Product Description

This is the ultimate celebration of the authentic Indian curry, encompassing both the classic and the unusual dishes from across India. With insightful information on spices, herbs, and chilies, and what exactly a curry is, as well as 100 mouth-watering recipes, Camellia shares the secrets she has learnt from curry lovers and cooks-from top chefs to housewives-to inspire and excite your tastebuds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27140 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781904920359
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"A stunning variety of Indian recipes... The only cookbook that gives detail (with photos) on the different chile varieties and strains of rice used in India. And many of these recipes are majestic." --The Los Angeles Times

"Arguably India's foremost gourmet and food expert--a culinary milestone." --Pat Chapman, founder of The Curry Club, London

"This superb introduction for cooks unfamiliar with Indian food is also a definitive guide for connoisseurs on a quest to produce flavorful curries in their own kitchens." --Booklist

From the Back Cover
This is the ultimate celebration of the authentic Indian curry, encompassing both the classic and the unusual dishes from every region of India. The introduction not only weaves history, geography, and the philosophy of Indian cuisine together, but also includes an illustrated guide to ingredients and curry-making techniques, including how to combine taste, aroma, and heat. Fifty recipes for authentic Indian curries follow, from the classic Goa Lamb Vindaloo to the more exotic Gujarat Mango and Yogurt Curry, each accompanied by a detailed head note on the recipe's origin, regional background, and a full-color picture to show color and texture. An additional 50 recipes, from rice, lentils, and potatoes to breads, chutneys, and desserts, round out this thorough book. And with the inclusion of a 30-minute DVD showing you step-by-step cooking techniques of three dishes, this is an invaluable addition to your kitchen library.

About the Author
Camellia Panjabi joined her family's restaurant company Masala World in London, which owns Chutney Mary in Chelsea, Veeraswamy (the UK's oldest Indian restaurant) near Piccadilly Circus and Masala Zone throughout London. Amaya, their latest venture, has won several awards.

Customer Reviews

Excellent selection of curries from many regions
I own at least ten Indian cookbooks, so you wouldn't expect that I needed to add another to the collection. But I'm extremely glad that I bought 50 Curries of India. It has many recipes that I haven't previously encountered... and which, so far, are really wonderful.

As the title promises, the book has 50 curry recipes... as well as several accompaniments (such as bread, rice, and raita) and a 60 page introductory section on ingredients. There's quite a selection here, in main ingredient (lamb, fish, chicken, vegetables), region, spiciness, etc. Twenty of the recipes call for lamb, 11 for chicken, 9 fish and shellfish, 12 vegetarian (from potato curry to, of all things, watermelon and mango curries).

Nothing calls for beef or pork, but I think most of the lamb dishes could be prepared with them. We dislike lamb, so at our house the lamb and apricot curry is more likely to use inauthentic pork, and bori curry (with nuts, sesame seeds, tamarind and potatoes) will probably be made with beef.

Every dish has an attractive photo, so you have some idea what you'll end up with. While many recipes have a long list of ingredients, none is particularly hard -- assuming that you can get your hands on the spices. If you have a spice shop or Internet store from which you can buy black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and tamarind you'll be set. But there's plenty to cook if you're stuck with the selection in your local grocery store. Most are strongly spiced, but not all are exceptionally "hot." These aren't fast recipes, but *darn* they're good -- and most curries reheat very well; they're stews, after all.

The curries in this book are from the British Indian community rather than an American idea of Indian food. I've found that most U.S. Indian restaurants are surprisingly limited in the list of dishes offered, rather distressingly so. I suspect that our cultural relationship to Indian food is like the Italian-American restaurant experience of the 1950s (meatballs and spaghetti, pizza, and not much else). But India is a huge country with distinct regional differences, and this book really shows both breadth and depth. Several recipes incorporate coconut, for example, or mustard seeds or curry leaves. You'll find the "expected" chicken tikka masala, or something very like it, but among the things I appreciate about this book is that it has plenty of recipes that aren't in the rest of my Indian cookbook collection.

So far, I've made a curry of chicken and cashew nuts in black spices (with ginger, coriander seeds, cumin, cloves, and cinnamon), and a marvelous lemon rice. I'll probably make green chicken korma (wih coriander leaves, mint, and green chili) this week... or maybe it'll be prawns in sweet and hot curry (with tamarind, garlic, cumin, curry leaves and jaggery). I can't decide.

Recommended for anyone interested in creating original Indian-style creations
50 Great Curries of India presents 50 different, authentic Indian curries, each with a full-color photograph revealing its texture and appearance in detail, along with an accompanying recipe designed to harness the curry's flavor. From Chicken and Cashew Nuts in Black Spices to Chickpea Curry and Cauliflower with Shredded Ginger, the recipes perfectly capture Indian cuisine's marvelous ability to harness spices for an unforgettable taste experience. An extensive introductory section teaches aspiring chefs all about different types of spices, seasonings, thickening agents, souring agents, and the elements of a traditional Indian meal, in this "must- have" cookbook especially recommended for anyone interested in creating original Indian-style creations as well as preparing tasty tidbits according to recipe.

Camellia Panjabi knows her stuff
This is an exceptional authentic Indian cookbook for those who are willing to invest the time for the proper outcome and want to expand their repertoire. In addition to the recipes, Camellia Panjabi has done an excellent job explaining the reasons for what and how the ingredients interact and enhance the collage of flavours in the dishes. The illustrations are first-rate. This book is not for those who want to quickly throw something together.