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74 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful cookbook, September 20, 2003
This review is from: 1,000 Indian Recipes (1,000 Recipes) (Hardcover)
this is a very, very good cookbook. i have more indian cookbooks than i will admit to, and this one is among the very best. it is not a coffee table book, there are no photos, it is a cookbook for the serious cook who wants great recipes. it is also a great bargain compared to many other indian cookbooks, most of which do not come close to having this number of recipes. there is an abundance of masala recipes that will simplify cooking for those of us who cook indian frequently. there are many of batra's own recipes, such as the savory apple recipes, that are wonderful. there is a remarkable list of ingredients it the beginning, which maybe the best list i have in all my many, many indian cookbooks, including those by jaffrey and sahni. there is a glossary of indian cooking terms in the back that is very convenient and extensive. the recipes in each section are nicely organized by type of main ingredient (all the cauliflower recipes are together, all the chickpea dals are together, etc.). i also like the color of the ink--as in her first book, it is a very pleasant and easy to read mid-magenta. the recipes are wonderful. along with a good number of familar recipes, there are recipes unlike any others in my other cookbooks, such as the hyderabadi chicken and cracked wheat and several recipes from goa that are not vindaloo. the instructions are quite good. criticisms: i have her first cookbook, the vegetarian one, and a brief comparison showed that many of the vegetable recipes in this book are only slightly changed from that one. this is not a bad thing, since batra's recipes are good, but it is a bit disappointing. there are also, in this book, too many okra and eggplant recipes for my taste--i'd rather have had more recipes for cauliflower and cabbage (cauliflower is supposed to be very popular in india, but that popularity isn't reflected in any of my cookbooks). the index is annoying--it lists items generically (for example, chicken) by pages without recipe titles, then, with no apparent logic, lists a few of the generic recipes seperately by title (chicken curry). this leads to a lot of flipping back and forth until you find what you're looking for. those are minor points. the proof of a cookbook is in the eating, and this one wins easily. this is a necessary addition to a collection of indian cookbooks and an excellent first cookbook for those just beginning to explore.
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64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Authentic Indian Cooking, December 1, 2003
This review is from: 1,000 Indian Recipes (1,000 Recipes) (Hardcover)
I am a white American twenty-something who married a man from India. As a new bride, I was faced with the concern of what to cook for our meals. I wanted the dishes to be what we both liked, but more importantly, I wanted my husband to feel at home. Several times I heard my husband comment on how he likes his food. "No spice. No life," he would always joke. Knowing that Indian food was spicy, I had my answer. However, I wanted the food to tast authentic. I wanted the combinations of the dishes to mix well. You wouldn't serve friends and family Steak and pizza with a side of cream cheese, would you? Nah, I didn't think so. I was unsure of what books to purchase, and who the 'good' Indian cooks were, but I thought, "How could you go wrong with 1,000 Indian recipes?" Every meal that I have cooked from this book has been splendid. My first attempt at Indian cooking was the Basic Chicken Curry recipe. As my husband took his first bite, I eagerly awaited his reaction. "How is it?" He replied with, "This is exactly how an Indian would make it!" Relief fell upon my heart and I knew this book was a winner. This book is not for a beginner. However, an expert would consider the recipes child's play. They take anywhere from 30 minutes and much longer for the one's that need to marinate in special sauces for at least 8 hours. To be able to cook all of the recipes, you should live near an Indian/Arabic/or Ethnic food store, or at least be willing to purchase hard to find ingredients online. Required utensils would be your basic cooking ones, a blender, a coffee grinder, and a food processor. They will definitely make time go by quickly with this book. You will find your most basic recipes, some originals of Ms. Neelam Batra, regional foods, and how to make your own spices, such as Garam Masala. Since then, I have bought several Indian cookbooks but I use this one the most often for both weekly family meals and as a reference when using the other books. There is a dictionary in the back, meal ideas, and as promised, 1,000 recipes. I give this book my highest rating.
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Useful, but inconsistent, January 8, 2007
This review is from: 1,000 Indian Recipes (1,000 Recipes) (Hardcover)
This is an awfully difficult book to rate. Another review title might have been "Highly recommended, with strong reservations."
The top priority, of course, is the recipes. I've been using this book for three years, and with great success. It's particularly refreshing to see so many different aspects of Indian cooking, rather than just the North Indian curries that we know from restaurants.
Batra offers helpful guidance on the characteristics of regional cuisines, which are as different from each other as the cuisines of different European countries. The introductory chapters outline the basic philosophy of Indian dining, and provide information on spices and ingredients that may not be familiar to the average reader. There is also information -- probably not applicable for most, but certainly interesting -- on the uses of different spices according to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicinal system. In deference to the eating habits of many Indians (and many Westerners who might buy an Indian cookbook), vegan recipes are marked with a distinctive icon. So are recipes to be made in pressure cookers, which can dramatically decrease the cooking time for larger beans and certain tough vegetables.
The difficulties arise when one seeks out structure. Sadly, this book does not seem to have received as much editorial attention as was necessary. The index is badly disorganized, eschewing the subheader model used in other reference cookbooks in favor of a much more open, harder to navigate style. (There are 18 separate entries beginning with the words "griddle fried.") In the body of the text, some of the recipe titles do not match the recipes themselves. ("Garlicky Dried Green Peas Curry" [p. 389] contains no garlic, and is not made in a pressure cooker despite the presence of the pressure cooker icon.) Some of the cooking instructions do not make sense, and one should have some real kitchen experience in order to know what's what. (Some recipes call for reducing a sauce by half while covered. Where is the water supposed to go?)
A few things should be noted by anyone interested in this book. These are not criticisms or praises, but are important for any potential buyer.
1. This is not a book of traditional Indian cooking. The author has lived in Los Angeles for three decades, and many of the dishes presented (but by no means all) are adaptations of Indian culinary techniques to the produce available to her in California. This means that ingredients not normally used in India, most notably vegetables like zucchini, find their way into the food. The author also takes initiative in reducing the fat content of the recipes from that found in their native forms. (Anyone who objects to the latter can easily increase the amount of oil or ghee, or substitute whole milk yogurt for the nonfat yogurt called for in the recipes.)
2. The book panders to American tastes. Despite being predominantly vegetarian in its scope, only two of the ten proposed menus at the beginning are vegetarian. The chapter on vegetable dishes is called "Vegetables on the Side," even though Mrs. Batra herself points out that Indian food is not served in the manner of European food, with "main" and "side" dishes.
3. Before buying this book, make sure that you live within reasonable distance on an Indian grocer. One can hardly open to a random page without seeing an ingredient or two that cannot be found in ordinary American supermarkets.
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