Let me start off by saying that this cookbook has a special place in my heart. Essentially, I learned how to cook from this book. When I was a kid my mother taught me a little, and my father taught me how to cook eggs, but Madhur Jaffrey taught me the most about actual cooking.
If you're in North America (or elsewhere, I suppose) and want to learn to cook Indian food there are two cookbook authors who offer excellent starting points. You can either begin with Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Cooking, or with Madhur Jaffrey's An Invitation to Indian Cooking. Since I started with An Invitation to Indian Cooking, I can recommend it whole-heartedly, especially to beginners. It was first published in 1973 and has without question stood the test of time.
The best part of this book is the attention to detail. Jaffrey thoroughly describes each technique in every recipe step-by-step with descriptions of the looks and smells you should be expecting. Often, cookbooks assume you are familiar with the ingredients and procedures. Jaffrey writes for those with minimal cooking knowledge, although it's helpful if you can already find your way around the kitchen a bit.
Jaffrey adapts techniques to fit western ingredients and tools. She explains the differences and why she made certain changes so that after digesting this book you can then cook from other Indian cookbooks and use her techniques if necessary (often to get better results!). Since Jaffrey didn't learn to cook Indian food until she moved away from India (living first in England and then the United States) she came by all of her techniques through years of experimentation and practice.
Another great thing about this book is that it does not claim to be a definitive encyclopedia of Indian cooking. Most of the recipes come from Jaffrey's own family, so the book is actually a Delhi cookbook, something she explains in her excellent introduction. However, this book will give you an excellent foundation from which to expand to other Indian regional cooking styles.
The book includes suggestions for incorporating Indian dishes into western meals, or for creating entirely Indian menus. There is a highly descriptive section on spices, a glossary and a reliable index. There is a list of mail order sources that I suspect may be out of date. The book does not have any pictures or illustrations, but Jaffrey's writing is so descriptive you won't miss them.
Recipes are arranged by major ingredient (i.e. Meat, Chicken, Fish, Vegetables, Rice, Dals, Breads etc.). In each section recipes go from easy to more complex.
I can tell you that to cook from this book you will need a significant time commitment, but it's time well spent, in my opinion. I had the luxury (?) of living with a bunch of bachelors when I began using this book. This allowed for as much time as I needed to prepare a meal (as well as forgiving palettes, when I first started out). It usually takes me at least one and one half hours to complete a meal from this book, and it took me longer when I first started using it and didn't know what I was doing. Don't be frightened off - keep in mind that a meal is at least 2 or 3 dishes, plus rice or bread. Enough to easily feed a family, or to have leftovers for lunch or dinner the following day. Plus, it's great fun.
The smells that you conjure are amazing, and the sense of fulfillment you get from producing an amazing meal - much better than most Indian restaurants - makes it all more than worthwhile. Even from today's sophisticated diners you will receive praise and glory for your cooking prowess. If you want to learn to cook Indian food (especially North Indian food from Delhi) then start with this book. What else can I say? I am eternally grateful to Mrs. Jaffrey for teaching me to cook Indian food, and this is the book that first brought the joys of Indian cooking into my kitchen. It's still the best.
Posted by eric at July 19, 2002 05:50 PM