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4.5
This was my first of Madhur Jaffreys cookbooks 14 years ago, I just bought a new copy of this book to give my Mom as a gift. Over the years I have acquired some of Madhurs Jaffreys other cook books as well. This one is excellent as are all of her cookbooks!! Her cookbooks are timeless and never get outdated. My husband never ate Indian food before I started cooking it for him and now he loves it as much as I do. Madhur Jaffrey is amusing and very clear in explaining how to create her dishes.Tip: Be sure to read the front section of the book before you begin trying to cook her recipes, don't skip over it unless you have had previous experience with cooking Indian food. The front section of the book explains what the different techniques, methods and ingredients are, which was invaluable when I first tried to create Indian food with the use of this book. If you read the beginning you will have a much better understanding and it will be easier to complete her recipes successfully. I had so much success when I first began using this book that I have been continuing to cook Indian food for years ever since, and have also gone on to explore many other world cuisines,Thai food for instance.If you are trying this book for the fist time, this is a good recipe from the book to start out with because it's an easy and simple one: 'Lentils with garlic and onion' it's delicious! 'Red split lentils with cumin seed'{Masoor dal} is another good one to start out with but it's a little bit more complex than the first recipe I suggested. If you make the 'Red split lentils with cumin seed' be sure to use plenty of chopped Cilantro leaves as a garnish on top!! They complete the dish, and make it even better!!! I serve both these dishes with Basmati rice. When you begin to get the hang of it, try 'Delicious cocktial koftas' {Chhote kpfte}. They are melt in your mouth, delicious lamb meatballs, YUM!!! Also try: 'Lemony chicken with fresh coriander' {Hare masale wali murgh} Too many great recipes to list. If I have one bit of advice when following her recipes it's this: Don't burn or over cook the spices when heating them in the 'Ghee'! When Madhur says cook them for a few seconds, she means it!! Happy Indian cooking to you!!
