Updated 28th November 2011

Indian Books

Chinese Books

Japanese Books

Thai Books

Other Asian Books

Asian Cookbook Reviews

Authentic Recipes from Vietnam

There are a few more Vietnamese restaurants around these days. The UK had an influx of Vietnamese refugees a couple of decades ago but those folks who chose to work in the food industry seemed mostly to open fish and chip shops rather than restaurants. Now, we do have some specialist Vietnamese restaurants and many more cafés that offer the traditional Vietnamese sandwich bánh mì and the substantial national Pho soup.

This is an ancient country with a history dating back some 4000 years. Its closest international influence has been, unsurprisingly, China, its largest and most powerful neighbour. Successive Chinese dynasties ruled Vietnam directly for most of the period from 207 BC until 938 when Vietnam gained its freedom. The independent period ended in the middle to late 19th century when Vietnam was colonised by France; and after WWII there was a bloody conflict, during which time China and the Soviet Union supported the North while the United States aided the South. The Vietnam War ended with the Fall of Saigon in 1975.

Times have been tough for Vietnam but in 1986 the Communist Party of Vietnam changed its economic policy and started reforms to allow private enterprise. Since that time Vietnam has achieved substantial economic growth and is slowly becoming a destination for culinary and cultural diversion.

Vietnamese food is considered some of the healthiest in the world, although that aforementioned sandwich (a legacy from the French occupation and stuffed with fatty paté) redresses the balance. There are different styles of cuisine reflecting availability of ingredients across the country. Northern Vietnam has a cooler climate which limits the range of local spices; the food is therefore less vibrant than that in other regions. Central Vietnam's mountains allow for the production of many more spices and the cuisine is marked by their use. The warmer weather of the South make this the ideal region for growing fruit and vegetables as well as raising animals; this area has also had more culinary influences from China, India, France and Thailand.

Such is the love of food in this land that even its celebrated leader Ho Chi Min was a cook, in both Paris and London. Authentic Recipes from Vietnam offers an accessible overview of the dishes of that country. All the ingredients can be found in Asian food stores so there is no excuse for not trying these simple and delicious recipes. Yes, there is Pho soup but much more that will likely be new to the novice Vietnamese diner.

The classic Vietnamese Deep-fried Spring Rolls are great as a make-ahead starter for any kind of Asian meal, but also to go with drinks. The filling can be changed to suit your taste or budget but a little of the more costly ingredients goes a long way. A must-try from this book.

Vietnamese Beef Hotpot will be the dish of choice for a no-cook (for you) dinner party. There will be no complaints as your guests will be doing the cooking for themselves. This is an Asian fondue, with the meat being quickly poached in an aromatic stock. The beef is then enclosed with a variety of garnishes in a rice-paper wrapper.

There are a few interesting desserts here and a favourite is Bananas and Sago Pearls in Coconut Cream. No, it’s not like the sago pudding of old school days – this recipe uses those large beads that have a unique texture. Cooked bananas develop a flavour that is, well, more banana-y than the fresh article. A mild and striking dessert.

Authentic Recipes from Vietnam is a marvellous introduction to the remarkable food of this region of South East Asia. The dishes have hints of other cultures combining to achieve something unique and delightful. Those sandwiches might be fine in an emergency, but next time you have a chance to eat Vietnamese try some cooked delights or, even better, make an authentic meal at home.

Authentic Recipes from Vietnam
Authors: Trieu Thi Choi and Marcel Isaak
Published by: Periplus
ISBN 978-0-7946-0327-4

Authentic Recipes from the Philippines

This is a unique book considering a cuisine little known in Europe. How frequently do we say “let’s go out for a Filipino”? Not often, although the dishes would indeed appeal to Europeans as well as Asians.

The Philippine archipelago is part of Southeast Asia and its location has allowed for cultural and culinary influences from Malays, Arabs, Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and others. The Philippines consists of more than 7000 islands and occupies an area of 1,850 square kilometres, and they can boast one of the longest coastlines of any country in the world; therefore most Filipinos live on or near the coast.

Trade with Hokkien China was evident as early as the Song dynasty (1279 – 960 BC), long before the arrival of the Europeans. China introduced a number of staple foods such as soy, tofu, bean sprouts, and fish sauce. The Spanish added produce from the New World: chillies, tomatoes, corn, potatoes. Spanish and Mexican dishes such as paella were eventually adopted into Philippine cuisine.

Authentic Recipes from the Philippines will inspire any lover of good food. It has the vibrancy and culinary complexity of many Asian cuisines but with those additional elements from the West. It’s a gastronomic landscape that has evolved and grown over the centuries and it’s the richer for it. There is much that is familiar but there is still more that will intrigue and excite the reader.

There are several favourite recipes for practical and exotic meals here. Cuban-style Rice with Meat Sauce and Plantains – Arroz la Cubana – needs no special ingredients apart from the plantains, which can be found in many high-street supermarkets or Asian or West Indian stores. An attractive dish that even the kids will love. No expensive cuts of meat, just minced pork and minced beef. A considerable step up from your regular Wednesday night Spag Bol.

Chicken Adobo with Turmeric and Coconut Milk is the national dish of the Philippines. If you have enjoyed dishes from Goa or Kerala then you will appreciate this one. A simple preparation but that overnight marinade time is important. A good recipe to make in advance for a dinner party as well as a family meal. Reduce the number of chillies for the young or timid.

Some rather classy desserts from Cafe Ysabel in Manila are offered, and these would work as a finale for either an Asian or European meal. Caramel-coated Egg Nuggets – Yema – are golden balls made from egg yolks and evaporated milk, a much under-appreciated ingredient. These are said to last up to 2 weeks in the fridge but it’s unlikely you’ll have to keep them that long.

Authentic Recipes from the Philippines will be a joy to Asian food aficionados. The ingredients are for the most part familiar, and those few that are unique to the Philippines can be found at specialist Asian stores or online. A fascinating addition to any serious cookbook collection.

Authentic Recipes from the Philippines
Author: Reynaldo G. Alejandro
Published by: Periplus
Price: £15.50
ISBN-10: 079460238X
ISBN-13: 978-0794602383

Authentic Recipes from Malaysia

There are just a few Malaysian restaurants in London. I have visited most of them and they range from high-end teak-polished splendour to casual vinyl-topped practicality, but the food so far has ranged from good to outstanding.

If you like Indian dishes then you will doubtless enjoy Malaysian food. If Chinese cuisine is what you crave then Malaysian food will likely comfort you. Nyonya food was developed by the Straits Chinese and Peranakan (people of mixed Chinese/Malay ancestry) of Malaysia and Singapore. Malaysian food is influenced mainly by the Chinese larder but adds South-East Asian ingredients such as coconut milk, lemongrass, turmeric, chillies and sambal. It has hints of those other cooking traditions but it has developed as a respected culinary entity in its own right.

Authentic Recipes from Malaysia offers 62 easy-to-follow recipes that will give an overview to anyone who wants to learn more about these delicious dishes and their origins. The recipes are divided by food type: snacks, salads, rice, meat, fish, desserts, etc. There is also a glossary of ingredients and you will doubtless find all you will need in your local Asian supermarket or online.

Roti Canai is one of my favourite breads. It’s light and flaky and the ideal tool to mop up saucy curries. The professional makers of these melting breads are artists. They stretch and twirl the thin dough and fold as it’s cooking on the griddle. The authors offer a more practical method but if you have a chance to watch the pros you might feel tempted to indulge in a little airborne culinary theatre.

Seafood is found in abundance all year round in the waters surrounding Malaysia. Butter Prawns is a contemporary dish which draws on all the culinary influences of the region. The result is a rich and spicy concoction that will have the diner licking both fingers and lips. A simple and quick dish to prepare, ideal as a starter or served as nibbles with drinks.

No “authentic” Malaysian cookbook would be complete without a version of the perennial favourite, Beef Rendang. Lemongrass is the herb that gives this spicy dish its distinct aromatic charm. It’s a slow-cooked and meltingly tender beef creation that improves by being kept for a day or so. A marvellous make-ahead meal for the family or for entertaining.

Authentic Recipes from Malaysia has inspiring recipes that will delight anyone who has enjoyed flavourful and aromatic meals in Malaysian restaurants, or those who have travelled to that delightful region and want to replicate memorable dishes.

Authentic Recipes from Malaysia
Author: Wendy Hutton
Published by Periplus
ISBN-10: 0794602967
ISBN-13: 978-0794602963

Easy Chinese Recipes

To any home cook that title might sound attractive – Easy Chinese Recipes – but to a reviewer who is a passionate cook that very same title can cause worries. Is this going to be a book with its focus on convenience foods? Could it be sub-titled “Make Friends with your Microwave”? The reality is far from that.

Bee Yinn Low is the guiding light behind one of the internet’s most successful Asian food blogs. She was born in Malaysia but her Chinese heritage finds her well placed to educate the rest of us. She takes advantage of products that all Chinese cooks enjoy these days. Nothing wrong with a bottle of good quality sauce when added to delicately balanced spices and fresh ingredients. You’ll be cooking in the same way as they do all over Asia.

Bee loved cooking but she didn’t have unlimited time to spend in the kitchen so she sought out the best recipes to adapt to a modern Western life. Her recipes taste authentic but you don’t need a diploma from the culinary institute in Shanghai to accomplish them, and all the ingredients will likely be in your local supermarket, Asian emporium or the internet.

I love the dishes of Sichuan. They have a reputation for being pungent and laden with red chilli. Bee offers Sichuan Spicy Chicken – La Zi Ji – which is adapted from an original Chinese restaurant recipe from Chongqing, the capital of Sichuan. It uses 20 dried chillies and that is the toned-down version. Try the recipe with this many and then increase or decrease the spice to suit. Chilli is addictive so don’t be surprised if your tolerance mounts over time.

Chicken with Garlic Sauce has much less chilli but there is real punch from the garlic: 3 or 4 cloves, but don’t be shy with that main flavouring ingredient. This is a colourful dish that will fill your home with the most enticing aromas while it’s cooking. An economic meal but striking enough to impress dinner guests.

Fresh Mango Pudding is a popular Chinese dessert these days. It is simple to prepare and has sweetness from the fruit pulp and richness from the evaporated milk. Bee suggests a tablespoon of evaporated milk as a garnish on top of these set pots, but one could also use some slices of mango or a handful of dark berries. A delightful make-ahead dessert.

Easy Chinese Recipes is full of delicious dishes that won’t take hours to produce. There is something for every palate from the searingly spicy to the mellow and aromatic. A book for those with good taste and little time.

Asian cookbook review: Easy Chinese Recipes
Author: Bee Yinn Low
Published by Tuttle Publishing
Price: £24.00
ISBN-10: 0804841470
ISBN-13: 978-080484147-4

Modern Thai Food

Hashi – A Japanese cookery course

Indonesian Cooking – Satays, Sambals and more

It’s a surprise to me that Indonesian cuisine is not more popular, especially in Europe’s cosmopolitan cities. It has so much to recommend it. The spices are familiar and there is nothing shocking or intimidating. If you love Thai food you will enjoy Indonesian food. If Indian dishes are what you crave then Indonesian curries could be your new comfort dishes.

To say that Indonesian food is a cross between this and that would undervalue the sophistication and unique complexity of its culinary traditions. We use those examples of Thai and Indian only to indicate a spice palate but Indonesian food is its own entity with remarkable dishes offering specific flavour characteristics.

Indonesia is on the ancient spice route, and has therefore had culinary influences from not only India and Thailand but also the Middle East and China. The Spanish and Portuguese traders added New World foods and the Dutch colonisers threw in a few ideas.

Yes, sure, OK, but can I get the ingredients if I live in a field in middle England? The spices are those with which you are already familiar. There might be just a few for which you might need the services of a specialist Asian store, but the internet will also provide all your Indonesian needs.

There are a couple of dishes that you will likely have already come across: Nasi Lemak – traditional coconut rice platter, Nasi Goreng – classic fried rice. This is real accessible family cooking that is aromatic rather than overly spicy. A flavourful meal that even the kids will enjoy.

Babi Manis – caramelized pork – is a recipe with few ingredients and it’s a simple process to produce a rich and glossy dish with a hint of spice, which can be adjusted to your taste. 600g of pork loin will be enough to feed 4 people, along with some steamed rice.

My pick-of-the-book is the recipe for Sambal Cumi – Spicy Sautéed Calamari. This is a tangy preparation using tamarind as a sharp flavouring and sambal oelek for heating spice. It’s a simple recipe but the results are sophisticated enough for a dinner party.

Indonesian Cooking – Satays, Sambals and more is a colourful introduction to an overlooked cuisine. These dishes are simple to make, and they are delicious and different.

Asian cookbook review: Indonesian Cooking – Satays, Sambals and more
Author: Dina Yuen
Published by: Tuttle Publishing
Price: $16.95
ISBN-10: 0804841454
ISBN-13: 978-0804841450

Serene Gardens

My Japanese Table

The author is Debra Samuels. Doesn’t sound very Japanese, does it? Well, perhaps not, but her credentials are impeccable as this lady has spent a decade or so living in Japan and learning to cook in home kitchens. She is ideally placed to pen a book for the European market as she appreciates which recipes translate well and which techniques will be new to the reader.

Debra has a passion for Japanese food and wants to make it accessible to all of us who are becoming more interested in this fascinating cuisine. There are lots more Japanese restaurants around (it’s a shame that they are of patchy quality) so we have had the chance to try the food for ourselves.

Unfortunately we are led to believe that Japanese food consists of sushi ...or sashimi for those who want to push the envelope. Surely that can’t be all they eat in Japan? No, indeed, my dear inquisitive gastronaut. There are plenty of hot dishes that constitute real meals and will introduce the reader to home cooking from Japan, rather than restaurant standard fare.

Debra does start off with sushi and the like, just to ease her audience into the subject, but there is a tempting rice-based alternative that can be described as the Japanese equivalent of a sandwich. Onigiri are stuffed balls of rice that make ideal picnic snacks or fillings for a Bento box – Japanese packed meals. Debra suggests Spicy Tuna Salad as the stuffing but this would work with any soft full-flavoured meat or fish.

Another Japanese staple is Sweet Soy Beef and Onion Rice Bowl. 500g of beef will provide a substantial meal for 4 people. Just a little marinating time and a bit of wok or frying pan action and you’ll have a flavoursome topping for steamed rice. It’s a family-friendly meal that will appeal to the kids. The grated apple adds a slight sweetness which is unique and delicious.

Asian desserts are always a problem but there are a few delights here that would work well for any type of Asian meal. Cool and refreshing Matcha Ice Cream has a delicate yet distinct taste and acts as a light palate cleanser after Japanese food or even an Indian meal. So easy to make if one owns an ice-cream maker. Matcha is that traditional vivid green tea of Tea Ceremony fame. It’s sold, along with other Japanese specialities, in larger Asian supermarkets.

My Japanese Table is written with the Western housewife in mind. Nothing too taxing here and this book presents recipes that will be welcomed by your family but also by your dinner party guests, who will marvel at your new menus. No need to tell them that you hardly spent any time at all on prep. Go on, be a hero.

Asian cookbook review: My Japanese Table
Author: Debra Samuels
Published by: Tuttle Publishing
Price: £27.50
ISBN 978-4-8053-1118-9

Furoshiki – The art of wrapping with fabric

This is an ancient practice that seems to be very trendy now in Europe. I first came across it when a friend arrived from Marseille. She is a lady of impeccable taste and owns a shop filled with stylish and interesting goods. I had high hopes of a classy gift and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this square of material. “Nice,” I said, with as much enthusiasm as this confused reviewer could muster. “Just what I wanted,” I lied, but thankfully help and an explanation was at hand before I contemplated saying “This would make an exemplary family heirloom.”

