Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food, with More Than 150 Recipes: A Cookbook

I've made about a dozen recipes from this cookbook, and every single one of them has been excellent.The best:* dal with ginger and lime -- of the gagillion dal recipes I've tried, this is the best. Pungent, spicy, and citrusy all at once* hyderabad cauliflower -- creamy, with mint, cilantro, and coconut-- fantastic!* baingan bharta -- baingan bharta, in general, is one of my favorite dishes of all time, and Saran's recipe passed the test. It's succulent but not too rich and mushy (like some baingan bhartas)* the okra with northern Indian spices -- I wasn't even sure I liked okra, but the texture and flavors in this dish can't be beatOther top hits: stir-fried cabbage with south Indian spices; spicy mango chutney; dhansak (a spicy eggplant, squash, and lentil Stew); and the chai tea recipe.A few of the things I love about Indian Home Cooking:1) Medium level of difficulty/complexity/exoticism. The other Indian recipes I usually make come from *The Asian Vegan Kitchen* (http://www.amazon.com/The-Asian-Vegan-Kitchen-Appetizing/dp/156836430X). It's a phenomenal cookbook, and I use it regularly, but most of the recipes require making complicated pastes or powders beforehand. By contrast, in *Indian Home Cooking* Saran has really split the difference between super-complicated recipes that require hard-to-find ingredients, and super-simple recipes that say, "Just add curry powder! Instantly exotic!"2) On the subject of exoticism... some people might find fault in this cookbook for being 'inauthentic.' Yes, there's a recipe for a tofu scramble. And yes, the (amazing) okra recipe is prefaced by a note saying something like, "This recipe doesn't really come from any particular place or tradition; it's just how I like to cook okra when I'm short on time." In another recipe (I can't remember which and don't have the book on hand), Saran admits that the recipe is--like the modern state of India itself--rather new and always already a hybrid. Other recipes, like the hyderabadi cauliflower, come from regions of India already known for their cultural and culinary mixing. In short: Saran doesn't waste time fetishizing or performing authenticity; he simply shares recipes that are generally Indian, and sophisticated in palate while still highly accessible.3) Vegan/Vegetarian, plus. I'm a vegan, and this is the only non-vegetarian cookbook I've ever spent money on. There are so many fantastic non-meat recipes; I use something like 80% of the cookbook. That said, the book would also be a great gift to share with meat-eaters. Basically, EVERYONE WHO LIKES INDIAN FOOD, AND LIKES TO COOK, SHOULD HAVE THIS COOKBOOK.

Best of all the Indian cookbooks, and I've tried many different ones after several trips to India. This is the only one I use regularly. In fact, it's in my main weekly rotation, along with Alice Waters, Bittman and Marcella. Once you have the five or six basic spices handy, and a few staples like the right lentils, some dried coconut flakes, and some small dried red chiles, you're set. The basic recipes that he starts each chapter are excellent. And because it's delicious Indian food, this is a great book if you want to go all vegetarian.His secret for home cooks, is that he makes everything as fast and simple possible, like a true Indian grandma, but he insists on toasting fresh spices -- and if possible grinding them in your grinder (if possible). That's the one area where he doesn't encourage taking shortcuts. It makes all the difference and only takes an extra minute or so. Same for his dals. You need to make the tempering oil, as he shows, to get the layers of flavor that dazzle people. It is not a beautifully designed or "pretty" cookbook. It's not for show. But Suvir really, really knows the needs of the home cook. Simple recipes, easy to understand, etc. Even his way of making rice is so simple. Also, if you google videos of him, you'll see him on Martha Stewart or elsewhere making many of the basic dishes, which can be helpful.

Four months ago, my spice rack was limited to cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and garlic powder. A trip to the grocery store yielded frozen dinners, cans, lots of shredded cheese, and pizza. "Cooking" consisted of warming things up in the microwave or scrambling the occasional egg. Would I use "strange" spices? Nah. Take the time to chop up a vegetable, much less eat it? Are you kidding?Then I saw Suvir Saran on Top Chef Masters and was intrigued by the way he talked about his food. I've had "Indian" food a couple of times in my life--over-the-top spicy, heavy on the curry powder, it all tasted the same to me. But he talked about delicate, bright flavors, of food that was "brilliant." Totally the opposite of what I thought Indian food was, and miles away from what I was currently eating every single day of my life. I decided I wanted to change; I wanted to grow up and learn to eat like an adult. What better place to start than cooking the recipes of the person who inspired the change?And so I started cooking from Indian Home Cooking. And I fell in love with Indian food! Green Beans with Coconut? I've hated coconut for 50 years--who knew I would love this dish? Stuffed Bell Peppers? Wouldn't touch 'em. But Suvir's version, so fun to make and relying on potatoes, not rice, is absolutely delicious. I never knew what a "dal" was before, but now the Dal with Cinnamon, Cardamom and Cloves is what I crave on a cold rainy day. And I just made My Sister's Favorite Corn Curry this afternoon and...oh, wait a minute, I'll be right back...just talking about it made me want some.Buy the book. Start cooking. You'll go to the store and spend nine-tenths of your time in the produce aisle. You'll start scheming about how you can spend more time in the kitchen. And you'll fall in love, as I did, with the ingredients that fill your kitchen with the redolence of India.Ellen

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