A Taste of India

1. It is a good cook book, with beautiful recipies that work. 2. The food is presented in context in which it is eaten in India. 3. This is like a travelogue of India through its food. So if you like India, travel, food, cooking or books about cooking food in different parts of India, then this is the book for you.

I was presented this book by my aunt when I got married. Since it had a lot of description about the regional cuisine of India,I started reading it as a storybook but slowly started trying out the recipies. Now I have Madhur's entire collection and have also watched her show on BBC! Her recipies bring out the authentic flavors of India and are easy to follow for beginners and pros alike! Kudos to madhur jaffery.

Whether you are going to India or staying home and cooking Indian, this book is a must. The insights into the concepts of Indian food preparation are clear and accessible to the western reader. The recipes are efficiently presented, and the selection of recipes takes one to the heart of Indian regional cuisines very quickly. We found this book valuable as a preparation for travel in India, as well as for home use. We have looked and tried several Indian cooking books -- this one is the best.

Amongst almost 100 books on my kitchen shelf, this is the most used. It is easy to find my favourate recipes, simply flick through the pages and find the ones with the most stains on them! Ms Jaffrey knows just how to get the best flavours out of the ingredients yet not overpower them with the spices. All recipes are easy to follow and there is enough reading about the different regions of India to keep you occupied after you have finished the meal. If you only buy one book on Indian cookery then make sure it is this one.

The book is divided into recipes from different regions of India. For an Indian, perhaps the best way to determine whether Ms. Jaffrey really knows what she's talking about is to follow one of her recipes from your own region. So I made the shrimp curry from Kerala... and it is simply to die for!! The proportions of masalas are just right and just about every dish in the book is absolutely delicious. Best of all, the recipes are written in an organized way and you don't have to rewrite every single recipe for yourself before you start cooking (as has been my experience with some other cookbook writers)