Furoshiki is, just as the title implies, the ancient art of wrapping with fabric. A square of material can wrap all manner of things as well as becoming, with the use of some deft knotting, a handbag or a shoulder bag.

Gone are the days when we could go to any supermarket and expect a plastic bag for free. Many people choose to take along their own fabric bag instead of adding to landfill. A medium Furoshiki bag can hold all that a regular plastic bag could, and will look considerably more exotic. All the knots needed for a shopping bag, a backpack, a bottle carrier and a book bag are illustrated, and with a little practice you will be going out with a handbag and returning with a shopping bag, with just a little re-knotting mid-outing.

Furoshiki – The art of wrapping with fabric is a unique book for those who want to be ahead of the trend. Nothing much to buy – just hem some squares of material and you have versatile bags that you can coordinate with your equally trendy (does anyone really use that word these days?) clothes.

Book review: Furoshiki – The art of wrapping with fabric
Author: Kumiko Nakayama-Geraerts
Published by: New Holland
Price: £7.99
ISBN 978-1-84773-816-5

The Saké Handbook

The Indian Bible

We in the UK have a very particular view on Indian food. For most of us it’s visits to restaurants that introduce us to those vibrant spices that give such a distinct flavour to Sub-continental dishes – those which have fiery heat and those which are aromatic and mellow.

The Indian Bible offers the reader a well-chosen selection of recipes, many of which will be familiar to those of us who haunt our local Indian restaurant. There are also many that will be new even to the most dedicated “curry” addict.

Most Indians are full- or part-time vegetarians and lots of people eat lentils every day. They are comforting in both flavour and texture, simple to make and can be served with either bread or rice. The Indian Bible suggests a mixed yellow dal. There are few spices needed but the combination of mustard seeds, cumin and garlic along with green chillies give heat and richness that is tempered by a bunch of fresh coriander used as an essential ingredient rather than a garnish.

Kerala is a coastal region in southern India. Their cuisine takes advantage of seafood and the ubiquitous coconut and curry leaves, which add a unique flavour. Kerala Prawn Curry is “Kerala on a plate” or at least that’s how the late Keith Floyd would probably have described it. This isn’t a searingly spicy dish so it’s an ideal introduction to Indian food for the timid.

Baigan Bharta is a much celebrated smoky eggplant (aubergine) dish. The vegetables are slowly roasted. No chillies here – it’s a smooth and moreish dip that is a delight served with naan bread. This would make a delicious addition to a starter platter with onion bhajis, samosas and lamb seekh kebabs, also in this book.

Desserts in India are not as common as they are in the West but they are memorable. Kheer – Indian rice pudding – is traditional and full of nuts, dried fruits, saffron, and cardamom. The recipe includes just one pod but I would be tempted to add a few more.

Kulfi – Indian ice cream – is often found on restaurant menus although it’s mostly bought-in rather than made in-house. It’s easy to make at home even without an ice-cream maker. There are two versions here: coconut and pistachio. My favourite is coconut which contains condensed milk as a key ingredient. Don’t be tempted to substitute regular milk for the condensed milk: it’s what gives the distinctive taste and texture.

The Indian Bible is a small-format and practical book with more than 130 recipes. The spices will likely be ones you already have in your larder, and the few exotic extras can be bought either online or in your local Asian supermarket. It’s amazing value for money at only £5.99.

Cookbook review: The Indian Bible
Published by: Dorling Kindersley
Price: £5.99
ISBN 978-1-4053-6325-9

My Indian Kitchen

Even the title holds out great hope for the oft-confused home cook. We are looking for books written with us in mind. A book that takes note of the fact that we are unlikely in the West to have “staff”, a tandoor and a man that pops by on a Wednesday just to grind some spices.

Hari Nayak might not be a familiar name to us in the UK but he is deservedly celebrated in the US.  He has his own food consultancy business and is a restaurateur and promoter of Indian food in America, and he is obviously a talented cookbook author. Although he was born and brought up in India he is a graduate of the CIA. No, dear European reader, Hari isn’t a spy for the US government. CIA in this case is the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. He is a man who definitely has a cheffy finger on the pulses of both East and West. A unique perspective.

This is a stunning large-format cookbook that you would want to own even if you didn’t have a notion where your own kitchen might be. (It's that room with a couple of taps and the microwave.) It entices the reader with images of spices and finished dishes, and it will truly tempt you away from your culinary lethargy (or fear) and into your own kitchen to replicate some memorable dishes that offer authentic tastes of the Subcontinent.

Hari does not assume that the reader in an expert Indian cook or indeed a cook of any ethnic persuasion. The recipes are well-written and give an overview of classic Indian dishes. Classic, yes, but that does not translate to difficult or long-winded. You will be able to make everything here with ease and with the use of spices that you will likely find in your local supermarket.

One of the simplest recipes is for Street-style Grilled Corn on the Cob. It’s summer so the grill is a prominent item of garden furniture. Do something amazing with humble ears of corn, and perhaps consider a whole al fresco Indian meal by adding Masala Lamb Chops and a green salad. I would suggest preparing more lamb than you would normally, as the aroma of grilling meat is mouth-watering. A memorable side dish would be Hari's Smoky Fire-roasted Aubergine (eggplant). This is flavourful and comforting and can also be used as a dip with Indian breads as a starter.

Hari has introduced some elements of innovation. Food should, after all, evolve so Hari gives a nod to his cultural heritage with chai, but goes on to use that favourite beverage in a decadent Crème Brulée. India does have a good array of traditional desserts but Chai Crème Brulée is a twist on the French original, some might say an improvement. Don’t just save this for the end of an Indian meal. It will get compliments at any dinner party.

My pick of the book is probably the recipe for Marinated Roast Leg of Lamb. It’s not something you’ll rustle up in a hurry for unexpected guests but it is worth the time invested. Having said that the time invested is mostly marinating time and you don’t have to keep the lamb company while it’s absorbing those spices. It’s a straightforward dish to make and one that you will make often. The perfume of this cooking meat will fill your home and tease your guests with the promise of a delicious Indian meal before they even reach the table. The leftovers make flavourful sandwiches, or they would if there were any, but that is unlikely.

The lavish photography makes every dish look enticing and even those who are familiar with Indian recipes will find lots of new delights; but this book will be particularly inspiring for those who might have only eaten Indian food in restaurants. My Indian Kitchen offers authentic and accessible dishes that can be prepared without tears (get someone else to peel the onions). A gift-quality book with which you will not want to part.

My Indian Kitchen
Author: Hari Nayak
Published by: Tuttle Publishing
ISBN 978-0-8048-4089-7

Classic Indian Recipes

I am often put off by cookbook titles that include the word ‘classic’. That term sometimes indicates that the dishes are going to be over-fussy and will be relying on rare and costly ingredients for impact. One has visions of the kitchens of Versailles bustling with portly and ill-tempered chefs presiding over an army of downtrodden kitchen menials and each one of those babysitting larks tongues or poking a pot of peacock porridge. If one is considering Indian cuisine the vision is even more intimidating. Will there be a ‘classic’ and indispensible kitchen gadget (probably in brass and exquisitely wrought) to purchase? Perhaps those unfamiliar spices demand a trip to a charmingly exotic gully in Delhi – although one could try the internet.

Fear none of the above scenarios, dear reader. Manju Malhi presents her Classic Indian Recipes and they are written with the modern home cook in mind.  Yes, they are ‘classic’ but that word could be replaced with ‘I have heard of those’ or ‘familiar restaurant’ and equally apt ‘easily made in Twickenham’ (reader substitutes his/her own address). Lots here to excite and encourage domestic gods or goddesses who have hitherto been a bit shy in the presence of a green chilli.

Manju is an Indian but she is also a West London lass, so has an insight into the anxieties of Europeans who would like to make traditional Indian food but have felt themselves incapable. There is no magic formula to preparing striking samosas or amazing aloo gobhi. All you need is a recipe and a bit of confidence. There are no mysterious cooking techniques to master, no additional kitchen equipment needed (assuming you already have a hob) and once you have amassed a collection of half a dozen or so spices you will be ready to tackle all the recipes listed here.

These are simple recipes to follow and they encompass some of my personal favourite dishes. The Sweet Lemon Pickle will be a flavourful garnish to many of the other dishes listed. Anything that only has to be prepared once every 8 months is bound to be popular with all of us with a passion for good food but who have little time. The ubiquitous coriander and mint chutneys are also here and they will be your essential condiments.

I love dal (lentils) in all its forms. Dal Makhani is a perennial restaurant item, as its rich, spiced silkiness is deeply comforting.  It’s rather calorific but a little goes a long way. Simple to make at home and the process can be speeded if one has access to a pressure cooker. It seems that every housewife of Indian descent has at least one and perhaps two of these practical contraptions. You’ll manage very well with just your regular pots, though.

Indian sweets and desserts are overlooked by many other Indian cookbooks, but here Manju offers a creditable selection that takes us from the relatively healthy yoghurt-based Shrikhand to the sweet that I’d fight you for – Doodh ki Barfi. You might not recognise the name but think of those Indian sweetshops with their piles of cubed and sugary delights. You can now make these chez vous for a fraction of the price of the commercial varieties. I would add a little cardamom for extra flavour.

My pick of the book is a recipe for a vegetable which is delicious served alongside almost anything. It would work well as a nibble with drinks and the only drawback is that you will never be able to make enough. It’s Bhindi Jaipuri and it’s addictive. Okra is about as popular in urban legend as broccoli but this is a must-try dish. The coated and fried okra are transformed into vibrant and crunchy morsels. Moreish – but feel noble: they are vegetables and one of your 5-a-day.

Classic Indian Recipes by Manju Malhi is great value for money and a solid introduction to Indian cooking.

Asian cookbook review: Classic Indian Recipes
Author: Manju Malhi
Published by: Hamlyn
Price: £10.00
ISBN 978-0-600-62235-2

Mighty Spice

John Gregory-Smith has penned a unique and fascinating volume. It considers the spices themselves rather than focusing on a particular culinary tradition. So many countries have cuisines that showcase spices. Chilli is common across the globe but was unknown outside the Americas before that continent was discovered; these days we could not consider making an Asian curry without a few chillies.

Mighty Spice takes advantage of a selection of 25 or so spices and they will all be available to you in your local supermarket, or online if you live in a lighthouse. No, don’t take fright at the imagined complexity of these dishes. John uses a maximum of five spices for each recipe. Once you have your collection of powders and seeds then you’ll be set to make everything in this book: simple yet vibrant dishes.

There is an element of food-related tour guide here. John has travelled extensively and, naturally, he has been eating along the way. He wasn’t your usual backpacker: he had a successful career in the food industry but this was still a voyage of discovery, just as all good voyages should be. He ate in homes and in favourite cafés, every meal giving inspiration and an overview of that particular country’s culinary heritage.

There are plenty of dishes here that you will recognise from your own travels but many more that will be less familiar. Indonesian Nasi Goreng is a perennial restaurant favourite but it’s quick and simple to prepare at home and this recipe makes good use of leftover cooked rice. Always cook more rice than you need just to have some “fast food” the following day.

Mexican dishes are more popular than ever. Frijoles Negros – Mexican re-fried beans – are ubiquitous in Mexican homes and Mexican restaurants across the globe. This is comfort food at its finest. Creamy and substantial and a side dish for any self-respecting taco or tortilla or Mexican scrambled eggs for a memorable breakfast.

Bangkok Garlic and Black Pepper Chicken is my pick of the book. Yes, just pepper as your main spice and I bet you already have that in your store cupboard. Garlic is in every supermarket and this recipe uses 8 cloves, which is probably a whole head. That sounds like a lot for just 500g of chicken breast meat, but garlic has two faces: it's pungent and spicy in its raw form but it becomes unctuous, sweet and rich when cooked. Chicken is still the most economic of meats and this dish is of dinner-party quality.

Mighty Spice is ideal for lovers of flavourful dishes. John Gregory-Smith’s thoughtfully-selected recipes showcase particular spices but also give an overview of culinary style. These dishes range from the chilli-hot to the mildly-aromatic. There are those that are robust and others, like John's selection of desserts, that are sweet and perfumed. Something for every taste.

Cookbook review: Mighty Spice
Author: John Gregory-Smith
Published by: Duncan Baird
Price: £20.00
ISBN 978-1-84483-991-9

Cooking with Olive Oil

An acquaintance gave me this book, Cooking with Olive Oil. I was rather surprised. No, in truth I was shocked.

The title ‘Cooking with Olive Oil’ explains just what this book is about. Europeans, and especially those fortunate enough to live an olive-pit’s throw from the Mediterranean have used this “green gold” for millennia. It has been widely promoted as a healthy food, natural and delicious. Yes, olive oil and I have been on nodding terms for several decades.

So, OK, it was not the olive oil that stunned me but rather my acquaintance. Sanjeev Kapoor is perhaps the most celebrated and recognised face in India. He can hardly walk a few yards even in England without being recognised, his hand pumped, a snap for the album taken, and even his feet touched by those who admire the most-viewed chef on the planet. Sanjeev Kapoor has penned a book on, obviously, cooking with olive oil, but this is Indian food cooked with olive oil and that is tantamount to a revolution!

So many people in the UK complain that Indian food in restaurants is too heavy and oily. That has changed over the last years, and now we have many fine Indian restaurants which replicate traditional home cooking and authentic fare. Those gloopy and oil-drenched “curries” are still with us but they are fewer these days. The best Indian food is often found in homes and the insertion of olive oil into the kitchen larder adds to the appeal of this great and classic cuisine.

So is this still “classic” Indian food? Well, yes indeed. A cuisine must live and evolve. We think of Indian dishes as being chilli-hot with good use being made of potatoes and tomatoes. But those ingredients are not indigenous to the Subcontinent – they arrived with the discovery of the New World. Amazing food should never be limited by anything other than good taste and imagination. Olive oil is a natural and healthful addition to the regular battery of Indian ingredients.

Part of the inspiration for this book came from Sanjeev's own home cook, a lady of fairly advanced years who used some bottles of olive oil just because they were there. Her endorsement must be taken seriously as she is, after all, the chef to a chef. The family had been unaware that they had been enjoying olive oil in place of the regular choice for a while. I guess that was the most convincing of blind tastings.

This book is full of tempting Indian dishes that have been adapted take advantage of the positive qualities of olive oil. Several recipes also include the olives themselves, to offer an intriguing and unique fusion. Carrot, Raisin and Black Olive Salad is reminiscent of those North African side dishes found along the southern coast of the Mediterranean. Corn Bhel with Tomato and Olives has its origins in the snack culture of India.

My pick of the book is Punjabi Kadhi. These are spicy and aromatic pakoras dressed with a yoghurt-based sauce. The dumplings are deep-fried in olive oil but, cooked at the right temperature, these will absorb hardly any oil, making this a delicious and guilt-free meal. That’s dinner this evening, chez nous.

Cooking with Olive Oil by Sanjeev Kapoor will appeal to all of us, and particularly to those who have health or weight issues. A simple replacement of olive oil for your habitual medium is a 21st century departure, but it’s a healthy choice rather than a trendy fad. No flavour is diminished and the olive oil will not be noticed, even by the purists, in those hearty and flavourful dishes.

Cooking with Olive Oil
Author: Sanjeev Kapoor
Published by: Popular Prakashan Ltd
ISBN 978-81-7991-497-7

Sanjeev Kapoor - Master of the Art of Indian Cooking

Japanese Bible

There is no denying the popularity of Japanese food in the UK these days. There has been a proliferation of new restaurants showcasing that cuisine. All of our cities will have some and many have a slew of sushi-peddling establishments, but few offer extensive menus of cooked Japanese food. Even the Japanese do not live by sushi alone. Nice from time to time but boring for both lunch and dinner seven days a week.

