Customer Reviews

Indian Gourmet cooking Sampler DVD

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

 

 

Wow. This is just the type of cooking video I have been looking for. Everything is shot closeup of the actual cooking process so one can see the right consistency or the right stage of simmering of the broth when the spices are added. And I don't have to watch for half an hour to an hour to see the whole cooking process like how they show on live TV. Average clip for each recipe is between 4- 15 minutes. I have been frustrated reading recipes and following though on the cooking books. It never comes right. For the first time I got Palak paneer and Malai kofta tasting like how it tastes in the local restaurant. The Pork vindaloo is a great dip with the Porotas. I still failed with Poratas even after watching the video. It is like magic how the Chef spins the dough in the air. I tried it twice and failed. Lamb Kurma is mouth watering. I got that right the first time. Kesari bath, Sambar. Samosa and Upumav - just the standard stuff unless you are new to Indian cooking. The Prawn roast looks good but I was too much impressed. The chicken biriyani is different from what I knew- more fancy version and really tasty.
On the negative side, it is a DVD-R format (not a pressed DVD) which means it plays great on PC player. I have 3 set top DVD players at home. It skipped and got stuck on one of them but played fine on the rest of the 2 players. Also the representation of India with their opening scene with an elephant walking down the street side by side with motorist is not an average scene in India. Trust me, I have been to India but one don't see elephants walking all over the streets!
I also did happen to get their Indian Sweets DVD directly from cookingondvd.com which is better than this video.

I absolutely loved this DVD. The cooking is done by Inidan Chefs. The recipes are delicious. It was the best Malai Kofta I ever made! There are more than 10 recipes that are very detailed and clear. There is also a color printout of the recipes included in the package. All the recipes I tired came out excelent. I am very happy with this product and waiting for the new releases from the same guys.

This the third dvd, I brought from Marina Antony. This one is very, very good, like the others. You will see a native chef, the really way they doing it, the technique, exacly the way it is. I'm a Culinary Student in New York, and is a wonderful experience to see how they made the Parothas. Differents techniques, ingredients etc..

I love it and If you are a culinary student you should have this one in your collection.

I agree partially with the writer below in the sense that the recipes are step by step and easy to follow. Initially I also thought the links to recipes don't work too, but then realized it was just my lack of knowledge. It comes with a built in `InterActual DVD player. One has to use that player to get those special links. Using regular software DVD player doesn't get to those links. It is the same principle as the Hollywood DVDs which also comes with very same InterActual player for their bonus features. As a backup they have also included the colorful recipes in Microsoft Word format in the root directory which could be printed out. You can manually get to the pdf version of the same recipes located on the DVD at: /common/0/Ind_samp.pdf. I did write to the producer and received prompt reply. He also send me link to download directly the recipes off the website too. The recipes are long. Well that is the nature of Indian cooking. My only wish was that they included a section on masala mix. It would have been better if it could be done from scratch rather than buying garam masala as a mix.

To print recipes click on Start button on lower left of monitor screen, then click on My Computer, arrow down in the address box to your dvd drive and click, all on the dvd is shown include the Word document which is detailed and has a full color picture of each final dish.If you are not into spicy(hot)food then replace the red chili powder with either new mexico or california red chili powders (pure not mixes) which are much milder. Replace the green chilies with Mezzetta Deli-sliced tamed jalapeno peppers (wash off the vinegar) - they are cooked when canned but still have great flavor to add to the dish.The samosa filling is more elaborate than what I usually make (potato & peas) but gives great flavor.
Sambar recipe is a little harder to cook with drumstick (tree pods) and snake gourds not found outside of Indian groceries unless you grow these gourds from seeds. I have used okra for drumstick but you will have slime unless cooked longer. Use asafetida with some care as needs to be kept in closed container (I use small canning jar) until last moment because of smell which changes when it hits the hot oil - well worth the effort. Over all a great addition to the cookingondvd group of cooking dvds.

The DVD was great, it was very easy to follow and showed how to make the dishes step-by-step, but I was really disappointed because it said it should work in a computer and there was a link to print out all of the recipes, but it didn't work. I tried it in several different computers, MAC and PCs, but no luck. I also tried to contact the company for help, but never recieved and answer. One of the main reasons I bought this DVD was for the recipes so I was disappointed. If the extra features had worked, I would have rated this DVD a 5.