Indian Cookery

I can only agree with earlier reviewers - this is a wonderful book. Follow the recipes faithfully, and wonders will result. There is an earlier book by the same author - "Classic Cooking from India", Houghton Mifflin 1956. A different book, really. A "simplified" version for the American readership, maybe, but again, follow the recipes and you will be amazed. The Penguin version is dead serious. The American one is quite different - a different book, really - and full of the most delightful anecdotes. Those alone are worth the price of the book (both versions are available on the used book market).I can't resist a further anecdote. Arriving in Saudi Arabia as an environmental consultant, I moved as soon as possible from the company camp into the local Arab town and an Arab house (infinitely more comfortable). We (both of us worked) hired an Indian "houseboy". We were told "he cleans, does laundry, etc., but he does not cook." OK. In due course I went down to the local open air market and bought the spices, etc., that I thought I needed for my Punjabi cooking. Next day before I went to work John arrived and started to clean the kitchen. He opened the cupboard where I had stowed my purchases - and he froze. After a couple of minutes he quietly closed the cupboard, with a faint grin on his face. When I got home that evening there was a small pot on the stove. It proved to contain a delicious South Indian fish dish. Turned out John was a master cook, who just didn't like casting pearls before (Anglo) swine (OK, unappreciative folks of whatever culture). From him I learned a great deal about the wonderful South Indian fish cuisine. This on the coast of the Persian/Arabian Gulf, home of wonderful fish and fisheries, to which as the local marine biologist I had more than full access . . .

I first purchased this book in 1972, and over the years of much use, it has disintegrated to the point of being all but unusable. It is long out of print, so I was delighted to find a replacement, albeit used but in excellent condition. This book is special to me, firstly because it represents my first introduction to Indian recipes, and further fed my addiction to ‘curries’ - but also because I am assured by Indian friends that the recipes are highly authentic. In addition, I like that it contains recipes to cover entire meals, from appetizers to entrees, side dishes and breads, to desserts - as well as spice mixtures, pickles and fundamentals of Indian cooking.

This was a replacement for a book I bought in the 70s, and used so much it fell apart. For Indian cooking, this is the best book I have tried over the years.

I already have quite some indian cooking books, but this book is really opening doors to the traditional cooking techniques. And also explaining what you have to do and why. It leads to a bigger understanding of indian cooking, use of of spices and cooking techniques. Now I feel I should lower the ratings for most recent books on this subject because mr Singh's book is really TOP.

Some of the ingredients are a bit obscure and some understanding of what to substitute is pretty necessary. Terminology is also an area requiring some "advanced" understanding. By and large it's a pretty fair reference to authentic Indian recipes.

Very helpful book. Instructs on the classic way food is prepared in an Indian home kitchen.

So delighted to find this book re-released as it was my first introduction to Indian cooking back in the 70's. The Samosa pastry recipe is the best ever.

My three favorite Indian cookbooks: Madhur Jaffrey's "An Introduction to Indian Cooking," "Cooking of the Maharajas" by Shivaji Rao and Shalini Devi Holkar, and this one! As other reviewers have noted, Singh's recipes are not for the beginner, but well reward diligent study! Absolutely essential!

This book was originally published in the UK in 1970. By then, there had been a sizable influx of immigrants from India, but Indian cuisine was still little known. The author was a highly educated and cultured gentleman who had already written a wonderful book for the American market in 1956 entitled 'Classic Cooking from India.' This is a superb book full of exquisite recipes interspersed with fables, anecdotes and stories - hard to come by, but worth the effort.The author states in the introduction to THIS book is that he is attempting to PRESERVE the classical 'haute cuisine' of India. This is what makes the book unique. You just have to compare the recipes here with any current Indian cookbook to see the enormous difference!The recipes require extra care, but the results are simply stunning! They surpass anything you will get from any but the most exclusive and expensive Indian restaurants!It's just a pity that you can't get the REAL basmati rice any more. Anyone who has experienced the divine fragrance and taste of what we used to be able to purchase up until about 1980 will know what I mean!This is simply an ESSENTIAL reference for anyone seriously interested in Indian cookery!

Back in the mid 70s, before Mad Jaff, Priya W and the rest, this was the only book on Indian cooking I could find widely available in the UK. My original copy fell apart several years ago, and it's great to be able to revisit it. It's dated a bit, but a very intersting snapshop on one person's view a the cuisine of a whole subcontinent, and teh chilli pickle recipe is still ace.

Like some other reviewers, I've just bought a replacement copy of this much-loved book. The recipes are all beautifully laid out and explained, and every one is successful. An ideal book for beginners, but a resource for the more experienced, too.My only criticism would be the relatively modest coverage of vegetarian dishes.

I bought this to replace a falling-apart copy which I have had for many years, and used.

The cover of my second hand copy is different but this looks to be an extremely comprehensive recipe book. It’s the size of a penguin classic paperback and with no pictures but that makes no odds to me. Very pleased I bought it.