We can easily cook real Japanese food ourselves. The Japanese have cold snowy winters just as we do in Northern Europe and they need hearty and hot fare just like us. This volume offers a good over-view of authentic Japanese cuisine, and the ingredients will mostly be on-hand in your local chain supermarket.

If one still craves cool rice then try Onigiri. These are stuffed rice balls and the equivalent of a sandwich. They are a staple of bento boxes which are sold at every Japanese railway station. They are simple to make and can be filled either with some well-flavoured left-overs or the suggested stuffing of tuna and Japanese mayo. These would be a great addition to an Asian buffet.

Donburi are those bowls of hot rice with various toppings. Prawn Sukiyaki on rice has a mound of garnishes that are light yet flavourful. It’s a complete meal and very attractive. Use the basic recipe but substitute the seafood with thin slices of cooked beef or a selection of vegetables. Fried Pork Cutlet might not sound very Japanese but in fact it’s very popular and it makes a good topping. Donburi is traditional and versatile.

Green Tea Ice-cream is my pick of the book. Tea in all its guises is more popular than ever these days. We have enjoyed a revival in the classic English afternoon tea, but it’s the health properties that have given these leaves a boost. Japanese green tea has a distinctive agreeable taste and imparts a beautiful pistachio-green colour when used to infuse milk-based dishes. Green Tea Ice Cream makes a fitting end to a Japanese meal, where presentation is key to success. Its delicate flavour calms the palate, and a simple mound of this could persuade many of us down the Zen path. Nothing fussy here: few ingredients providing a confection that is as correct as an understated but well-crafted Ikebana – flower arrangement...and made in your very own understated IKEA-inspired kitchen.

Japanese food might have been hi-jacked by fast conveyor-belt sushi shops, and they do have their place in the food chain, but we can prepare authentic Japanese food at home. No need for special knives or crockery, and the Japanese Bible introduces the reader to the dishes that the Japanese would cook for themselves.

Asian cookbook review: Japanese Bible
Published by: Dorling Kindersley
Price: £5.99
ISBN: 978-1-4053-6326-6

Thai Bible

A few years ago Thai restaurants were rare but that’s changed, and some lucky folks even get to have holidays in Thailand. They return home and search for those exotic and evocative tastes of Bangkok. Whilst it’s true that one can find some authentic dishes in those aforementioned restaurants, one can’t eat out very often ...unless one is also a restaurant reviewer.

Thai Bible is part of a series from Dorling Kindersley, little books that seem to weigh a lot for their size. 150 or so recipes in this particular volume and a raft of colour photographs to tempt one into the kitchen. The cooking techniques are simple and most dishes are fast to prepare. You’ll find the majority of the ingredients at your local supermarket, although a trip to an Asian store might be necessary if you live in anything other than a cosmopolitan neighbourhood.

Looks like summer has arrived. It stayed dry in London for the Royal Wedding and many of us have got the barbecue dusted off in readiness for some scorching days. Well, OK, that might be a bit optimistic but we can indeed expect some al fresco dining opportunities, and there are many dishes in this volume that would lend themselves to such occasions. Barbecued Pork Ribs are simple to prepare and the essential marinade has few ingredients, all of which can be found in your regular supermarket. I am sure the recipe would work equally well if one used pork chops or even pork loin. Black pepper is the predominant spice here.

Asian desserts are few and far between, so it was a surprise to find almost a dozen here. Yes, they are Thai but they would be an apt finale to any Asian meal. Coconut Custard has only four ingredients and makes a stunning dinner party dessert with very little effort. Perhaps Mango Sorbet would be my star choice from the Sweets chapter, though. This recipe needs an ice-cream maker but you will be delighted by the end results of your very slight labours. Mango has a distinct flavour that loses nothing of its intensity in the freezing process.

I have several favourite recipes from Thai Bible. Mushrooms and Chinese Cabbage in Oyster Sauce is savoury and moreish. The oyster sauce is not at all fishy. It has in fact an almost meaty flavour which adds richness to simple vegetarian dishes.

Grilled Mackerel with Chilli and Tamarind Sauce is the must-try recommendation. Another one for the barbecue. This is an oily fish and we should eat more of it. It has a marked flavour that I find agreeable but this recipe offers a marinade of spicy character which might persuade guests who don’t like fishy fish to try a corner. The fish will cook in just 6 minutes so still time to slap on some burgers if those friends are still unconvinced.

Thai Bible is amazing value for money. A chunky book filled with practical recipes to remind you of long-haul vacations. Avoid the airport misery and enjoy those tantalising aromas and delicious meals emanating from your own kitchen.

Asian cookbook review: Thai Bible
Author: Jackie Passmore
Published by: Dorling Kindersley
Price: £5.99
ISBN 978-1-4053-6323-5

Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing Cookbook

I am driven to describe some cookbooks as recipes with a bit of travel. Other volumes I have reviewed as travel adventures with some cooking on the side. Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing Cookbook is as much a travelogue as an encyclopaedia of every culinary tradition of Northern Laos.

Note that I suggest that there is more than one cuisine in Northern Laos. In fact there are several distinct cultures that call this region home. Some of these groups have lived there for many hundreds of years whilst others have moved in more recently from the neighbouring countries, and naturally they have brought with them their style of cooking and their love of diverse foods.

The Boat Landing in question is a guest house and restaurant which introduces travellers to the food of this corner of Laos. These dishes represent the regular fare of the local population. They have been carefully chosen to appeal to the Western palate but are authentic and un-adapted.

Now, it’s true that there are some recipes here that will be a bit challenging if one does not either live in the tropics or have access to a good Asian supermarket. But there is much here that can be made with the spices that you will likely have lingering at the back of your larder. There are even dishes that are familiar to lovers of south-east Asian food. Pho originated in Vietnam but now this soup has become a Laotian favourite.

The book starts by tempting the reader to visit this charming and culturally rich corner of our shrinking planet. Each of the resident communities is presented in prose and pictures. It’s a small world that’s fast changing – this book is as much about archiving the lives and values of the population of Northern Laos as it is about preserving its culinary heritage. A couple of hours in the company of this book will have even those who are strangers to the inside of a kitchen booking a flight to Laos.

Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing Cookbook is a must for any passionate cook who might be considering a trip to south-east Asia. Many of us are enthusiastic home chefs who are comfortable preparing Indian curries, Japanese domburis, Chinese dim sum and Thai soups, but this book introduces so many unfamiliar ingredients and combinations. Yes, it’s true that some dishes have been influenced by other cuisines, but Laos has indeed cultivated its own culinary identity.

Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing Cookbook is well written, and illustrated by some of the finest photography of that region that one will ever find. A credit to both the author, Dorothy Culloty, and the photographer, Kees Sprengers.

Asian cookbook review: Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing Cookbook
Author: Dorothy Culloty; photographer: Kees Sprengers
Published by: Galangal Press
ISBN 978-0-473-17236-7

100 Essential Curries – Madhur Jaffrey

Whilst it’s some time since the Grande Dame of Indian cooking has graced our screens, it’s true that she remains our classic Indian TV food presenter. She wafted into our homes in a flourish of sari and with a collection of exotic ingredients that many of us had never heard of.

A couple of decades have passed since that first introduction. Now we all know that ginger doesn’t come in a jar with syrup, and it did have another form before it became a powder. We can appreciate that there really is no such thing as curry powder, although that lurid yellow compound from a cardboard tub was our only “Indian” ingredient for a century or so. But Madhur is thankfully still with us to offer us authentic and adapted recipes to inspire us anew.

100 Essential Curries offers, yes, curry but also those dishes that one adds to make a complete meal. One could choose to use plain rice to accompany sauced dishes but Madhur offers some traditional alternatives that are simple to prepare. Rice with Black-eyed Peas is hearty and perfumed with cloves and a hint of garam masala. Lemon rice is subtle and light and I often serve this with fish. It was originally made with lime juice but this recipe has both lemon juice and rind. It’s worth getting curry leaves rather than substituting basil if one is having this with other Indian dishes.

More and more of us are eating less and less meat these days. Some folks want to treat their bodies like temples and prefer to tread the meat-free path. Others have issues revolving around the non-consumption of anything with pretty eyes. Lentils are an ideal meat substitute. Not that I am suggesting that meat is such an invaluable part of the diet of any thinking person that it needs a conscious replacement. India has a wealth of lentil dishes that are economic and nutritious but also delicious and that is, after all, your reason for eating them.

Red Lentils with the celebrated Indian five-spice, panchphoran, has few ingredients and takes only 40 minutes to cook, and even less time than that if one uses a pressure cooker, ubiquitous in Indian kitchens even in the UK. The five spices in question are cumin, fennel, mustard seeds, fenugreek and black onion seeds. It’s sold ready prepared or one could use equal quantities of the above and mix the spices oneself. This is an aromatic dal that can be eaten with just Indian bread or rice, or as a side dish for any Indian meat or fish.

My pick of the book is Cardamom and Black Pepper Chicken. All the spices are those you will likely have in your larder and the dish, after marinating, takes about as long as does the rice to cook. This recipe uses black pepper as flavouring rather than as a background seasoning. It gives not only heat but a distinct taste to the dish. A winter warmer.

100 Essential Curries by Madhur Jaffrey has a melange of contemporary and traditional recipes. They have been chosen with the European home cook in mind. There is nothing here that will be over-taxing for the novice, and there is plenty to excite the interest of those who already have a collection of Indian cookbooks. Each recipe has a picture on the opposite page and that always gives a bit of confidence, even to us practised cooks. Here you will find real Indian food from a real Indian. Madhur reminds us of the reasons we took her to our hearts in the first place. She is quite simply a good food writer, and this volume must be just about the best value of all her cookbooks. Buy this and the others will surely follow.

Asian cookbook review: 100 Essential Curries
Author: Madhur Jaffrey
Published by: Random House
Price: £7.99
ISBN: 978-0-09-194052-2

Sichuan Cookery

I had never been a great Chinese food aficionado. I didn’t know enough about the subject to make informed choices when confronted by a Chinese restaurant menu. So much of it seemed to be rather mild, although pleasant and with diversity of texture, and so often attractively presented.

There were, however, those dishes that did rather tempt and intrigue me. Those plates of red-lacquered meats or vegetables with a strand of sliced red chilli and perhaps a deep-fried peanut or two. Why were these dishes so different? It’s still Chinese food isn’t it? Well, yes, but China is a big country and Sichuan is the size of France. There is bound to be culinary diversity and I had struck on a regional cuisine that did appeal.

Fuchsia Dunlop is our very own Grande Dame (I think she might be a bit young to shoulder that burden) of Sichuan cooking. She isn’t given that accolade because she has enjoyed many a spicy meal in restaurants. She hasn’t been acclaimed as an authority because she has attended a few Chinese cookery classes at her local adult education college. Fuchsia honestly is an expert and is considered so even by Chinese citizens – she has lived and studied in this very province of Sichuan.

Sichuan Cookery is truly a worthy tome that will enthral anyone who has enjoyed those hot-chilli flavours and the unique numbing sensation and savour of Sichuan pepper. It’s a book for lovers of robust tastes and gloriously richly coloured foods. It’s a volume that truly does get one’s mouth watering.

This book is a veritable culinary encyclopaedia and travelogue. It offers the academic a feast of facts and historic anecdote. For those of us who want to grab the wok and cook, Fuchsia presents us with the best dishes that the region has to offer. Plenty of spice but also a raft of subtle recipes that are equally authentic. For example, fried eggs with tomatoes only has salt and pepper and the green parts of spring onions for seasoning.

The spicy dishes will be the ones that will likely get your attention, though. They will be the reason you were drawn to the book. They are here in profusion, packed with flavour but simple to prepare. There is a glossary of ingredients so you’ll be able to complete your Sichuan pantry with just a quick trip to Chinatown or a simple surf of the net.

I have favourites from every section of this book and Steamed Buns with Spicy Beansprout Stuffing is my choice from the Streetfood chapter. There are steamed buns found in various parts of China but this recipe is distinctly Sichuanese with a filling flavoured with chilli bean paste. Fun finger food.

The pick of the book, for me at least, is Spicy Beef Slices with Tangerine Peel. It has all those components that make this particular Chinese cuisine so enticing. Chilli spice balanced with layers of well-chosen flavours, in this case hints of citrus and Sichuan pepper for that typical taste and tongue-tingle.

Fuchsia Dunlop is rightly recognised for her considerable knowledge but you’ll buy this book because she shares her know-how in a most engaging fashion. She writes with style, humour and consideration for the home cook, whom she supports and encourages. This is surely, or will in future become, a Chinese cookery classic.

Sichuan Cookery
Author: Fuchsia Dunlop
Published by: Penguin
Price: £16.99
ISBN 978-0-140-29541-2

Ken Hom – 100 Quick Stir-fry Recipes

I have long been a fan of compact and concise cookbooks, the ones that present a recipe on one page and a confidence-boosting picture on the opposite page, single-topic books that one will truly take into the kitchen and use. This series from My Kitchen Table (they have a supporting web site at http://www.mykitchentable.co.uk) ticks all the boxes for me. Yes, the format is just right, but the recipes are what count.

Ken Hom is an internationally celebrated authority on Chinese food and cooking. He was the first Chinese to have great success on UK TV with his ground-breaking cookery show in 1984, Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery on the BBC. He began his culinary career in his uncle's Chicago restaurant at the tender age of eleven, before eventually becoming a lecturer at California's Culinary Academy.

He has written over 30 cookery books which have been well received worldwide. He has fronted numerous TV series as well as having his own product range including a wok, an example of which graces the kitchen of this reviewer. Ken was awarded an honorary OBE for 'services to the culinary arts' in 2009 so it’s evident that we in Britain have adopted this man and taken him to our hearts.

His list of culinary achievements and gongs is impressive but we just love this man’s food. He has become so successful because his food is accessible. We have an abundance of oriental ingredients and are drawn to healthy and quick dishes made with either a Ken Hom wok or one purchased from the local Chinese grocer. 100 Quick Stir-fry Recipes reflects the way we eat today ...or should.

The recipes are divided by food type. Plenty of vegetarian and fish dishes but even the meat dishes are fast to prepare and will leave you feeling noble. There are Chinese dishes aplenty here but also spicy temptations from Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and even Italy. The focus is on the cooking method rather than the geographic origin of the food.

I have heard so many people complain that they can’t make fried rice. They wonder if there is some kind of secret or perhaps there is a particular variety of rice known only to the owners of Chinese restaurants or take-aways. Well, yes, there is a little secret known only to millions. One must use cooked and cooled rice. Ken offers us a basic but indispensable recipe for egg-fried rice. It’s fool-proof and will be a key element in turning many of these recipes into full meals.

We should all eat more fish. It’s healthy and there is plenty of choice. Stir-Fried Fish with Black Bean Sauce is the dish that will inspire those who insist they hate fish because it’s bland. This recipe makes use of pungent and salty black beans. 1½ teaspoons are all that’s needed to flavour fish enough for 4 people. Robust flavours and a meal that doesn’t cost the earth.

My pick of the book is Spicy Chicken with Peanuts. It’s also known as Kung Pau or Kung Po Chicken, an attractive dish of lacquered meat with flecks of vibrant red dried chillies. A recipe for which to use that dusty bottle of dry sherry – it makes a convincing substitute for shaoxing rice wine.

100 Quick Stir-fry Recipes is a practical collection of well-chosen recipes to suit all tastes. We all want to eat well but without the need to take up long-term residence in the kitchen. This will likely become the book you reach for when strapped for time or cash.  Great value for money.

