Product Description

Featuring over two hundred Indian-inspired recipes adapted for Western cooks, Ismail Merchant's Passionate Meals takes readers on an unforgettable culinary journey. From refreshing and delicious appetizers like Cucumber Raita and spicy vegetable fritters to meat, poultry, and seafood entrees that show the author at his most creative, these tempting recipes also lend exciting new dimensions to American staples like veal, turkey, and even hamburgers.

Including an irresistible selection of breads, pickles, chutneys, and sweets which, in accordance with Indian tradition, the author shares as a gesture of good will and friendship, Ismail Merchant's Passionate Meals is ideal for casual cooking as well as large-scale entertaining. Structured like the courses of a great meal, this inventive cookbook celebrates the art of Indian cuisine in all its uniqueness and delicacy of flavor. Written in Merchant's witty and distinctive voice, and liberally spiced with personal anecdotes and reflections on Indian customs, it is an exotic feast for the senses certain to whet the appetites of chefs and diners alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1531844 in Books
• Published on: 2001-01-04
• Released on: 2001-01-04
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.21 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Merchant, best known for the films he makes with partner James Ivory, presents more than 200 innovative Indian recipes, many considerably less labor-intensive than traditional Indian fare.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Merchant is not only a talented film producer (with director James Ivory) but a talented-and passionate-cook. His previous book, Ismail Merchant's Indian Cuisine (LJ 8/86), is still highly regarded, and now he has gathered more of his favorite recipes, innovative and mostly quick Indian dishes for friends and family. Some of the names may sound familiar, but Merchant, a natural in the kitchen, likes to improvise, and so these really are personal recipes, accompanied by a personable and inviting text. A number of Indian cookbooks have appeared in recent months; this one is particularly recommended.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
In his second culinary collection, award-winning film producer Merchant (A Room with a View, Howards End, et al.) offers a true medley of cuisines, flavored with some distinctly Indian tastes. Although all Merchant's recipes are named in his native tongue, it's hard to believe that ginger-broccoli soup, tarragon-walnut salad, and cacciatore chicken, among others, have much in common with the land of dals and curries. His contribution to cooking lore and bookshelves (apart from his professional stature) is simplicity; few of his more than 200 recipes are longer than one page, and with some of the more exotic ingredients stocked in the pantry, most are fairly easy to follow. His enthusiasm for cooking is contagious. Barbara Jacobs