Customer Reviews

Classic Indian Cooking

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Some eight years ago or so, I decided to try to impress both my vegetarian and non-vegetarian friends by making them some authentic Indian dishes. The only thing was, I had no real idea of what I was getting into, as almost all of the Indian food I had eaten had been in restaurants in London and the East Village in Manhattan.

Somehow I found my way to purchasing "Classic Indian Cooking." Slowly and methodically, I then made my way through the very helpful discussions about such things as roasting and crushing spices and herbs and techniques for preparing onions, garlic and ginger root as bases for various curry dishes.

I've since learned that this cookbook was ranked last year as one of six all-time cooking "bibles" by the New York Times. I can see why. It's not a picture text (although there are some helpful illustrations); it's a text for teaching yourself a wholly different cuisine whose fundamental cooking techniques may be completely foreign to many home chefs in the United States, although that seems to be changing.

There are some simply astonishing recipes in this book. You will need to take your time though, because they can be complex and may require preparation of recipe components a day ahead of the time you plan to serve your meal. You should take Julie Sahni's words to heart that cooking should be a "relaxing" enterprise.

If pressed to choose a favorite recipe, it would have to be "Keema Bhare Bandh Gobhi" (meat-stuffed cabbage rolls with ginger lemon sauce), which has a vegetarian counterpart in "Aloo Bhare Bandh Gobhi" (same cabbage rolls, but a vegetarian version stuffed with a spicy potato filling). The extraordinary taste of this meal cannot be found in any Indian restaurant of which I am aware (they tend to stick to a small repertoire of established recipes that in no way define the range of cuisine actually available in India). I have seen these cabbage rolls almost voraciously consumed. That--in my book--is the mark of a great meal.

So, my friends over time have been duly impressed and I must say that I've become a much better cook because of "happening" across this true classic of varied Indian cuisines. Hope you have as much fun with it as I have had over the last eight years!

Classic Indian Cooking has been a staple reference in my kitchen for years. I rate it among my top 5, along with the classic Julia Childs and out-of-print Gourmet set. It is informative, concise, and clearly written. All of the recipes are successful if they are followed exactly, and the flavors are a delight to the most demanding eater. This is one of the few cookbooks that can be used successfully even if you haven't tasted Indian food before. I strongly recommend purchasing it.

Though I've eaten a lot of Indian food in restaurants, I'd never cooked Indian food before I bought this book. Nor am I an especially enthusiastic cook. I found Ms. Sahni's book informative (but not overwhelming) and very easy to follow. I've now tried five or six of the recipes and also made usli ghee and paneer--all came out perfectly. The most amazing thing to me was that when Ms. Sahni says, "Let this cook for 15 minutes, then it will start to spatter a little...", that's exactly what happens, practically to the second.

From one novice to many others who may be reading this, be sure you get all your spices and other ingredients measured and ready to go before you start cooking, because often things go in quick sequence. In the ingredient lists, I've also drawn brackets around the spices and other ingredients that go in at the same time so I can measure the group into one bowl and also have a quick reference for the stages of cooking without having to reread the narrative in the steps.

The only thing that has tripped me--and this is slight--is that when hot water is required during cooking, it's stated in the steps but not in the ingredient list. I'm now in the habit of writing it in the ingredient list so I'll know I'll need it ahead of time.

I have a couple of other Indian cookbooks that are also very good, but I keep going back to this one. Great book!!

I have been a fan of Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking for as long as I can remember, shall we say decades, cooking great Indian food for my family and friends. When my children moved out, I gave each a copy of this book. Today they are cooking Julie Sahni's recipes for their circle of friends. How fortunate for us that she shares her authentic family mogul treasures, which we now call our family food. You will find this book easy to use because Julie Sahni, an amazing teacher and writer, has made it all so simple. There are almost 100 pages devoted to cooking techniques and description of spices. The instructions are clear, precise and detailed without being overly long. Every recipe is delicious, producing results exactly as described. Just try Rogan Josh-lamb in fragrant garlic cream sauce, Murgh Khoobani- Moghul spice braised Cornish hens with apricot or Goan Vindaloo-hot pungent curry and you will understand the definition of 'extraordinary flavor'. Classic Indian Cooking is one of my three most treasured possessions (the others being Julia Child's French and Marcella Hazan's Italian). I seriously recommend this book.