Author: Ken Hom
Title: 100 Quick Stir-fry Recipes
Published by: Random House
Price: £7.99
ISBN 978-1-84-990147-5

Curry Easy – Madhur Jaffrey

Too many years ago, Madhur Jaffrey graced our screens. For anyone with a litre or more of Indian genetic material it was a revelation. Yes, there had always been Indians on TV: Arapaho, Mohawk, Apache. Some of us thought we might have a bit of Sioux coursing through our veins as that is what the media presented as ‘Indian’. Always the bad guys and always getting creamed by the cavalry. Although in truth film did introduce a bit of balance, in the guise of the very Welsh Richard Burton playing an Indian doctor in The Rains of Ranchipur – but it only added to the cultural confusion. Yes, Madhur Jaffrey was one of the first high-profile Asian Indians on British television.

Madhur Jaffrey was a real Indian, and with a prime-time show. She appeared with a waft of silken sari elegance. This actress used her front-of-camera professionalism to charm her new-found audience with their first taste of Indian cooking. The Great British Public were hooked. Madhur's book, which was the show companion, was the first Indian cookbook that the majority of us had seen.

Curry Easy exudes the same accessible style that one had come to expect from the Grande Dame of all things Sub-continentally culinary. It’s been a while since she has published in the UK, and this is a volume that will introduce a new generation of food lovers to simple home-style Indian cooking. Madhur admits that this cookbook has in mind those who are strapped for time. She offers short-cuts and handy hints that are welcome and practical. Her tip on microwaving papadoms will encourage a peak in supermarket sales of those crispy delights.

This is a book for those who want to eat authentic food in a timely fashion. Yes, still authentic because this is indeed the way that Indian women cook. Visit any Asian home in the UK and you will likely find a can or two of chickpeas rather than the dry packs. Yes, real Indians do buy ready-mixed garam masala in bags, and peas can be found in every freezer. The ingredients for these recipes are not lengthy and although this isn’t your typical fast food it is good food in a hurry. The slower-cooked dishes will allow you time to relax while tantalising aromas fill your flat, or permeate your penthouse.

Baked Chicken Curry is a dish that is economic enough to become a weekday family favourite, but it’s also ideal for entertaining. Most of the work can be done the day before, or in the morning for an evening meal – marinate and bake. As with all of these recipes it takes advantage of common Indian spices that you will undoubtedly already have at the back of your larder.

Aubergine with Tomatoes is one of my picks of the book. It’s reminiscent of a recipe from one of Madhur’s original books for a vegetable preparation, from Hyderabad I think. This is a less oily version but is equally full-on in the flavour department, and it does double duty as both a hot dish and a salad. This could be a striking summer side dish for grilled meats or fish.

South Indian Potato Curry is comfort food at its finest, another cost-effective dish that is elevated with a flourish of coconut milk to finish. That adds a richness and a hint of exotica. The spicing is restrained and all that’s needed is some traditional bread to scoop up the sauce. Cooked in less than half an hour, so you’ll be eating before the regular take-out moped would have arrived. Most folks have a bag of spuds lurking in the store cupboard, so it’s the dish to cook when you don’t know what to cook and you “haven’t got anything in”.

Curry Easy is full of simple recipes but one does not have the impression that these have been dumbed down for the benefit of inept Europeans. I know of a couple of Indians who have enthused over this book so I feel no shame in admitting that I found it an absorbing read – a book that you will quickly put to good use. Congratulations again, Ms. Jaffrey.

Asian cookbook review: Curry Easy
Author: Madhur Jaffrey
Published by: Ebury Press
Price: £20.00
ISBN 978-0-09-192314-3

The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook – Recipes from Hunan Province

The title of Fuchsia Dunlop’s Chinese cookbook is intriguing. It might not immediately sound appealing. Is this food for revolutionaries? Perhaps dishes to be welcomed by malcontent student activists and probably served from huge vats dotted around government buildings. It is in fact a tome that could just as reasonably be entitled the Evolutionary Chinese cookbook as it does indeed chart the history of the culinary heritage of Hunan Province, incidentally the home region of Chairman Mao.

Fuchsia Dunlop is European but one suspects that her heart is pure Chinese. She trained as a chef in China at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu where she lived for several years. She is a fluent Mandarin speaker and is considered one of the UK’s foremost authorities on Chinese food in all its delicious and diverse guises. The foreword is penned by none other than Ken Hom, such is the regard in which this lady is held.

Hunan dishes are prized for their chilli-laden robustness but with the addition of steamed delicate delights, and tangy fermented black bean preparations that are truly moreish. This is a cuisine that will turn the head of any of us who have found the regular Cantonese high-street ‘favourites’ to be somewhat lack-lustre and contrived. I for one could envisage myself craving Hunan food in the same way as I would the striking dishes of northern India or Sri Lanka.

There are temptations on every page and these have a gratifyingly short list of ingredients, all of which will be available in your supermarket, local Asian grocers or online. A store of half a dozen or so packs or bottles will supply you with the fixin’s for all these recipes. You will likely already have a wok, and the traditional wok scoop, guo chan, will help you to sway like a Chinese chef and even sound like one. No, you won’t be speaking like a native resident of Hunan after a moment of stirring, but the distinctive metallic scrape of gau chan on wok is unique.

Spicy Steamed Pork Buns – duo jiao xiao bau – are simple to make and are traditional snacks from a teahouse dating back to 1875. The Duyan survived the worst excesses of the Cultural Revolution, only to be demolished in the early 2000s. Culinary memories still linger and these buns must surely be part of the reason for the success of the original restaurant. The recipe makes 20 dumplings which will disappear in moments.

Chairman Mao is said to have loved a particular pork dish and now it bears his name. Mao shi hong shao pou is Red Braised Pork with the ubiquitous chillies as well as aromatic cassia bark and liquorishy star anise. Beef with Cumin – zi ran niu rou – takes advantage of a spice that most of us associate more readily with Indian dishes. This particular recipe comes from Guchengge restaurant in Chengsha. Cumin gives a distinct flavour, turning this into real comfort food.

Vegetarians are well catered for. One of the simplest yet most vibrant preparations here is Stir-fried Peppers with Black Beans and Garlic – duo chi chu la jiao. It lacks the typical chillies but relies instead on salty fermented black beans for savour.

The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook is a triumph. It’s a marvellous recipe book without doubt. It introduces the reader to a lesser-known style of Chinese food – glossy sauces with rich and memorable flavours. It is also a culinary travelogue and regional history, a book to cook from and to snuggle down with on long winter nights. I assure you, you’ll want to do both. Outstanding.

The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook – Recipes from Hunan Province
Author: Fuchsia Dunlop
Published by: Ebury Press
Price: £27.50
ISBN 0 091 90483 8

Café Spice Namasté: Cookbook

There is an Indian restaurant just a stone’s throw from Tower Bridge. A red brick building, imposing steps to self-important doors, stained glass, high ceilings and striking decor. That’s Café Spice Namasté – an emporium of fine Indian food with a menu that reflects the chef’s Parsee roots.

Chef Cyrus Todiwala has talent, a celebrated restaurant, an OBE, and Pervin, his wife and partner, as his unique assets. This eponymous restaurant cookbook encapsulates the culinary heritage and love of quality ingredients for which Cyrus is famed. He is an unapologetic supporter of British produce and makes use of it at every opportunity at Café Spice Namasté.

But you won’t be buying this book because it was penned by one of the Indian restaurant industry’s good guys. You will likely be looking for a book to cook from. This volume offers Indian recipes that are chosen to appeal to the European home cook but which are still authentic – a selection of recipes that will offer something new, even for those of us with considerable Indian cookbook collections.

Café Spice Namasté Cookbook has the feel of a family recipe book. Lots of anecdotes and family lore laced with Cyrus’ humour and easy charm. The food here is simple to prepare and delicious. There are dishes to impress the in-laws and even more that could become your own regular weekday fare. This is real honest cooking: dishes for lovers of good food rather than just “foodies”.

It’s hard to find only a few dishes to mention in a review. I could, and probably will, graze on all of them and there are over 100 to choose from. I could start with Onion Bhajia. Not the ubiquitous tennis ball (or should that be cricket ball?) of a heavy and stodgy mass that we are so often presented with on high-street snack counters. These traditional fried delights are much more delicate and addictive.

Talking of street food... Frankie is here. Sounds like the name of a Bollywood hero, the sort with pearly teeth and mesmerising chest. This Frankie is a stuffed and egg-enrobed chapatti which was once the fast food of choice in Mumbai, till the American chains turned heads. A wrap that will be a favourite with all members of the family.

Seafood aficionados are well-served by this book. Cyrus cheffed in Goa and so has showcased some of those regional fish dishes here, including the popular Goan Fish Curry. This can be made even with the humble (and in my opinion too-often overlooked) coley. An economic yet stunning fish main course that would delight even your poshest guests. It’s the coconut that I find so tempting. This can be eaten cold, so it’s perfect for making ahead when entertaining on our long hot (use your imagination) summer nights.

You will equally be drawn to this book if you feel your dinner is not complete without a robust helping of meat. There are plenty of red meat and chicken dishes as well as recipes for game and exotic protein such as ostrich, which is becoming more popular. Crocodile also puts in an appearance and is said to be eaten in central India.

Café Spice Namasté Cookbook is not “surprisingly” good. Good is exactly what I expected from this well-respected man. Yes, he is a chef at the top of his game, but he has a natural style and remains dedicated to enticing ordinary folk into the kitchen. His recipes are thoughtful and simple to prepare. Truly dishes that you will return to, time and time again. This book was published in 1998 but it’s worth looking for copies, or contact Café Spice Namasté directly here. Also consider the soft-cover ‘Indian Summer’, which contains similar recipes as well as menu ideas for meals to impress.

Café Spice Namasté has an enviable and deserved reputation and should be a destination restaurant for those who have a passion for the best of food, and Sub-continental dishes in particular. It’s been open for 15 years and has a host of regulars who are known by name and welcomed as friends. I’ll be visiting often and staying long.

Café Spice Namasté: 
16 Prescot Street, London E1 8AZ

Open Monday – Friday
Lunch: 12:00 – 3:00 pm
Dinner: 6:15 – 10:30 pm

Saturday:
6:30 pm – 10:30 pm

Vegetarian Cooking of India

Mridula Baljekar presents us with another superb example of her skill as a food writer. Vegetarian Cooking of India is the latest in a string of books which exemplify the reasons why she is held in such high regard by home cooks, those with a passion for Indian food, and collectors of beautiful recipe books.

Vegetarian Cooking of India is a large format volume from Aquamarine. This publisher offers some of the most thoughtful and practical cookbooks around. They have found a path that strikes a balance between a food manual and a food annual. Mridula puts recipes in cultural and geographic context and there is a very appealing element of food travelogue. This is not only a vegetarian cookbook but also a culinary reflection of regional diversity.

One can always expect something striking from Mridula, and this latest work will not disappoint those who have enjoyed her previous recipe collections. She does not assume that her reader has any particular kitchen prowess. She starts with an overview of ingredients, equipment and techniques. Each recipe includes a few words to give confidence to the novice and to inspire the more practised.

There are 80 classic recipes here, but classic does not mean that they are facsimiles of those already contained within the covers of your other favourite Indian cookbooks. The dishes here are authentic and there is something for every taste: Sweet Pineapple Salad flecked with black mustard seeds from South India to Potatoes in Chilli-Tamarind Sauce from West India.

Vegetarian Cooking of India represents the style of food that is eaten in homes all over the Subcontinent and indeed in expatriate homes worldwide. The dishes are lighter and fresher-tasting than those you find in all but the best Indian restaurants. The recipes here contain more aromatic spices than searingly hot ones. It’s about flavour rather than fire.

Channa Madra – chickpeas in a spice-laced yogurt sauce – is North Indian. This is a substantial dish which will be appreciated even by those who would normally crave meat at every meal. The use of lentils and beans in these recipes might persuade many carnivores down the semi-vegetarian route.

Sanar Kofta – Indian cheese balls from North East India – are made with Paneer which can be found in most large supermarkets. It’s a mild cheese which absorbs flavours and is used extensively in Indian kitchens. These balls are covered in a piquant sauce and served with rice for a main meal. I would think that they could equally work as a vegetarian and more tempting version of the ubiquitous cocktail sausage, which was passé by the end of the 60s yet endures in some quarters.

Dimer Dalna – egg, potato and green pea curry from East India – is economic and a must-try dish. It is delicately infused with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Mridula serves this with Indian bread for which she includes several recipes. Comfort food at its warming finest.

Good Indian desserts are more often found in Indian homes than Indian restaurants. Mridula has some tempting traditional suggestions, and Shrikand – saffron-scented strained yogurt – is one of my favourites. It has to be made at least 2 hours in advance so it’s ideal for the end of an exotic meal or to finish a light summer lunch.

It’s no surprise to find a chutney recipe in a Mridula Baljekar cookbook: she produces her own brand of seasonal chutneys that are delightfully flavourful and different. If you can’t find her jars in your supermarket then you can at least enjoy her Tomato Achar – roasted tomato chutney – made by your own fair hands.

Vegetarian Cooking of India is a book that will encourage you into the kitchen. The recipes are simple to execute but are exciting enough to be appreciated by those who already have lots of Indian dishes in their repertoire. Nothing to drive a debutant into panic but plenty to inspire.

Visit Mridula Baljekar here

Asian Cookbook review: Vegetarian Cooking of India
Author: Mridula Baljekar
Published by: Aquamarine
Price: £17.99

The Just Bento Cookbook – Everyday Lunches to Go

It’s a bento cookbook. But I know for a fact that not everyone in Europe will know exactly what bento is. Most people would have heard the word and will remember that it has something or other to do with Japanese food. Bento isn’t an ingredient, it does not have to be Japanese, and it isn’t necessarily even exotic. Bento is a lunch box.

Japan is famed for its refined culture. That artistry extends to food and we all know about intricately displayed fish for sashimi, and tightly-rolled and bejewelled sushi, but let’s consider the Japanese equivalent of a curly sandwich. Yes, you are quite right. It doesn’t exist.

Railway stations in Japan offer their customers bento boxes. There are small shops that offer these foods; and mothers and wives send their loved ones from the house with food that will still be tasty after a few hours. Bento is pre-packed lunch, but not often of the cheese-and-pickle and white-sliced variety.

The Just Bento Cookbook – Everyday Lunches to Go will fire the imagination of those responsible for making the food for meal breaks. Kids will be excited by the contents of their plastic boxes and are far less likely to swap for a packet of jelly beans. The suggestions here offer vibrant flavours and different textures as well as dietary balance.

If we lived in Japan we would have a wide selection of bento boxes to choose from. Two layers and interlocking, single layer with movable dividers, large bento box with individual lidded containers within. The rest of the world, apart from India with its unique tiffin boxes, has a plastic box with a snap-on lid. You will be delighted to know that the regular sandwich box or even an ex-almost-butter box will do. No need to go on a shopping spree to Osaka.

For the moment banish from your mind the thought of sarnies. Consider rice, either fluffy or compressed. How’s about some cool and flavourful noodles, some fresh veggies with a light dressing and some cooked meat with a soy sauce lacquer. Sounds enticing doesn’t it?

An inspiring and rich bento meal listed here is that for Ginger Pork Bento. It’s a hearty meal that would work just as well for supper and served on a plate as it does for noon from a box. The tangy meat is paired with braised new potatoes and there are stir-fried peppers and bean sprouts, cauliflower in mayo, and rice to make this a complete meal. An adult bento if ever there was one.

