A Taste of India [Paperback]

Madhur Jaffrey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 1988

Take a culinary tour of India. Visit each of India's 16 main culinary regions through anecdotes and recipes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hundreds of color photographs and a lovely design make this one of the most beautiful cookbooks in recent memory, and the match of photos and picturesque prose is particularly effective. Jaffrey writes of traditions and lavish meals that are often beyond replication in the United States. Her recipes, which cover the spectrum of Indian cooking styles, are a practical and not over-demanding selection, and with a wealth of pictures of everyday life, market scenes, palaces and shrines, Jaffrey offers an impressive and tantalizing tour of one of the world's great melting pots. First serial to Gourmet; BOMC/Cooking & Crafts Club alternate; author tour.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"'The recipes she gathers on her wanderings are thrilling to read-much more so to eat. The sketches of her travels mix straightforward information with personal evocation, and a full-blooded lyricism that borders on the incantory.' Harpers & Queen; 'The packaging is excellent, with wonderful, evocative introductions to the food of each Indian region and excellent location photography.' Observer" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (April 14, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689707266
• ISBN-13: 978-0689707261
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #359,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Asian > Indian

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recipes which are not same old ones, December 22, 2000

By 

Tom Munro "tomfrombrunswick" (Melbourne, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Taste of India (Paperback)

This is a book that was given to me some years ago when I was in India. It is not just a cook book but it conveys a picture of India. The book is broken into sections based on India's main regions. Each chapter has magnificent photo's of those regions and a text which describes the cuisine.

Each region then has a series of recipes that are famous. Most Indian cookery books tend to show how to cook the sorts of things that you get in Indian restaurants. Chicken Tandoori, Rogan Josh and so forth. This book has recipes which I have never come across before and most of them are interesting and delightful. A lot of them use a limited range of spices and depend on the mixture of their ingredients to develop subtle and interesting flavors. One recipe that was a revelation was an eggplant (aubergine) dish which was cooked and served cold with a yogurt sauce.

I live with a vegetarian and one of the reasons I enjoy such cook books are the variety of vegetarian foods that they contain. This book is by no means devoted to vegetarian food but it contains many such recipes.

The recipes are in text form but they are easy to follow. If something unusual has to be done such as the preparation of tamarind, the author explains how to do it in a clear and simple way.

Some cook books are things that you have on the shelf simply to prepare food. This book is a little more and gives you a feel for the county which has provided the recipes.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why buy this book?, August 21, 2000

By 

Sailoil - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Taste of India (Paperback)

1. It is a good cook book, with beautiful recipies that work. 2. The food is presented in context in which it is eaten in India. 3. This is like a travelogue of India through its food. So if you like India, travel, food, cooking or books about cooking food in different parts of India, then this is the book for you.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on India food for home and for travel, January 30, 1999

By 

Zechristof "zechristof" (Antonito CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Taste of India (Paperback)

Whether you are going to India or staying home and cooking Indian, this book is a must. The insights into the concepts of Indian food preparation are clear and accessible to the western reader. The recipes are efficiently presented, and the selection of recipes takes one to the heart of Indian regional cuisines very quickly. We found this book valuable as a preparation for travel in India, as well as for home use. We have looked and tried several Indian cooking books -- this one is the best.