipes so far and each one has turned out perfectly. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Indian cuisine or wants to learn how to cook it. It's definitely a 5-star book in my opinion!