The most child-friendly compilation here is perhaps the Pan-fried Chicken Nugget Bento. It includes a potato salad and a selection of raw vegetables with a citrus-herb sauce. A healthy meal but fun to eat. An alternative might be the Pork and Shrimp Balls with Onigiri. These are balls of compressed rice and much more practical for little lunchers than negotiating separate grains of rice with chop sticks. No need for cutlery at all.

My favourite recipe from The Just Bento Cookbook is for the Sukiyaki-style Beef Donburi Bento. This is another substantial boxful of meat over rice with a garnish of vegetables. The meat has a sweet yet savoury flavour that is most agreeable even when cold. This version uses snow peas (mange-tout) and daikon, but one could substitute other vegetables which might be more readily available.

The Just Bento Cookbook – Everyday Lunches to Go is a colourful and attractive volume that will be a boon to anyone who eats a packed lunch every day. These recipes are simple but will offer something a bit more enticing than the usual sandwich and bag of crisps. There is a bento here for every taste. A book full of practical ideas.

Asian cookbook review: The Just Bento Cookbook – Everyday Lunches to Go
Author: Makiko Itoh
Published by: Kodansha Europe
Price: £13.99
ISBN 9784770031242

Kebabs and Tikkis

I can understand why Tarla Dalal is such a very popular writer in India. She sells more books than any other author of any genre. Her recipes are loved for their ease of preparation, they are trusted because they work and adored because they present some of the most delicious food that will ever emanate from a domestic kitchen. My only surprise is that she is not better known outside her homeland.

One might fear that an Indian cookbook written by an Indian lady in India for an Indian audience might not have recipes that would be readily accessible to us in the West. Put those worries to one side. Everything is available to us in our local Asian supermarket or via the internet. If you are not sure what exactly might be that unfamiliar-sounding ingredient then make a note of it and trot along to your local store and ask the owner or his wife what that exotic spice might be. You will be sure of lots of advice.

Kebabs and Tikkis concerns itself with those delicious morsels which are ideal party finger-foods or might even make a main meal in greater quantity - perhaps with a side dish. These are vegetarian recipes but vibrant of flavour and of sufficiently robust texture to convince even meat-eaters of the wisdom of the vegetarian path.

One type of kebab can be grouped with others to create interesting platters of balanced and contrasting flavours. The author thoughtfully offers suggestions for these combinations to assure best results. There is a tantalising Nawabi Platter, and for those who are watching their diet there is a Low Cal Kebab Platter, as well as several other themed plates.

Paneer is readily available in most supermarkets and is used to great advantage in these recipes. Tandoori Paneer Tikki will be popular and you won’t need a tandoor to achieve great and tasty results. Serve any of the tikki or kebabs with homemade naan. Mrs. Dalal has a novel solution to the lack of a tandoor: she suggests using an upturned pressure cooker. Those of us who are lucky enough to have a grill in the kitchen can make use of that instead.

A simple and delicious tikki is Aloo Methi ki Tikki. The hint of aromatic fenugreek is the key to this memorable morsel. Anything coated in breadcrumbs and fried has my vote ...but it must taste good as well as having that tempting texture, and this definitely does. Rajma Galouti Kebab is also a superb vegetarian interpretation of a classic meat-based kebab.

Kebabs and Tikkis is another recipe book that will entice the Western reader just as much as the Indian home cook. It’s a volume showcasing delicious food made from recipes that do work. Tarla Dalal writes the most popular cookbooks in India, for a mainly Indian audience. Those discerning cookbook buyers know more about this cuisine than I, and they buy this author’s books by the million. I am guided by them

Asian cookbook review: Kebabs and Tikkis
Author: Tarla Dalal
Published by: Sanjay and Company
ISBN 978-81-89491-77-2

Thai Street Food

Street food is comfort. We in the UK might be drawn to the smell of fried onions wafting from a burger cart outside the local DIY store. Americans will think of potato knishes and hot Italian sausages with sweet peppers, and Thailand has enough street food to fill a book the size of the car park at the aforementioned hardware establishment.

This tome is huge and full of equally sizable colour pictures that have the delectable food leaping from the page at you. Earl Carter, the photographer, truly deserves to have his name on the cover along with author David Thompson. This is a book that one could not fail to notice in the bookshop ...although it’s doubtful that it will fit on any traditional shelf.

Thai Street Food is a cookbook, a photographic travelogue, and a glimpse of Thai culture. That culture has much to do with food, as in any civilized society. The dishes are delicious and vibrant with flavour. Those who have visited Thailand will attest to the popularity of the street food with locals and visitors alike.

This vast masterwork is divided into three sections: not by course but by time of day. Morning, Noon and Night all have their own dishes and they are indeed tempting. It’s true to say that there are quite a few ingredients for which you will need a good Asian grocer, but once you have the appropriate food-stuffs assembled then the cooking element is easy. Lots of grilling, frying, steaming and a bit of boiling. Nothing too onerous even for a novice cook.

My preferred breakfast dish from David’s collection is probably Pineapple and Dried Prawns with Kanom Jin Noodles. The dish is said to have been invented 150 years or so ago as an offering to the ever-present monks. These days the noodles are every-day fare. Use regular Chinese noodles if you cannot get the dry Kanom noodles. It’s that combination of sweet fruit, punchy chilli and salty prawn that I find so enticing as a morning wake-up meal. It’s got more going for it than Marmite on toast ...although that is my breakfast of choice when in the UK.

That’s my notional brekkie sorted; and my lunch snack has got to be Crunchy Prawn Cakes. A simple fried preparation which is much enhanced by the Sweet Chilli and Peanut Sauce for dipping. A sweet and sour condiment that works well with seafood or indeed anything at all. If I felt in need of a more substantial repast then Chiang Mai Curried Noodles and Chicken would be on my menu. This is a dish of complex flavours and textures. The list of ingredients might seem outfacing but the execution is fast and the results delicious.

It’s night and the lanterns are lit and it’s time to eat again. Pork Hocks Braised with Five-spice Powder is my choice. It was originally a Chinese dish but the Thais have made it their own. It’s a substantial and aromatic wokful which only needs some rice to complete the meal. Chilli-vinegar to drizzle to cut through the rich fattiness, and deep joy is assured.

Thai Street Food has given me hours of pleasurable leafing-through, as well as awakening memories of amazing meals cooked by friends. It has also offered the promise of flavourful food in the future and cooked at these very coordinates. Plenty of choice of light snacks, hearty meals and even some rare desserts. A formidable book in every regard.

Asian cookbook review: Thai Street Food
Author: David Thompson
Published by: Octopus Ltd.
Price: £40.00
ISBN 978-1-84091-558-7

Kitcho - Japan’s ultimate dining experience

Kunio Tokuoka is executive chef of Kyoto Kitcho. He was born in 1960, and is the grandson of Mr. Teiichi Yuki, founder of Kitcho. He became a chef at twenty and was sent to work at Kitcho Arashiyama , the flagship restaurant in Kyoto. The restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars, and Hana Kitcho, another in the group, was awarded one star in 2009.

The formal Japanese cuisine we are familiar with today can perhaps be traced to those days after the Meiji era - 1868 to 1912. Another suggestion is that it was born from the haute cuisine of ritualized honzen ryori, the traditional tea ceremony of the Momoyama/Edo era of the 16th to 19th century. Kaiseki is a simplified form of honzen ryori and has grown into a meal of many courses that flows with the seasons by using the best of fresh local ingredients. Kitcho is considered by many inside and outside Japan as that country’s leading classic restaurant. Kitcho, the book, allows us a peek into the philosophy of one of the world's most respected practitioners of the stylised art of Japanese food.

Chef Kunio Tokuoka has a formidable reputation although his approach to cooking is straightforward. For the first time, the techniques and history of one of the world's greatest cuisines are presented in stunning fashion. This is without a doubt the most sumptuous book on any cuisine I have ever seen. It will become a treasured tome for any serious chef, a source of endless inspiration for the domestic enthusiast, and a welcome gift for anyone with a love of Japanese perfection. It is nothing short of amazing. Leaf through pages of the best food photography you will ever see. Superb pictures of traditional serving dishes, bowls and architecture. Yes, there are recipes, but this is more the ultimate coffee-table book. It will become your most pawed-over volume for transporting you to an exotic haven of tranquility and culinary contemplation.

Asian cookbook review: Kitcho – Japan’s ultimate dining experience
Author: Kunio Tokuoka
Published by: Kodansha International
Price: £30.00, US $45.00
ISBN 978-4-7700-3122-8

Momofuku

This is a chunky, classy tome from Absolute Press (I hope they work the same magic with my book next year!). Its photography is stunning, urban and imaginative. It’s a cookbook, for sure, but it’s also a modern food history and a tale of a thriving empire.

This might not be the book that you buy your Auntie Bernadette who was until recently a nun. I am convinced she would enjoy the food but the language is uncensored and colourful. This will not be a problem for the rest of us who will have a wry smile at the journey of culinary- and self-discovery by the talented David Chang.

The original Momofuku Noodle Bar has blossomed into a fleet of eateries with distinct characteristics, and all in New York’s East Village. David is the much-praised chef who has enjoyed the patronage of such worthies as Ferran Adria, who described him as “a chef of prestigious talent.” The ever erudite Anthony Bourdain says that he is “the guy all chefs have got to measure themselves by, these days.” It’s evident that he will not be waiting with bated breath for more plaudits from Chrissie Walker of Mostly Asian Food, but he deserves them anyway.

Ramen noodles was the dish, or should I say, they were the dishes, that gave David his start. You might be familiar with packs of instant dried ramen noodles, but for preference one should use good quality fresh Chinese noodles for the recipes here. An important element of this comfort food is the topping. David offers simple and delicious meat in the guise of pork shoulder and pork belly. Perhaps the broth is, though, the key ingredient to a good bowl of noodles - without that you might just as well buy a pot of instant noodles and pour on boiling water. David’s homemade noodles might be quick to cook and the dish constructed in moments, but the stock is a long-hand cooking process, although it’s worth the effort. Consider making this in a large batch and freezing it for future use.

A less time-consuming topping for any Asian pasta is David Chang’s Ginger Spring Onion Sauce. It’s a simple preparation made with low-cost and readily-available ingredients. This represents all that is good about Chinese food: delicious ingredients prepared with little fuss. Quicker and much cheaper than a takeaway.

The Noodle Bar is famed for more than just heaping bowls of food. The Steamed Pork Buns have been exalted by the likes of such gastronomic luminaries as Martha Stewart. This moreish confection uses steamed bread, which can be made in large quantities and frozen. (More fast meals in future.) You could stuff these light fluffy rolls with your own choice of filling, but the pork and condiments given here would be a winning combination.

Then there is the Ssam Bar. Ssam might not be a familiar dish to Europeans. Ssam means "wrapped," and refers to a Korean dish in which mostly leafy vegetables are used to wrap a piece of meat. It can be accompanied by kimchi pickles and topped with a variety of other tempting and tasty morsels. The traditional condiment is Ssam Sauce (Ssamjang – recipe in this book) which can be made at home from Korean chilli pastes which are now more available in Asian stores in Europe. This is a convivial and fun way to feed a crowd, and will be ideal for those days when it’s warm enough to use the barbecue to cook the meat filling.

Momofuku is a striking and energetic volume that follows the rise of this talented chef. It offers vibrant recipes from all of David’s restaurant collection, from the Momofuku Noodle Bar through to the Bakery and Milk Bar, with some stylish European fare from Ko along the way. This is a book for any lover of New York’s celebrated restaurants, for those that love good food, and it’s a must as a gift for anyone who thought that cooking was boring. A unique, memorable tome and great value for money.

Cookbook review: Momofuku
Author: David Chang and Peter Meehan
Published by: Absolute Press
Price: £25.00
ISBN 9781906650353

Paneer Snacks

Traditional Indian Cooking

I have reviewed Indian cookbooks written by Indians in India, by Indians living in England and those living in the USA. Ramola Parbhoo adds another thread to the Indian culinary diaspora. She is of Indian descent and was born and raised in South Africa.

I was wondering what to expect. Perhaps an eclectic mix of African wildebeast curry and zebra kebab? Not at all. Ramola has stayed faithful to her own culinary heritage but has penned a book of real traditional Indian recipes that are just a bit different from those found in UK-targeted cookbooks.

There is much here that will be familiar to the collector of Indian recipe books. Plenty of breads to tempt with their delicate perfection, but there is lots more that has rarely been covered. Green and Red Masala Pastes will fire both the imagination and palette. These are used in several of the main dishes so would be worthwhile mastering. There are samosas here but with a variety of different fillings. Chicken and Mushroom, Peas, and Fish make a change from the regular spiced potato or meat. Moorkhoo are spiced maize flour noodles. They are a crisp and moreish snack and not to be missed. Khaman Dokri – steamed semolina savouries – are light and spongy and unlike any other Indian snack.

If your morning needs a bit of a kick start then look to Ramola's recipe for spicy egg-fried bread. It’s the Indian version of French toast but this one has real flavour from Green Masala, cumin and coriander. Alternatively try Spicy Scrambled Eggs – Inda na Poora. Onions and spices perk up this breakfast staple.

There is plenty here to warm the heart of any fish lover. Fish Fillets in Batter – Machi Pakora – has the edge on more traditional fried fish. Once again it’s the addition of spices that helps this dish to shine. A healthy alternative would be the simple Grilled Fish with Garlic and Chilli or Paprika – Masala Machi. It’s easy to adjust the heat by using different ratios of paprika and chilli.

The sweet chapter has me glued to the back of the book. I am addicted to Indian sweetshops but I am equally enthusiastic about the prospect of making some of my favourite treats at home. Burfi is ubiquitous in those shops but there is a recipe here that will be worth practising. Another dessert I am drawn to in restaurants is Rasgoola – milk dumplings in syrup. They are truly teeth-achingly sweet but difficult to pass up on. Gool Goolas are similar but golden in colour and fried.

Traditional Indian Cooking should be an addition to your Indian cookbook collection. Yes, there will be a few duplications of recipes but there is enough here that is new to make this book worth considering. It’s coffee table quality but a practical book that you will use often.

Asian cookbook review: Traditional Indian Cooking
Author: Ramola Parbhoo
Published by: New Holland
Price: £17.99
ISBN 9781741107845

Cookbook review: Feast Bazaar

I am not a lover of any particular ethnic cuisine. I have no national preferences. It’s all about taste. I do, however, find myself drawn to the food of India (we in Britain have had a love affair with food of the subcontinent for generations), North African food (my years living in France have introduced me to the dishes of the Maghreb) and Middle Eastern food for its subtle flavours and amazing food history. Feast Bazaar is a book that I find enticing.

The author, Barry Véra, is a British-born transplant to Australia. He was trained as a chef in France and has worked for some of the best in the UK. He now has his own restaurant in Brighton, Melbourne, as well as a popular TV series called Feast. This book is a paper representation of Barry’s culinary adventure for the series.

Feast Bazaar considers the food of Morocco, India and Syria. These disparate countries have many historic links and also culinary similarities. All of them have a rich culinary heritage and the food is delicious. The book arrived and I could not wait to start leafing through the recipes and involve myself in the adventure.

The food of India draws me like a magnet. The recipes here include so many of the classic standards. This book would be a good introduction to Indian cooking with its easy-to-follow recipes. Simple staples such as Masala Chai (spiced Indian tea) give a sample of the warming spices so typical of dishes of the subcontinent. A delicious drink, and making it yourself is a lot cheaper than buying a commercial instant mix from the supermarket.

Bondas are a popular snack in Kerala (and in this home in West London). It’s a preparation of seasoned mashed potato which is then coated in a chickpea flour batter and deep fried. Barry proposes these for breakfast, but make small ones and you’ll find they also work well as a starter for an Indian meal.

