An Invitation to Indian Cooking (Hardcover)

~ Madhur Jaffrey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Carefully worked out for American cooks in American kitchens, Madhur Jaffrey's classic An Invitation to Indian Cooking demonstrates how varied, irresistible, and inexpensive Indian cooking can be and how easily you can prepare authentic dishes at home. There is no other book on Indian cooking as persuasive as this "invitation" from award-winning cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey.

Focusing on the flavorful cooking of her native Delhi, Jaffrey offers more than 165 easy-to-follow recipes, with detailed instructions designed for those who have never cooked Indian cuisine. Learn how to make common Indian foods such as Samosas, Fried Eggplant, Naan, and Tandoori Chicken, as well as the more adventurous Tomato Tamarind Chutney, Stuffed Whole Okra, and Lamb Korma with Almonds. Eleven chapters provide recipes for Soups and Appetizers; Meats; Chicken, Other Birds, and Eggs; Fish and Shellfish; Summer Cooking and Barbequed Foods; Vegetables; Rice; Dals; Chutneys, Pickles, and Other Relishes; Breads; and Desserts.

With a helpful introduction and beautiful decorative drawings by Jaffrey, An Invitation to Indian Cooking also includes sample menus for meat-eaters and vegetarians, notes on flavorings and utensils, a glossary of Indian cooking terms, and a list of sources for purchasing special ingredients.

Whether you already love Indian food or are looking for something new to try, learn from the best; let Madhur Jaffrey take you on a culinary journey you will never forget.

From the Inside Flap

Written especially for Americans, this book demonstrates how varied, exciting, and inexpensive Indian cooking can be, and how easily you can produce authentic dishes at home. Over 200 recipes. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ecco; 1st Ecco Ed edition (July 10, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0880016647
• ISBN-13: 978-0880016643
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #75,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST Indian cookbook out there!, November 30, 1999

By	M. Bouchard (Trumansburg, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: An Invitation to Indian Cooking (Paperback)

This is really an excellent cookbook. I've used it for around 20 years, and the pages are well-stained. The nice thing is that the recipes are truly adapted to American kitchens, which is not always true for Indian cookbooks. And the recipes themselves are delicious. I have turned many friends on to Indian cooking through this book, some of whom have gone out & bought their own copies. A woman- from India- with whom I work copied several recipes, then decided she needed her own copy of the book. There is explanation of Indian customs and cooking methods, also, in a breezy style that is almost conversational. Thorough, interesting, and best of all-- tasty!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Cookbook of All Time!, January 21, 2000

By	Cheryl Fillekes (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

We have a 1992 Tiger Books edition (UK), The Madhur Jaffrey Cookbook. This book combines Invitation to Indian Cooking and Eastern Vegitarian Cooking -- it's nearly a thousand pages long! We use it almost every day.

What I like best about it are the illustrations, the detailed descriptions of the cooking techniques and ingredients (I'm always overwelmed with my own ignorance at those packets of strange things in an asian grocer!) -- and effusive way she describes the context in which she discovered many of the recipes and how they're eaten in different parts of India and Asia.

Oh, and the recipes make for some incredibly good food. Although we're not vegetarians, we've found that the wide variety of vegetable dishes make for a more interesting way of getting enough vegetables, and having less and less meat in our diets--very good for the health, as are the spices!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still the Best Indian Cookbook, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: An Invitation to Indian Cooking (Paperback)

Fifteen years ago I bought An Invitation to Indian Cooking when Indian food was still hard to find. This was my first Indian cookbook and is still my favorite. Jaffrey explains the unusual (for an American) techniques and leads you through the recipes so carefully that you will lift the lid of the pot and smell the wonderful fragrance of Indian food with amazement! Just do as she says and you will have delicious Indian meals. I have served some of her recipes at parties and received wonderful compliments, even from people who thought they wouldn't like such food. I'm on my second copy of this book -- the only cookbook where that is the case! It's the best!