Customer Reviews

At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought the Kindle edition of Madhur Jaffrey's new book and am more than pleased with it. I have used Ms. Jaffrey's Indian and Asian cookbooks for many years and love her recipes and techniques. This new one is a nice addition to my library as it contains simplified versions of some great Indian classics as well as regional Indian specialities that are new to me and will help be get a good Indian meal on the table in less time but with as much taste.

I'd like to say a few words specifically about the Kindle edition, which is what I purchased. I'm very pleased with amount of thought that the publisher put into making this a very useful e-cookbook. I have had to return two different e-cookbooks recently because they had minimal or no formatting, which made them useless as reference tools. The publisher of Ms. Jaffrey's book, however, went to the trouble of effectively formatting the index and lists of recipes and ensuring that there were internal links within the different recipes for other recipes related to the one I was look at at the time. This is really important in a e-cookbook -- that one can jump back and forth between index and recipes as well as between recipes themselves for a seamless experience. So, kudos to the publisher for doing much more than just scanning the book and throwing it out there for unsuspecting Kindle owners.

Update as of January 5 -- I finally cooked from this cookbook and it has lived up to my expectations. I made her Kerala Fish Curry and with her simplified techniques in this book and use of the the American pantry, the dish was fast, easy, and very fresh and tasty. I was able to get an exotic home-cooked dinner on the table after work tonight in just 30 minutes. My husband was very impressed.

I love Indian food, but I have always been intimidated by complicated recipes and lengthy lists of obscure ingredients. Thanks to this book, I have finally learned how to satisfy my cravings for Indian food without ordering expensive delivery. This book makes Indian cooking simple and accessible for people who have never done it -- and the recipes are delicious. The results are just as flavorful as the food you order in Indian restaurants.

The author is very realistic about how people actually cook. She knows that ordinary people cannot spend hours working on one meal, and they won't buy 20 obscure ingredients just for one recipe. You can make most of these recipes with a handful of Indian spices plus ingredients that you already have in your kitchen, and you will use the Indian spices again as you try other recipes in the book. After you make an initial investment in Jaffrey's favorite spices, you only have to buy fresh meat and vegetables when you want to cook.

Jaffrey doesn't assume any prior knowledge, making this a great book for beginners. She patiently explains every Indian ingredient (there is a glossary in the back), gives you advice on what to buy at the grocery store, and offers many useful tips and tricks for Indian cooking. She also suggests substitutes for ingredients that might be hard to find.

I know a lot of people find Indian cooking intimidating like I did, but you truly can't fail with this book.

I have all of Ms. Jaffrey's books and many other similar cookbooks. This is a breath of fresh air. There are always writings about "curries". Even lists of ingredients. There are NEVER NEVER EVER writings about how these curries are developed for fish, poultry or vegetables. One book lists 50, 100 spices, yet offers no advice on how they might be combined for various foods.
THIS book actually talks about fish and several spices, meat and several spices, vegetables and appropriate spices - both as marinades and spices to add during cooking. Finally there seems to be some sense about this. Not complete, but a start.
Please Ms. Jaffrey, write a book on how these spices are combined and designed for various purposes.
This is the first book that lets the light glimmer out from under the bushel basket. Thank you.
Buy it.

I gave this to my husband for Christmas and we have been cooking exclusively from it every day since. The recipes are simple and clear and every single one has been fabulous tasting. Best cookbook I've ever seen!

I have almost all of Ms. Jaffrey's books. She does a wonderful job of making complex dishes seem easier and appealing. In addition she does a fine job of simplifying those more complex dishes so they are faster and more efficiently prepared. This book is very much a continuation of that. Her dishes from Sri Lanka, Kerala and Goa (that I do know well) are authentic and lively. The only issue with any of her books is how do you choose which dish with which to start!

Nice addition to Madhur's collection of books. It does contain meat / fish recipes but, IMO, I have found the "Vegetables" and "Dahl" sections to be in greater depth than her other Indian cookbooks. This makes it a good extension of her "World Vegetarian" cookbook with more of a focus on her home region.

I got one of these books for myself and another as a gift. We had a blast going through the recipes and shopping for new spices. Tried a few new recipes and enjoyed them! Very simple and tasty! Planning on a dinner party and giving everyone one of the recipes to prepare.

This is a terrific book for everyday, straightforward and very tasty Indian food. Everything I've made so far has been wonderful and the recipes don't generally call for huge lists of ingredients. Jaffrey also lists substitutions for items that might be hard to find in some areas. Highly recommended.

Madhur Jaffrey is my go to person for Indian cooking. I like the stories she has before each recipe with suggestions for accompaniments to main courses. She also suggests meats to add to vegetarian recipes if you want to add a protein. The ingredients used in the recipes are easy to find and the recipes are easy to understand. Some of the recipes are from other South Asian countries which I find very interesting. Overall, a very good, interesting cookbook.

Madhur Jaffrey's Indian cookbook offers a fine collection that reduces the number of steps in a recipe and revises old techniques to make them easy for modern kitchens and cooks. From snacks and appetizers to a range of dishes suitable for everyday eating, this pairs color photos of completed dishes with recipes that lend to newcomer interest, making it a special recommendation for any general lending library seeking an easy introduction to Indian fare.