Tchoutchouka Salad is Algerian, but food migrates in North Africa just as it does in Europe. It’s a salad of roasted peppers with garlic and spices. Use red, green and yellow peppers for sweetness and colour. It’s good with grilled fish or chicken or as part of a selection of salads at the start of a Moroccan meal.

Gazelles Horns are crescent-shaped pastries that are served as a dessert or a snack with tea or coffee. They are one of the most popular Moroccan cakes and are found in every North African tea shop... even in France. They are quite expensive to buy so save some money and make your own.

The cuisine of Syria isn’t as well known as that of Morocco but it shares many ingredients. Hummus with Fried Lamb and Sumac is a good illustration of the similarities. This is a substantial dish which only needs a green salad and some bread alongside.

Cinnamon Lamb Pizza with Oregano is a typically delicious Syrian snack. Yes, a snack if you only have a slice, but this is a meal in itself. This recipe calls for mozzarella although I have seen it without cheese.

Feast Bazaar is a fascinating cookbook and travelogue. It contains many recipes that are traditional national dishes. They are iconic but accessible to the home cook. Vibrant ingredients will entice any food lover to look beyond their habitual culinary horizons.

Japanese Home Cooking with Master Chef Murata

You probably won’t recognise the name of the chef unless you are reading this in Japan. It’s no surprise, but our ignorance has everything to do with geography and nothing to do with lack of celebrity or talent on behalf of Chef Murata. He is a much-Michelined restaurant owner/chef as well as being a familiar face on Japanese TV cooking shows.

Yoshihiro Murata was born in Kyoto to the family owning the renowned Kikoni restaurant. This serves classic Japanese food, and Yoshihiro is now the third generation to own this restaurant and its two sisters, one in Kyoto and the other in Tokyo. He has a passion for Japanese cuisine and has become its international ambassador.

I love Japanese food but I much prefer the more complex cooked dishes to the ubiquitous sushi and sashimi. These are marvellous foods but I would tend to eat the best raw fish in a trusted restaurant rather than making it myself and having to trust the seafood counter at my local supermarket. Grilled, fried, steamed, simmered dishes are easy to accomplish at home with ingredients commonly found in any high street.

Japanese Home Cooking with Master Chef Murata offers 60 quick, easy and healthy recipes for the Western enthusiast. Some will be unfamiliar but the names of others will ring bells. Perhaps you might even have been fortunate enough to find a Japanese restaurant serving a couple of them. You won’t need to buy any specialist equipment and you won’t need a diploma from the Nagasaki Culinary Institute (is there such a school?) to undertake the preparation. There is nothing here to cause terror.

Shabu-Shabu Hot Pot could not be easier. It’s a one-pot meal constructed, rather than cooked, at the table. It’s a process much like fondue. Start by heating stock in a pot over a burner. Add vegetables according to their cooking times. Allow each guest to cook their own beef. Shabu-shabu is said to be the sound of the aforementioned meat being agitated in the soup. Remove the vegetables to bowls and enjoy with either Ponzu Sauce or Peanut Sauce (recipes here). Another stylish but simple hot dish is Chicken Meatball Hot Pot. It’s finished in minutes and would make a superb starter or warming winter supper. A light and healthy meal.

For those who must have their fix of rice and fish, there are recipes aplenty. Tuna-Mayo Rice Balls make delicious snacks, but for something no more taxing but a little more adventurous try the Seared Rice Balls with Bacon Soy Sauce. Well-flavoured filling encased by cooked rice and then grilled to golden, toasty perfection. One would make a substantial snack ...but who could stop at only one?

This is an inspiring collection of Japanese recipes for the European cook. Fresh ingredients used to make flavourful and comforting meals. The photography by Akira Saito marvellously showcases the finished dishes but it’s a book to use as well as admire.

Asian Cookbook: Japanese Home Cooking with Master Chef Murata
Author: Yoshihiro Murata
Published by: Kodansha International
Price: £13.99
ISBN 9784770031327

Meena Pathak Celebrates Indian Cooking

The name sounds familiar. Well, it will do to any of us who buy the celebrated Patak’s range of Indian sauces and condiments. They grace every supermarket and are easily recognisable by their diamond-shaped logo. Considered some of the best commercial sauces around, I even have Indian friends who periodically use them. That must surely be a seal of approval.

There truly is a Mr and Mrs Pathak (‘Patak’ is the anglicised spelling given to the label). They are not an aberration of marketing men in the same way as Mr. Kipling. The current Pathaks are the son and daughter-in-law of the founders who sold Indian food from their Drummond Street shop back in the 1950s. It must have been a struggle as we Britons thought, at that time, that even pasta was exotic.

Meena Pathak is the creator of many of the pastes and has several books to her credit, but this one is not a Patak's product handbook. Yes, there are a few recipes that use those pastes and sauces, and you will likely have them in your larder anyway, but there are plenty of traditional and contemporary dishes to make from scratch.

Meena Pathak Celebrates Indian Cooking could perhaps be renamed Meena Pathak Celebrates real Indian Home Cooking in Britain. A laborious title but this volume does seem to represent the reality of Indian home cooking. Irresistible Spiced Beans on Toast is a simple recipe that reflects what we honestly eat when in a hurry or alone. Common spices, a chilli, coriander, some onion and grated cheese combine to produce an economic but delicious comfort food.

The Classics chapter offers a treasury of celebrated dishes from all over the subcontinent. Goan Fish Curry is becoming a familiar item with the mushrooming of South Indian restaurants. A dish with complex flavours but it’s easy to prepare and you’ll be eating in just half an hour. Much faster than phoning for a take-away.

Pork Sorpotel is new to me. Pork isn’t as common on Indian menus as say chicken or lamb but here is a quick and warming dish using pork tenderloin. Vegetarians are not forgotten and one of the most interesting recipes is for Pan-fried Potato Masala – Masala Pyaz Aloo. It’s a traditional breakfast from central India where it is served with hot Indian bread. Add a mug of chai (recipe here) and you’ll be set for a trip down the Grand Trunk Road.

A favourite dish when eating out is Lentils with Cream and Butter – Dal Makhni. This is a marvellously textured black lentil confection. It takes a couple of hours to cook although this time will drastically reduce if you have a pressure cooker. Yes, it’s rich but you’ll not eat it every day; don’t use oil but rather push the culinary boat out and use butter. I love this with chapatti as a meal in itself.

Meena Pathak Celebrates Indian Cooking is a book that will tempt the Indian food novice into the kitchen, but there is plenty here for those who are already confident Indian food cooks. The recipes are simple and the results are rewarding. Meena invites the reader into her own kitchen with stories of family past and present. A charming and practical book and great value for money.

Asian cookbook review: Meena Pathak Celebrates Indian Cooking
Author: Meena Pathak
Published by: New Holland
Price: £9.99
ISBN 978-1-84537-832-5

Traditional and Modern Healthy Chinese Soups and Drinks

Well, it’s a lengthy title but it sums up the contents of this book. It’s about health-giving liquids, or at least what Chinese tradition would have you believe are healthy drinks. One has to give some credence to a philosophy that has lasted thousands of years. The Chinese have access to modern medicine but the practice of eating foods as restoratives or cures still continues.

The author, Susan Chan, was born in Burma of mixed Asian heritage. She draws on the culinary tradition of her homeland, of China and of the West. Many of the soups will be familiar to Chinese restaurant goers and we have enjoyed these, giving no thought to the benefits these delicious broths might be bestowing. Other soups and drinks are a little more obscure but will be welcomed by those who want to take a more homeopathic route to better health.

Each soup has its ingredients and method, a comment on nutritional value and, most interestingly, an overview of traditional beliefs which gives information on heating or cooling properties. For example Shanghai-Style Hot and Sour Soup contains vitamins A and C and potassium. It is considered a “neutral” soup. This will soothe the internal system, boost energy levels and maintain general wellness.

Black Bean with Dried Mandarin Peel Soup has very few ingredients and is simple to prepare. It’s an ideal winter warmer having ginger in the base broth. It is also considered “warming” with regard to traditional medicine. This soup will be suitable for those with colds, flu, or cold extremities. Another soup offering similar properties would be the convivial Steam Boat. This is like a Mongolian Hot Pot or a fondue. A chicken stock is heated and each guest cooks his or her choice of a selection of ingredients. Small wire strainers are provided for each guest to fill with meat and vegetables. When cooked the food is transferred to individual bowls and eaten with chilli sauce or oyster sauce. The remaining and now fortified soup is consumed at the end of the meal. Much lighter than melted cheese.

If you are after a somewhat more instant “warming” curative then Ginger Tea could be for you. It takes only 20 minutes to prepare. It is said to be good for upset stomachs, and even in the West ginger is believed to ward off the symptoms of travel sickness. Ginger Tea contains fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Traditional and Modern Healthy Chinese Soups and Drinks will be a welcome addition to the cookbook collection of those wanting some traditional recipes, but also of those who want to follow a drug-free life. This book gives a unique perspective.

Asian cookbook: Traditional and Modern Healthy Chinese Soups and Drinks
Author: Susan Chan
Published by: New Holland
Price: AUS$29.95, US$19.95, £12.99
ISBN 9781742570365

500 Asian Dishes

I am an unashamed supporter of these chunky volumes from Apple Press. This time it’s the talented and prolific Ghillie Basan who has penned a book which encompasses much of the culinary wealth of China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The chapters here are divided by type of dish rather than country. They start with sauces and dips and progress through meats and fish to desserts and drinks. Marvellous recipes with several alternatives for each. An ingenious way of presenting 500 recipes in a single book that’s smaller than a Honda. There is a culinary overview of each country to set the scene as well as a glossary of less familiar ingredients.

The Sauces and Dips chapter presents the easiest recipes, although it’s the nature of food in this region to be simple and quick to prepare. Vietnamese Dipping Sauce is a condiment that you’ll use often. It has the tapestry of flavours that is typical of Asian foods: pungency from garlic, heat from chillies, sweetness from palm sugar, sharpness from lime juice and saltiness from the distinctive fish sauce. The author offers six alternatives including one with the addition of fresh ginger.

Singapore Laksa is a celebrated dish of vegetables, chicken and seafood. The broth is the key to the success here as with any soup. The ingredient list is long but the method of preparation should hold no terrors for even a novice cook. It can be a main meal or a starter. Ghillie has a vegetarian version as well, although I prefer the more interesting original.

If you want a traditional recipe with few ingredients then the ever-popular Salt and Pepper Squid is worth trying. Yes, it truly is as simple as it sounds. Use freshly ground black pepper for full effect. Once again you have the choice of five similar recipes including one which replaces the squid with prawns.

Korean cuisine is little known in the UK and other European countries. The USA has long had Korean restaurants but they are only just becoming popular here. The recipe for Korean Stir-fried Potatoes shows the style of Korean food. It’s spicy with a salty note from soy sauce. A gentle introduction to the food of this exotic but mostly overlooked peninsula.

I often bemoan the lack of Asian desserts but this book offers some delicious and traditional delights. Indonesian Sweet Black Sticky Rice is flavoured with coconut milk. If you can’t get pandanus leaves (a common Malaysian ingredient) then look for the extract, available from Asian supermarkets. Malaysian Sago Pudding with Palm Sugar is a favourite. Don’t substitute regular sugar for the palm sugar as it is that which gives the dessert its distinctive toffee flavour. This is a world away from the sago that was inflicted on many of us at school dinners.

500 Asian Dishes has traditional recipes that are accessible to the European home cook. Many of them are little-known in Europe but all of them are worth tasting. Nothing too taxing for those unfamiliar with Asian food but plenty of recipes to hold the interest of the aficionado.

Asian cookbook review: 500 Asian Dishes
Author: Ghillie Basan
Published by: Apple Press
Price: £9.99
ISBN 978-1-84543-369-7

Asian cookbook review: India Food and Cooking - paperback

Pat Chapman is famous among Anglo curry enthusiasts as a passionate Indian food lover and the man who started the Curry Club over 20 years ago. Its members now number 15000 so there is evidently support for Pat’s take on food of the subcontinent.

This is a hefty paperback volume with the first 60-odd pages devoted to the history of India and the evolution of its food, tools and equipment, and basic preparation. He goes into great detail about the spices before we reach the recipes. His research is obviously thorough and adds a lot to the overall quality of the book.

There are a great many “Modern Chef’s Recipes”, with Spiced Stuffed Peppers being the offering from London chef Pital Gopal. Creamy Brown Lentils is a dish based on a recipe from London restaurateur Camilia Panjabi. Beef Tomatoes stuffed with gorgonzola is another chef recipe which is obviously a bit of a fusion dish.

Most of the recipes are said to be authentic and Pat give the region from where these originate. They are a delicious bunch and cover everything from starters through meats and vegetables to drinks. There is even an interesting item about the famous Bombay Duck, which I haven’t seen for years. It’s not a duck at all but rather an eel-shaped fish that is filleted and dried and used as a condiment.

My favourite recipe would have to be the Raan, Aromatic Roast Lamb. This is succulent leg of lamb, and the meat just falls from the bone. It’s savoury and delicious and easy to make. You can marinate the lamb for up to 60 hours (be warned, your fridge will smell of spice for all those 60 hours) and then just roast for 3 hours. It’s an ideal Sunday meal for a crowd.

Kulfi, Indian ice cream, makes a welcome end to any spicy meal and you don’t need to invest in an ice cream maker. Pat lists several varieties all using the basic recipe but with the additions of either chocolate, pistachio, mango or almonds. Yum!

The Chutney and Pickle chapter has Pat’s wife’s Sweet and Hot Tomato Chutney. It’s a clear chutney that looks attractive and bright. The traditional Lime Pickle would be the one for me and you can also use the same recipe to create a lemon pickle.

India Food and Cooking would be a good choice for anyone wanting to know a lot more about Indian food and history. There is plenty of reading, marvellous pictures and recipes to make your mouth water.

India Food and Cooking-Paperback
Author: Pat Chapman
Published by: New Holland
Price: £12.99
ISBN 978-1-84773-565-2

Cookbook review: The Eastern and Oriental Cookbook

Nice name for a cookbook. It has an almost old-fashioned ring to it. Hints of The Orient Express, perhaps the East India Company, P & O steamers and Edwardian ladies with parasols. All romantic notions but, in truth, this sumptuous volume is a companion of the celebrated E & O.

OK, so now we are on to another flight of fancy. What is E & O? Is it something medically akin to A & E? E,N & T? No, it’s an acronym for Eastern and Oriental, although this fine London restaurant is better known as E & O. The name is well-chosen as it’s a pan-Asian restaurant with a soupçon of fusion.

There are a good many pan-Asian eateries around. They vary in quality from the sublime to the ridiculous. Some are basic Chinese restaurants which offer Thai noodles and a selection of commercially produced sushi. Others present a concoction of poorly executed versions of Asian classics. E & O was one of the first pan-Asian restaurants and it is reputed to be one of the best.

Will Ricker isn’t a chef. He is the restaurateur behind not only E&O but Cicada, Great Eastern Dining Room, Eight Over Eight and XO, all of which I hope to review in the near future. He has won numerous awards for his restaurants and food, so a cookbook was bound to be on the cards.

The Eastern and Oriental Cookbook is a striking volume with photographs by William Meppam. The black pages with white text give a contemporary and stylish feel although it remains a thoroughly practical cookbook. It’s designed with the home cook in mind. The dishes are stunning but the recipes will hold no terrors.

Pan-Asian, in this context, means China, Japan and Thailand. They are three individual cuisines which have qualities that can be easily combined to great effect. One might choose a Chinese soup along with some Japanese tempura followed by a Thai curry. You’ll have the freedom and indeed the inspiration to find the selection that will be most tempting for your friends and family.

