Food
and cooking articles and information:
Book
Review of 'India with Passion' by Manju Malhi
To
order a copy of India
with Passion
<click
here>
Review written by
Hub-UK
 This
book is just stunning. Perhaps a foolish opening statement
as by saying that I have stolen my own thunder . . .
but I just cannot get away from how impressed I was
by this book from the minute I got it.
Indian
cooking for me has always been something to be enjoyed
down the local Indian restaurant. Far too complex for
me to attempt to cook it, added to which I have never
known what to cook. It is easy to say cook a curry but
that is not what Indian cooking is about. Yes there
are curry recipes in the book but it is not about making
curry - it is about cooking real, tasteful Indian dishes.
Indian
cuisine must be the most diverse in the world. India
has thirty-one states and territories and fifteen different
languages, each spoken in different dialects, and this
diversity is reflected in its cuisine. This is the sort
of information I gained from the introduction to the
book which very quickly brings you up to speed as to
what Indian cooking is all about and how and why it
differs so much from one part of the country to another.
I
think it is the first time that an author of such a
book has taken the time to write about what matters
to a complete novice. So many cookery or recipe books
assume an initial knowledge about the subject which
can be very off putting if you are considering trying
a recipe for the first time. Manju Malhi has taken the
time to explain the origins of the different dishes
and about the historical and cultural influences which
have shaped modern day Indian cuisine.
The
book is broken down into four sections:
 Each
section has its own introduction telling about the type
of dishes that are eaten in the region, how they came
about and how they have developed into the dishes we
know today and many more that we have yet to experience.
"Delhi,
the medieval Mogul capital of India, and its surrounding
areas of Punjab, the wheat bowl of India, and Kashmir,
the jewel of the North, in particular has retained
the essence of Mughlai cuisine - a cuisine that the
British are familiar with and that is now served up
in many Indian restaurants in the western world."
Next
time you are dining with friends at an Indian restaurant
you can impress them with your small talk - there are
probably not too many people that know the Indian cuisine
we enjoy is thanks to the Mogul empire! This is just
a brief example of the knowledge and background imparted
in the book.
Do
not be misled though. The book is about recipes and
how to prepare and cook the dishes. The background information
is there only as part of the whole and the ultimate
aim of the book is for you to create your own Indian
dishes . . . and with this book it is easy.
Each
recipe has its own page with an opening paragraph telling
you about the dish. There is no having to guess from
the ingredient list what the dish might turn out like.
The list of ingredients are clearly listed and the preparation
and cooking instructions are precise and well written.
Manju Malhi has written this book very much with the
user in mind.
I
have to say that I was so excited about what I found
between the covers that within less than twenty-four
hours of receiving the book I was serving up to my family
Malai Murgh Tikka accompanied by Jeera Chawal
(Creamy Chicken Tikka with Rice with Cumin Seeds). It
was so popular that I have been pestered ever since
to either do it again or to try something else from
India with Passion. My family are certainly passionate
about it and I can see that this is one of my books
that is destined to end up food stained and dog eared!
And
finally, having raved about the written word, I must
mention the photography. The book has been beautifully
put together and has been truly enhanced by the quality
and style of photographs used to illustrate it. I do
not have the space here to show you how magnificent
they are but the photographs I have chosen to illustrate
this review with have been scanned from the book.
If
you like Indian food you have to go out and buy
India with Passion <click
here>
Example
recipes:
Malai Murgh Tikka
- Creamy Chicken Tikka
Jeera
Chawal - Rice with Cumin Seeds
Khasta
Roti - Oven-baked Wholewheat Bread
Lagan
Nu Custard - Wedding Custard
Thenga
Kuda Eraal - Prawns with Coconut
To
order a copy of India with Passion <click
here>
About
Manju Malhi
If
you would like to know more about Manju Malhi visit
her web site <click
here>
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