The Indian Cooking Course: Techniques - Masterclasses - Ingredients - 300 Recipes

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!

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.

This book is so well written and informative. One section discusses Ayurvedic cuisine, another of regional styles, while the others break down food groups. The procedures are not vaguely written like some cookbooks I've used! To top it off, everything I've made from this book is delicious.

This is the best cookbook I have ever owned. In fact I donated most of my cook books. With the recipes in this Course book you use the same spices more than once. Unlike in other receipts, you use a spice once and never use it again. She also tells you how to make some spices, how to store them and how long they will last.

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.

This is a GREAT book. If you're just beginning to learn Indian cooking, this is the book to read. It explains the diverse nation of India in culinary terms, and it explains techniques and the regions that they are common to. The recipes are excellent. There is much emphasis on why the techniques are employed. It helped me to develop a sense of seasoning and ingredients to the degree that I seldom refer to the book now. I understand the method, and I know what to do. There's no higher praise I can give a book on cooking than to say that it has helped me to rapidly become self-sufficient in my thinking and preparation of delicious meals in the styles of India.Some advice to an American not used to Indian cuisine: consider using less spice and hot pepper than is indicated in the recipes. I found this generally to be good advice when regarding Indian recipes, not just recipes in this book. A common situation when I first tried Indian recipes was that there was too much green chili and the results were too spicy hot for our tastes. Using less made a big difference and we have found the quantities that are most pleasing to us. Maybe try using half of what is recommended, and see how that works for you initially.

I had never cooked Indian food before but decided to give it a try. Wow. This is the perfect book. Excellent contextual narratives, great pics, easy to understand recipes, properly referenced. If you are looking to try your hand at Indian cuisine, I highly recommend this great book.