There are plenty of classics here. Chicken Jungle Curry, Beef Bulgogi (a nod to Korea with this one), and Pad Thai will all be familiar. But how about Lobster and Prawn Sweet Ginger Noodles for a special meal, and you might consider a Jasmine Cosmopolitan to finish. There are every-day dishes as well as dinner-party fare within these classy pages.

My favourites from The Eastern and Oriental Cookbook include Sole Tempura with its unique presentation, Chilli Tofu for those days when I want something quick, light and noble, and Crispy Pork Belly for the times when I crave comfort food with attitude. It’s a Dim Sum suggestion but you’ll eat so much it’ll be a meal.

The desserts are appealing. Asian restaurants are not generally famed for their sweets, and often resort to the standard banana fritters and even Chocolate Fondant Cake. Will, however, has White Chocolate and Berry Dumplings, and Mini Cinnamon Doughnuts served with a Passionfruit Syrup. My pick of puds must be the Ginger Cheesecake with Caramel Bananas. It’s a melange of exotic flavours in a Western guise.

The Eastern and Oriental Cookbook is a culinary page-turner. It offers a feast for the eyes as well as a wealth of accessible dishes that are simple to prepare, but which have that often elusive “wow” factor. It’s gift quality so buy two copies. It’s unlikely you’ll want to let this one out of your grasp.

Asian cookbook review: The Eastern and Oriental Cookbook
Author: Will Ricker
Published by: Hardie Grant Books
Price: £25.00
ISBN 978-1-74066-614-5

Travels with Thai Food – A journey with Spirit House

It all sounds rather mystical. A journey with Spirit House conjures visions of idyllic retreats for the world-weary, guiding a path to something enlightening and memorable. Well, that’s probably a fair estimation of what this particular Spirit House is all about, but it’s the spirit of Thai food which is venerated here, and the House in question is a restaurant in Queensland, Australia.

This sumptuous tome is penned by both the owner, Helen Brierty, and the chef, Annette Fear. Thai cookbook collectors might know them as the authors of Spirit House, which is a bestseller. This is another collection of contemporary dishes from one of the world’s most fascinating dining destinations.

Helen and Annette don’t expect you to be expert Thai cooks. They lead you through the ingredients which are now widely available either in your regular supermarket, in an Asian grocers or by mail order if you live in a lighthouse off Shetland. Thai food is becoming more popular in Europe with the advent of long-haul travel. We have been able to see for ourselves the reasons why Australians have held this cuisine in such high esteem.

Travels with Thai Food offers recipes that are simple and quick to prepare. Heavenly Beef has got to be one of the most delicious dishes and ideal for a novice cook. Only five ingredients and on the plate in about 7 minutes. Rice can be cooking at the same time as the beef is being prepared so it’s going to be much faster than a take-away and only a little slower than toast.

Royal Son-in-Law Eggs are a must-try. It’s seldom one finds a recipe for deep-fried boiled eggs. These are garnished with a sauce of well-seasoned minced chicken. The recipe suggests using two medium red chillies but the timid might add a little less for the first attempt.

Vegetarians are not forgotten here. Fragrant Red Curry of Tofu with Caramelised Sweet Potato, Cashews and Ginger is a recipe for the slightly more confident cook as the ingredient list seems lengthy. It’s a three-part dish so consider each element as a stand-alone recipe and the job will not seem so daunting. The curry paste just requires mixing all ingredients together, and the sweet potatoes just need baking. The final curry cooking isn’t a taxing task and the results will make your initial worry a thing of the past.

Sorbet is a great way to end a spicy meal or equally a Western dinner. It is simple to make if you have an ice cream machine, but try these recipes even if you only have a freezer and a plastic tub. Make the liquid base and freeze, but scrape with a fork periodically so that your sorbet does not set into a brick. The texture will be more granular than the classic sorbet but the flavour will be just as delightful. Banana and Passionfruit Sorbet uses passionfruit juice which is much less work than using the fresh fruit. Lychee and Ginger Sorbet is exotic and memorable and would be a unique addition to an Eastern menu.

Travels with Thai Food – A journey with Spirit House is a visually striking book. It offers accessible recipes which tempt this Londoner to buy a ticket to Queensland with a stop-over in Bangkok on the way.

Asian cookbook review: Travels with Thai Food – A journey with Spirit House
Authors: Helen Brierty and Annette Fear
Published by: New Holland
Price: US$24.95, AUS/CAN$35.00, GB£14.99
ISBN 9781741105513

Cookbook review: Koto – A culinary journey through Vietnam

So, what does Koto mean? Is it Vietnamese for Brussels sprouts? No, it stands for Know One, to Teach One. This is a grass-roots charity that sets out to help street kids in Hanoi. It provides them with vocational training in cooking and hospitality. These children will hopefully find employment as chefs and waiters in the now-blossoming tourist industry. The royalties from this book will go to the Koto organisation.

OK, so you have contributed to a noble cause but then you are stuck with the book. Is it going to be left on the coffee table as a conversation piece? Will it replace the missing foot of your grannie’s old sideboard or will it be a cookbook that will hold your attention? You, dear reader, will be pleased to know that it’s the latter.

There are relatively few cookbooks about the food of Vietnam. The country has had many problems over many decades including a war that you might have heard about. Promotion of the national cuisine has been towards the bottom of the agenda. These days however, there are many visitors to the country and there is more interest in the culture, art and cooking.

Koto is an attractive cookbook but it is also a charming introduction to Vietnam. The photographs by Michael Fountoulakis show tempting food, and faces that in themselves tell stories. There are 80 or so recipes that will still further add to your armchair adventure.

The authors, Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl, take us on a journey through the regions of Vietnam. They introduce us to the people, we glimpse their lives and we enjoy the food. The dishes are traditional and they have endured for a reason: they are delicious. The Spring Rolls of Hue are light and refreshing with the flavour of aromatic herbs. Braised Oxtail with Five Spice is rich and warming for these cold winter days. The ingredients are all easily found in every supermarket and the cooking techniques are simple.

My favourite recipe is perhaps Squid filled with Pork and Noodles. This is not a spicy dish but rather relies on the freshness of the meat, seafood and herbs. Serve with the classic dipping sauce (recipe in this book) for a taste of authentic but accessible food from this little-known food haven.

Koto is a book for the would-be traveller, the recently-returned trekker and those who have a passion for good food. It’s a marvellous invitation to visit this new long-haul destination.

Asian cookbook review: Indian Superfood

Gurpareet Bains shot to fame with international press coverage in September of 2009 when he unveiled 'The World's Healthiest Meal’. Now he has turned his attention to the ingredients that could promote good health.

Indian Superfood is based on the unique but time-honoured Indian concept of using foods to maintain good health. It considers the medicinal properties of spices and even the everyday foods we eat, or should eat.

The book focuses on these superfoods and superspices to present dishes that are original, comforting, familiar and exotic. There are recipes for your favourite Indian meals, for childhood staples, and for some truly delightful desserts. No, this isn’t a diet book in the conventional sense. It’s more a healthy lifestyle cookbook with none of the over-worthy, off-putting self-sacrifice of many. There is no hint of “Eat this, it’s good for you” but more, “It’s delicious and it just happens to be good for you.”

This attractive book uses, amongst other things, mushrooms that are prized for their anti-viral and anti-cancer properties, and goji berries for enhancing the immune system function. Seems also that many spices have benefits and they are probably already filling your pantry shelves, or at least they will be if you have ever made Indian food at home.

I have a passion for cardamom and it’s good to know that this particular addiction is one to encourage. It’s antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and is beneficial for everything from gums to lungs. Cardamom is also the world’s third most expensive spice but it’s worth the price, I’d say. Less costly spices are equally healthful, like your regular garlic which has many of the properties of cardamom with the addition of the possibility that it could combat Alzheimer’s.

It’s unlikely that you’ll want to chomp down on raw spices so you’ll need to avail yourself of those aforementioned Indian Superfoods recipes. The properties of the spices are listed for each dish so you can choose the foods which will have the most positive impact on your health. They are not complicated recipes and most of them have only a short list of ingredients.

We British have long had a love affair with the humble baked bean. We have enjoyed them on toast for breakfast. With egg and chips for lunch. Sausage and mash with baked beans is a love triangle made in heaven, and what could be better than eating them straight from the can when it’s late and you are alone. Gurpareet offers us an alternative to the unadulterated bean. He adds a few spices which transform them into something exotic but comforting. Cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry powder will enhance the dish with antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory qualities. A lovely start to a cold winter morning.

There is a recipe here which I can almost guarantee will be made by the purchasers of this volume. Best-ever Chicken Tikka Masala might even be the reason that many will have sought out the book in the first place. OK, Chicken Tikka Masala is honestly a British invention but let’s not be food snobs. It’s a flavourful yet mild dish and it’s popular. Now we find that it’s actively good for us, or at least it would be if we use this particular recipe to make it at home.

Chocolate has been elevated to the status of a health food, so these days high-end dark chocolate is a no-guilt pleasure. Indian Devils Chocolate Pot combines luscious bitter chocolate with coffee, eggs, milk and spices to create a decadent and rich dessert. It might not be an everyday indulgence but it’s an impressive end to a smart dinner.

Indian Superfoods will appeal to Asian readers as well as Europeans who love Indian food. It’s not a classic recipe book but it has tasty food, easily and quickly prepared but without the “fast food” connotations. This is sensible eating. I am off to start supper: Red Lentil Kedgeree with eggs followed by some Carrot Lamingtons. A fusion meal from Anglo-India to Sydney Harbour, but the trip will do me good.

Cookbook review: Indian Superfoods
Author: Gurpareet Bains
Published by: Absolute Press
Price: £12.99
ISBN 9781906650292

Easy Japanese Cooking – Appetizer Rex

The author, Kentaro Kobayashi, is a young man with both talent and passion. He started his working life as an illustrator but soon displayed his flair for food. (He gets that from his mum who is an award-winning cookbook author.) His motto has always been “easy yet delicious, stylish yet realistic”. He has featured in magazines and on television where he represents the new generation of cooks. His Veggie Haven has been nominated by the Paris Book Fair and Gourmand as one of 2009’s Best Cookbooks of the Year. Not too shabby!

It’s called Easy Japanese Cooking but that might give the impression that it concerns traditional Japanese fare. I prefer to think of it as Easy Contemporary Japanese Cooking. The Japanese, along with the rest of the world, are becoming more global in their food horizons and Kentaro has no prejudice when it comes to introducing Western ingredients into his larder. Appetizer Rex is a volume that shows the acceptable face of fusion cuisine, and does it in a fun way.

Just think of appetizers or hors d’oeuvres and we conjure thoughts of convivial gatherings. These little dishes are not taxing to prepare but choose the right ones to match your guests, along with their drinks, and success is assured. There are no worries about preparing a balanced meal: appetizers are not meals in themselves, they are little ‘amuse-gueules’ as the French would poetically describe them.

Kentaro offers us his usual mix of lively ingredients combined with thoughtful but simple presentation. There are a few recipes that will be somewhat familiar to Western readers – for example, Nachos, Tomato Salsa, and Tomato and Olive Bruschetta are well loved standards, but my advice would be to consider the lesser-known dishes that will be not only delicious but great conversation pieces.

Wasabi Butter Beef will be a winner with the carnivores. A simple dish to prepare but sliced beef always contrives to look luxurious. Ribs with Green Onions will also help to slake manly appetites. Sunny-side Up Beef is a good way of using up leftover Sunday roast. A striking presentation of sauced meat and an egg  yoke.

Fried Rice Balls would be an exotic alternative to crisps (chips). Serve them with some good flavourful Japanese condiments for a healthier but substantial snack. Two-Way Fritters are ideal for those who must have a fried-food fix. They are an agreeable combination of corn, ham and shrimp. They are said to stay crisp even when cooled so a good choice for a drinks party.

My absolute favourite dish will have my dear reader reeling in horror. Whelks! WHELKS? Yes, and you should try them. Kentaro has a Whelk Sauté which has few ingredients, is simple to make and economic as well. I would perhaps counsel that you slice the shellfish rather than leaving them whole. The whelks found off British coasts are large and, I must admit, unattractive. Don’t tell your guests what they are eating and they will love them.

Easy Japanese Cooking – Appetizer Rex is another winner from Kentaro Kobayashi. He continues to offer dishes that are simple but impressive. Always something unique and stunning. Don’t stop now, Kentaro, I await the next volume.

Asian cookbook review: Easy Japanese Cooking – Appetizer Rex
Author: Kentaro Kobayashi
Published by: Vertical Inc. New York
Price: $14.95 US, £10.99
ISBN 978-1-934287-63-7

Complete Indian Cooking - Mridula Baljekar

No complaints from this cookbook reviewer. This is just the kind of book that I seek out and enjoy. Practical, that’s the word. Colourful and informative and presenting easy-to-follow recipes. Southwater (an imprint of Anness Publishing) offers the style of books that will be used and enjoyed and that should surely be the very reason for buying the volume in the first place.

Mridula Baljekar has long been respected by the UK-based Asian food industry. She has penned numerous cookbooks, received awards and plaudits and continues as a successful author, and has added her own range of pickles to her span of achievements. Mridula is joined by three others: Rafi Fernandez is a prolific author of Indian cookbooks. Shehzad Husain is the Marks and Spencer consultant for Indian foods. She has several Indian cookbooks to her credit as well as contributions to food-related magazines. Manisha Kamani is a freelance home economist and has written regularly for Family Circle, and worked as a food demonstrator.

Complete Indian Cooking is a chunky stunner. It presents 325 recipes and over 1800 pictures, the majority of which are step-by-step guides. I am an experienced home cook but even I still find this format to be comforting. A novice to kitchen pursuits will find those photographs a great help. Yes, the recipes are for the most part simple, but a picture paints a thousand words.

Mughlai-style Chicken is a rich royal dish laced with cream, almonds and saffron, ingredients often found in Nizani Mogul cuisine. Another star chicken dish finds the bird in an orange and black pepper sauce which is thick and creamy. The pepper gives aromatic heat.

Okra is an under-rated vegetable. It’s used extensively in India but it’s a relative newcomer to the European greengrocers’ shelves. Okra in Yogurt is mild and can be used as a side dish or as a main meal for vegetarians. Serve with a dhal and either rice or Indian bread.

South Indian food is gaining popularity in London. Many of us have travelled to Goa for long-haul breaks and there are more restaurants specialising in the dishes of Kerala. This book includes Goan Fish Cakes, which can be made from haddock but also the cheaper coley or whiting. These make an attractive and flavourful starter served with lemon wedges and your favourite chilli sauce.

Complete Indian Cooking is a book for those who want to learn and to cook. It’s a lovely book to look at, but it would be a shame if it remained decorating your bookshelves. Buy it and use it. Amazing value for money.

Cookbook review: Complete Indian Cooking
Authors: Mridula Baljekar, Rafi Fernandez, Shehzad Husain, Manisha Kamani
Published by: Southwater
Price: £12.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-84476-894-3

Regional Cooking of India

There are myriad Indian cookbooks available to the European reader. Most of them are good, some of them are magnificent but all of them have something to offer. The problem is that so many of them present much the same thing. Curry-house favourites, standard restaurant items and homemade versions of your regular takeaway. This book, however, entices the reader with much more varied fare.

Mridula Baljekar is a food consultant, restaurant consultant, author, and she has been away from the UK food TV screens for too long. She had her own cooking series on Carlton a few years ago and many of us wonder why she is not now presenting Indian cooking programmes on the UK food network.

