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: #455840 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 560 pages

About the Author

Julie Sahni is director of Julie Sahni's Indian Cooking School, established in 1973.

Customer Reviews

The best of the best
I have owned this book since it was first published. I have learned to roast spices from it, and I make the best Butter Chicken because of it. I own more Indian cookbooks than I care to admit, including many by Madhur Jaffrey. I don't want to diminish Madhur's contribution to culinary writing. Having said this, Julie Sahni's book deservedly remains top of the list throughout the many years since it was first published. It has no pictures, only sketches, and the presentation is not the glossy stuff, full of colour pictures, we are used to today. But it is pure quality, worth its weight in gold. The recipes are detailed and not one word is wasted. I would rather own two copies of this book rather than be without it.

If you want THE Indian cookbook, this is it!
Have been cooking from this book since 1980 and it has really stood the test of time. I have several other Indian cookbooks but this is the only one I use. Every dish I have ever made has been a winner. The Velvet Butter Chicken is out of this world, it does take some effort (make Tandoori chicken first) but is really worth it. Mulligatawny Soup another winner as is the Cauliflower, Green peas, and Potatoes in Spicy Herb Sauce. Have never been disappointed with any recipe from this book.

Ms. Sahni writes clearly and gives practical advice. I learned how to cook Indian food from this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great teacher and guide to the world of Indian cooking.

Not what I hoped for
I love Indian food. I love to cook- I come from a family of seriously devoted chefs. I lived in Pakistan a number of years ago and still find myself craving the recipes I tasted there. My husband grew up in a Sikh community and he craves the dishes of his childhood. I got this book hoping it would give me an easily available reference, and the reviews were all so wonderful. I have had the book for over a year now and I have not made a single dish from it that I was excited about after the tasting commenced. Her descriptions sound enticing enough, but I have been very disappointed in the flavour, texture and appearance of the dishes. I have tried not to play with the ingredients in dishes too much (like I usually do)in order to give them the opportunity to be as authentic to her recipes as possible, but I have come to the conclusion that I would rather eat from any stall in any street in Islamabad than any of her recipes. I have made fabulous recipes from recipes found on the internet, but I really wanted a more comprehensive, authentic resource for finding recipes quickly, but her spice combinations are way too uniform, her methods inordinantly time consuming for not a better product, and the curries come out sadly wanting for excitement. I am so sorry to say this, because I wanted to find the best source, but more often than not I abandon her book when I am researching something tasty in the Indian genre. I can do better winging it on my own. Don't bother.