Product Description

This extraordinary cookbook is a complete course in Indian cuisine. When it was first published it was hailed by both Jane Grigson and Elizabeth David, who said of it.. 'This is a marvellous book. Julie Sahni tackles the daunting task of presenting the multiple, complex traditions of Indian cookery to the English-speaking world and brings it off triumphantly.' Illustrated throughout with explanatory line drawings it introduces all the basic spices and special ingredients so fundamental to Indian food, then explains the techniques employed in using them. So brilliant a teacher is Julie Sahni that it is immediately obvious that Indian food, while rich and varied, is not difficult to prepare - the cooking principles are basic and well-known and the utensils needed are few and simple and Julie Sahni is not averse to short cuts using a food processor. Julie Sahni was born in India and now lives in New York where she has established herself as America's premier authority on Indian cooking.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104423 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

Review
Voted one of the top 45 cookbooks of all time by New York's Village Voice --Village Voice

Customer Reviews

Must-have for those interested in Indian cooking
Although the sheer volume of the book is daunting at first, don't panic. My husband and I found Sahni's cookbook to be very well-written, and the recipes are delicious! I will agree with one other reviewer though, and say that Madhur Jaffrey's _Indian Cooking_ might also be a worthwhile buy since her recipes are a little less complicated. But definitely try Sahni's once you get some experience! Her book on vegetarian and grain cooking is also excellent, even if you are not vegetarian.

Fabulous Indian food in my own kitchen!
"Classic Indian Cooking" is by far the best of the various Indian cookbooks I've owned. Julie Sahni ranks with Julia Child in her ability to teach, inspire and help you understand techniques and ingredients. The recipes are meticulous and so convincingly put forth that the reader wouldn't even think about taking a short-cut or substituting an ingredient -- you know that Julie knows best. The results, in every recipe I've tried, are spectacular. (Particularly the splendid recipes for chicken braised with spices.) The complex flavors and heady aromas delight the senses long after the guests have left and the dishes are washed.

An Excellent Book on Technique
This book taught me the basics of cooking Indian food. The first few chapters alone were worth the full price of the book. Although my favorite Indian cookbook is Jaffrey's "An Introduction to Indian Cooking" (the spice combinations in Jaffrey's recipes are superb), Sahni does a better job of organizing and explaining the fundamental techniques. The recipes are less complex than those in Jaffrey's book, but sometimes Sahni's simplicity is a welcome change. Lastly, all recipes can be prepared with much less fat than called for, but the onions will not brown well.