I disagree with those who said Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking was simpler--I found this one easier to follow and the recipes less complicated, yet equally as delicious. For the beginner, Sahni also takes time to explain basic techniques, concepts, and spices which are necessary to Indian cooking but may be unfamiliar to Westerners. She even explains how to make chenna and paneer (and then how to turn it into ras malai, which I recommend highly).

The recipes included are wide-ranging (definitely more in here than Jaffrey's) and an excellent introduction to Indian cooking. It's the best basic book on the subject I've used.

I disagree with the comment that this book is not for beginners. I've bought many Indian cookbooks before, and FINALLY here is someone to explain things I didn't understand. It makes sense to me now. Julie Sahni somehow is able to anticipate all of my questions and mistakes. I can use the other cookbooks now more easily since she has explained what many of them just assumed I knew.

This book taught me the basics of cooking Indian food. The first few chapters alone were worth the full price of the book. Although my favorite Indian cookbook is Jaffrey's "An Introduction to Indian Cooking" (the spice combinations in Jaffrey's recipes are superb), Sahni does a better job of organizing and explaining the fundamental techniques. The recipes are less complex than those in Jaffrey's book, but sometimes Sahni's simplicity is a welcome change. Lastly, all recipes can be prepared with much less fat than called for, but the onions will not brown well.

Have been cooking from this book since 1980 and it has really stood the test of time. I own several other Indian cookbooks but this is my go-to book. Every dish I have ever made has been a winner. The Velvet Butter Chicken is out of this world, it does take some effort (make Tandoori chicken first) but is really worth it. Mulligatawny Soup is another favorite as is Cauliflower, Green peas, and Potatoes in Spicy Herb Sauce. Have never been disappointed with any recipe from this book. Enjoyable writing style as well as helpful suggestions/combinations for serving.

Many of the recipies make use of the food processor which I find very helpful. This makes combining spices and ingredients a snap. Don't be put off by the long lists of spices. These recipies come together in the flick of a button.

Ms. Sanhi writes clearly and gives practical advice. I learned how to cook Indian food from this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great teacher and guide to the world of Indian cooking.

The only problem I have with the book is that it is falling apart. The binding cracked when it was fairly new.

I bought 'Classic Indian Cooking' and the companion 'Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking' based on a review my wife read at RecipeDelights.com. My wife is a North Indian and I love India food therefore we cook Indian on a regular basis for us and our three small children. We love this book - the background information, explanations and recipes. I cannot remember how many recipes we have already cooked from this book which have since become part of our daily meal. We love the spinach lamb, pea pilaf, chicken tikka, vindaloo, mulugatawni soup, roast lamb with mint, Cornish hens with apricots and biriyanis and pilafs. Ms Sahni is a natural teacher and a gifted writer. Her ability to convey the cooking and baking techniques and build flavors through spices is amazing. We follow Sahni's detailed instructions and bake with confidence really good 'authentic' chapatis, pooris and cook all varieties of Indian food. Just thinking about it gets me salivating. This book is absolutely indispensable if you are interested in learning Indian cooking that produce delicious results every time. RecipeDelights.com thank you for bringing so much pleasure into our lives.

If you must buy just one Indian cookbook, I strongly suggest getting 'Classic Indian Cooking'.

I am a cookbook collector, and although I have over 500 cookbooks, my ideal is to find the one perfect book in each genre or ethnicity. In my experience, many of the best cookbooks of all time were written by cooking teachers who not only have a superb palate and unfaltering quest for the authentic, but also who have spent a lifetime perfecting the communication of a technique or recipe to students. This book is "it" in Indian cooking.

Julie Sahni may not cover every region of India in this book, but what she includes is mind-blowingly delicious, with precise, clear instructions, like "put the spices in little piles by the stove."

Her book is authentic, it is clear, it is accurate, and if you open it to any page and make the recipe as written, you will be delighted with the result.