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Synopses & Reviews
No one knows Indian food like Madhur Jaffrey. For more than forty years, the “godmother of Indian cooking” (The Independent on Sunday) has introduced Western home cooks to the vibrant cuisines of her homeland. Now, in Vegetarian India: A Journey Through the Best of Indian Home Cooking,
the seven-time James Beard Award–winning author shares the delectable,
healthful, vegetable- and grain-based foods enjoyed around the Indian
subcontinent.
Vegetarian cooking is a way of life for more than
300 million Indians. Jaffrey travels from north to south, and from the
Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, collecting recipes for the very
tastiest dishes along the way. She visits the homes and businesses of
shopkeepers, writers, designers, farmers, doctors, weavers, and more,
gathering their stories and uncovering the secrets of their most
delicious family specialties. From a sweet, sour, hot, salty Kodava
Mushroom Curry with Coconut originating in the forested regions of South
Karnataka to simple, crisp Okra Fries dusted with chili powder,
turmeric, and chickpea flour; and from Stir-Fried Spinach, Andhra Style
(with ginger, coriander, and cumin) to the mung bean pancakes she snacks
on at a roadside stand, here Jaffrey brings together the very best of
vegetable-centric Indian cuisine and explains how home cooks can easily
replicate these dishes — and many more for beans, grains, and breads — in
their own kitchens.
With more than two hundred recipes,
beautifully illustrated throughout, and including personal photographs
from Jaffrey’s own travels, Vegetarian India is a kitchen essential for vegetable enthusiasts and home cooks everywhere.
Review
“Highly recommended. . . . Jaffrey’s fresh compilation
features extraordinary variety and achieves approachability without
simplification. . . . [She] made multiple trips to India to collect the
200-plus vegetarian recipes presented here. . . . [And] has successfully
translated these for Western home cooks. . . . Readers who take the time to
prep and measure the many spices called for in each recipe will be richly
rewarded at mealtime.” Library Journal (starred)
Review
“The world’s best-known ambassador of Indian cuisine travels the
subcontinent to showcase the vast diversity of vegetarian dishes. Best
of all: She makes them doable for the Western cook.” The Washington Post
Review
“An appetizing journey through the best vegetarian cuisine India has to offer, and it is decidedly worth the trip. . . . Jaffrey, a seven-time James Beard Award winner for her stellar cookbooks, explores vegetarian home cooking in this exceptional new [book]. . . . In this enticing collection, she focuses on traditional dishes that make up a typical Indian vegetarian diet. The country’s size and the vastly dissimilar cuisines in its different regions make this a nearly herculean task. Jaffrey’s recipes, learned from locals in all walks of life, emphasize regional ingredients and influences.” Publishers Weekly (starred)
About the Author
MADHUR JAFFREY is the author of many previous cookbooks — seven of
which have won James Beard Awards — and was named to the Who’s Who of Food
and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation. She is
the recipient of an honorary CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for her
services to drama and promoting the appreciation of Indian food and
culture. She is also an award-winning actress, having won the Silver
Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, with numerous major
motion pictures to her credit. She lives in New York City.