Regional Cooking of India is the latest in a line of books from Ms Baljekar. It’s a large-format tome with a wealth of pictures of finished dishes, but also step-by-step shots which will be a comfort to the less-confident home chef. 350 photographs make this either a coffee table book to cook from or a cookbook to grace the aforementioned furniture.

Many of us are avid collectors of cookbooks but there is always that duplication of recipes. This book presents so much that is new. Dishes that I have not come across in other recipe books and in fact have not eaten in restaurants. Having said that, there is nothing here to incite horror at the hob in a European kitchen. Mridula writes with the home cook in mind. She does not expect you to own a tandoor (although I have heard you can find plans on the internet for such things using big terracotta flower pots) and she even suggests an alternative for the traditional idli maker: use your grandmother’s egg-poacher!

There are 80 recipes here to tempt you to the kitchen and indeed to India. Each region is considered and Mridula guides you through the culinary culture of these diverse areas. Six chapters cover north, south, east and west, with north-east and central India added for good measure. It’s a huge country with varied climate and geography. Coastal regions with their array of seafood dishes, and mountains with lamb. Marvellous vegetables everywhere, and sweets that are a bit more impressive than those found in UK restaurants.

Prawn Rissoles are from the west, and these would make a delicious main course, or smaller versions could be made to go with drinks. Several regions offer dishes that would work in this fashion - stuffed savouries with contrasting tastes and textures: Meat-Filled Potato Cakes from Eastern India, and Stuffed Meat Patties from South India are both flexible recipes. Baby Corn Fritters could also enhance a canapé tray. My Indian friends have given the smartest of drinks parties with finger foods like these,  which put cheese straws and twiglets to shame - vibrant flavours from small dishes which are both tempting and moreish.

If you want a dish to impress then you can’t do better than using Mridula's recipe for Nawabi Raan, royal-style marinated leg of lamb. It’s not a difficult dish for even a novice to undertake. The aroma of spices and roasting meat will fill your home. I know that estate agents always advise sellers to brew coffee or make bread when expecting potential house-buyers, but I think this lamb could get the deal done quicker.

There are many other dishes here deserving of a mention, including Spicy Stuffed Bananas from West India, which are new to me. A simple dish and economic, a great departure for vegetarians who will appreciate the stylish presentation of dark banana skins and savoury filling. A good standby, using lots of store-cupboard ingredients. Spicy Scrambled Eggs make a much more exciting breakfast than cornflakes – attractive and simple to prepare even with only one eye open.

Mridula Baljekar is a many-faceted consummate professional. One would expect a fascinating book full of inspiring and different recipes and that’s exactly what this is. Even those of us who have shelves liberally garnished with Indian cookbooks will want to find a space for Regional Cooking of India. It’s a joy.

Asian cookbook review: Regional cooking of India
Author: Mridula Baljekar
Published by: Aquamarine
Price: £19.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-903141-61-6

The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook

Britain is an island. So it goes without saying that we are surrounded by water and have had a close relationship with the sea. Surprising, therefore, that are still so many of us who are not fish eaters. Home cooks have not had a good reputation for preparing tasty fish, and we so often resort to the chippy for some battered haddock. Well, they tell us that fish is good for us, don’t they. So shall I make that two haddock and large chips, please? No, that’s not the idea!

We should be eating more fish, it’s true. We have an amazing choice of seafood of all kinds, both domestic and imported, but what to do with it? Chef Vivek Singh has penned this book with the home cook in mind. The recipes are accessible and will show you exactly what to do with the fishmonger’s wares, and to great effect.

Not only is The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook a practical recipe book but it’s a visual stunner. Photographer Jean Cazals has a reputation for some of the best food photography around. This is a good representation of his excellent work. Unfussy shots to encourage you into the kitchen.

The Cinnamon Club is celebrated for its fine Indian and fusion food. Vivek offers culinary marvels of both taste and presentation, but he has a kitchen full of well-trained and passionate staff, doesn’t he? His books, however, enable us civilians to cook food that is both impressive and well within the grasp of the enthusiastic home cook. A glance at the lists of ingredients might be off-putting to the faint-hearted but on closer inspection you’ll find that it’s mostly spices and you’ll doubtless have them lurking at the back of your larder anyway. Time to move them to the front and buy some fish.

Whitebait was once a common item on menus and even for Saturday teatime. These little fish are eaten whole so they are perhaps a good starting point for those who are unsure about piscatorial preparation. Vivek offers Whitebait in Garlic and Pepper Batter. That batter is a cut above that which houses your chip-shop haddock. This recipe is simple: Mix batter ingredients together. Add fish. Leave for ten minutes. Fry for two minutes. Eat. I defy you to make this just once. Use sprats if you can’t get whitebait. Another recipe for delicious little morsels is that for South Indian Shrimp Pickle. Another simple recipe that produces stylish nibbles for your next cocktail party. A must-try.

A recipe which I shall make often and pass off as my own is for Red Snapper with Ginger-Jaggery Chutney. Another easy dish in two parts. The chutney has Indian cane sugar as one of its main ingredients. It’s easy to find these days in any Asian supermarket but if you live in a lighthouse you could use a dark brown sugar.

The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook offers more than 130 recipes for fish and seafood in all its guises, as well as suitable accompaniments. It’s a book to inspire, encourage and tempt. Vivek Singh does not expect you to be a budding chef. His recipes are well-written and easy to follow. He steers you to dishes that will delight and impress and you won’t need a catering qualification to achieve good results. Jean’s pictures make this a gift-quality book and I look forward to more from Vivek Singh and the Cinnamon Club team.

The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook
Author: Vivek Singh
Published by: Absolute Press
Price: £15.00
ISBN 1-9045734-1-X

Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen

This book feels sumptuous, contemporary and a bit different. It has the air of Eastern opulence but tastefully understated. It’s unmistakably Indian and offers its wares with quiet confidence to an audience which can’t fail to be impressed and intrigued.

Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen has been penned by the chef-owner of the Rasoi restaurant, Vineet Bhatia. He has achieved much critical acclaim for his sterling work in several Indian restaurants in London. He is one of that rare breed of chefs of any culinary persuasion who has been praised by both the UK’s two most celebrated restaurant critics, Fay Maschler and A. A. Gill. I have not yet had the privilege of visiting Rasoi but if the book is a faithful representation then it’s worth exploring.

Vineet suggests that his book may not be for the novice. Well, at first glance that might seem so but even the most complicated and many-faceted dishes can be often broken down into their constituent parts and either made in advance or used as stand-alone dishes.

Raan Mussallam is in fact a simple dish for the most delicious roast lamb you will ever eat. The meat is cooked in a covered roasting tin to melting perfection. It cooks for 3 hours so it’s an ideal alternative to the regular Sunday roast. It would work well with traditional roast potatoes although I prefer my raan with rice or naan.

Black Pepper Chicken Masala is a dish that Vineet remembers from his childhood. He has adapted it and serves his with Black Lentil and Cashew Nut Rice, but the less-confident home cook could start by practising the chicken dish and just serving it with plain steamed rice. Add the black lentil rice when you’re more at ease with the cuisine.

We all have those occasions when we want to impress the in-laws or we want to push the boat out. No better way of doing that than with seafood. Crab Curry with Lime and Coriander, Peanut and Curry Leaf Rice is a dish with impact but you won’t need to be a skilled chef to undertake it. Vineet has done the clever work for you. He has chosen the ingredients to give savour and richness. One of the easiest dishes to execute, but memorable.

Desserts are often a little thin on the ground in Indian restaurants. I have had fine ones in Indian homes, but these don’t seem to have migrated to commercial establishments. Chef Bhatia has broken that mould and devised some stunning desserts based on traditional recipes but with his usual flourish. Try Roasted Tandoori Pineapple Infused with Saffron and Fennel, Pineapple and Saffron Halwa, Warm Coconut Milk Shooter. That all sounds like quite a complicated plateful, but you can just make the halwa and it will be delicious at the end of the meal with some tea. The Tandoori Pineapple would make an exotic addition to your next barbecue.

Whilst it’s true to say that Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen is a coffee-table book, that statement would be diminishing its true merit as a cookbook. There is so much here that has the Must Try element. It’s a volume full of ideas and inspiration. A noble addition to any serious cookbook collection. A stunner.

Cookbook review: Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen
Author: Vineet Bhatia
Published by: Absolute Press
Price: £30.00
ISBN 13:9781906650193

50 Great Curries of India

Yes, India is a big country with many regions, each with its own culinary classics, so I guess the author, Camellia Panjabi, has had her work cut out to choose just 50 of them. The ones she has selected, however, represent the best, the most celebrated, and those which can be most easily replicated in a non-Indian home.

The accompanying DVD introduces us to the author. She might not be a household name but she is well known in the UK and Indian food industries. She is a director of Masala World, a UK Indian restaurant company. Doesn’t ring bells? Well, perhaps you have heard of Veeraswamy in Piccadilly? It’s the oldest and most iconic of Indian restaurants in London. Chutney Mary and Amaya are also from the Masala World stable, offering high-end Indian food to the increasingly discerning British public.

Ms. Panjabi has a quiet and reassuring stage presence. Her conversational style puts the novice cook at their ease. Any cookbook author who suggests that it’s perfectly acceptable to change the recipe to suit your personal taste is OK in my book. This is a lady who might be a restaurant magnate but she still lives in the real world. Even in India one’s mum’s Chicken Dopiaza will taste subtly different from her neighbour’s. Camellia is aware that some ingredients might be a bit thin on the ground so if you live in a lighthouse miles from civilisation then you can, for instance, use powdered coconut milk instead of the real thing. There really is nothing to stop you having a go.

This is an amazingly attractive book. The pages are edged with traditional fabric motifs which, along with the striking photography, help to give this volume a sumptuous air. A paperback it might be, but it’s gift quality nevertheless. The author’s notes for each recipe help to put the dishes into geographic or cultural context. 50 Great Curries of India will not only teach you how to make, well, 50 delicious curries, but it will also take you on a culinary voyage.

50 Great Curries of India offers recipes for curries (that is to say, dishes with sauces) as well as breads, vegetables, lentils etc. And a nice selection of desserts, and a meal planner to give a bit of confidence if you want to show off to the in-laws. You will recognise the names of many of the dishes from visits to your local Indian restaurant. It’s very probable, however, that you will prefer your own, freshly-made version.  Do I have favourites from this volume? Yes, many.

Lamb with Plums had my immediate attention. It’s a speciality from the aforementioned Veeraswamy restaurant. The dish hails originally from Hyderabad, as did the founder of the restaurant, Edward Palmer – his grandmother was a Hyderabadi Princess. A delightful history for a delicious curry.  It’s an economic dish for the home cook: stewing lamb is the main ingredient and the spices are those found in your local supermarket.

Another must-try from the non-vegetarian dishes is Meat Cooked with Cardamom. It’s home-style food rather than restaurant fare. I love anything flavoured with cardamom. It has a distinctive taste and aroma and is used extensively for both sweet and savoury dishes. This a simple dish to make and has few ingredients.  In fact none of the recipes in this book should hold any terrors for even the inexperienced home cook. The recipes are clearly written and the cooking techniques don’t demand exotic kitchen equipment or any cheffy skills.

Cauliflower has long had a bad press for being a dull and boring and aesthetically unappealing vegetable. Perhaps Cauliflower and Potato Curry will help to elevate its profile. It’s a marvellous main dish for vegetarians but it’s hearty enough to be enjoyed by those who are card-carrying carnivores. The vegetables are chunky and the sauce warming. An ideal winter supper.

50 Great Curries of India gives a colourful overview of regional Indian food. Camellia Panjabi’s writing is charming and accessible, and the book is full not only of recipes but also of information on spices and their uses, as well as hints and shortcuts. A book for curry connoisseurs and those who would like to be.

Asian Cookbook review: 50 Great Curries of India
Author: Camellia Panjabi
Published by: Kyle Cathie
Price: £15.99
ISBN 978-1-85626-819-6

La Porte des Indes Cookbook

Some of you, my dear readers, might be able to translate that title with ease (education is a marvellous thing). The Gateway to the Indies is my stab at it but why is it a French title for a book of Indian food? The subtitle is The legacy of France in Indian regional cuisine and, yes, there is indeed a region of India that was a little piece of France ...till 1954.

I had already some idea about Pondicherry as my father had spent time there in the 1940s (his friend, Taffy, being “deported” to India for having a liaison with the daughter of a civil servant) but I had no idea that the French food connection had lasted so long. It’s subtle but unmistakable.

There are in fact deux Portes des Indes restaurants, one in London and the other in Brussels, where it originated. Not probably the city with the closest of Indian connections but evidently one which was open to new culinary trends. La Porte des Indes is part of the Blue Elephant empire and has the same sumptuous decor, that has become the trademark of both restaurants.

The vibrant driving forces behind both the restaurant and the cookbook are Mehernosh and Sherin Mody. The book has also benefited from the skills of food and travel writer John Hellon and we have the gorgeous results of their collaboration. It’s contemporary, bright and full of amazing close-up shots by celebrated photographer Tony le Duc.

But the food is the star. There are familiar dishes but even these have been given the La Porte twist. I hadn’t expected to see Chicken Tikka Masala, which has become a cliché of Anglicised Indianish food. This dish, however, is something a bit smart and has a sauce of turmeric yellow. A cut above the original.

A signature dish of La Porte des Indes is Poulet Rouge (Chicken in a Creamy Red Sauce) but it is easy for a home cook to make this dish. It’s rich and stunning and just what you’ll cook if you want to impress on a budget. Chicken thighs are economic and the other ingredients are readily available in your local supermarket.

Duck is one of those archetypical French ingredients so here we have Magret de Canard Pulivaar (Roasted Duck Breasts in a Spicy Tamarind Sauce). The meat might make you think of romantic bistro meals in Paris but the marinade and sauce are all Indian. Madame Lourdes Swamy of Pondicherry is the originator of this recipe.

This is a restaurant cookbook so it has a chapter devoted to cocktails, and just the names will transport you to the subcontinent. Monsoon (Midori, melon vodka and champagne), Tamarind Martini (gin, limoncello and tamarind puree) are just a couple and there are also some lovely desserts.

Indian restaurant desserts are often a disappointing bunch but La Porte des Indes Cookbook has some unique and classy ones. Payasam (green lentils and tender coconut pudding) is a stunner but it would demand a visit to an Asian supermarket. Chocolate and Chikki Kulfi is Belgian Chocolate and Praline Ice Cream and a true liaison of two of the world’s classic culinary cultures.

La Porte des Indes Cookbook is something a bit special. It’s modern and full of innovation but it cherishes its French/Indian roots which have combined to create a cuisine with touches of both. A joy to read and to cook from.

Dal and Kadhi

Sanjeev Kapoor is the Indian chef with the golden touch. His acclaimed TV series, Khana Khazana, has enjoyed a 15-year run, has won the Indian Television Academy “Best Cookery Show” and the “Indian Telly” awards year after year, such is the popularity of this man.

Dal and Kadhi presents regional comfort food at its best and the book is as delightful as the food. Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph by Bharat Bhirangi who has a talent for showing these dishes in a mouth-watering fashion. You’ll be planning your next meal before you leave the bookshop.

What could be better than a flavourful dal or kadhi to eat with rice or roti? Your meal might be humble or you could add a dal to an array of other dishes to make a sumptuous and satisfying spread. They range in texture from the rich and substantial to the light and refreshing to suit the season or the occasion. These are the dishes that people miss when they leave home and crave when they are in far-off countries.

This book offers 45 recipes that you will want to add to your culinary repertoire no matter what your home region. They are a broad-based selection of recipes so there is sure to be something to please every palate. Dal Makhni is perhaps the most celebrated both in India and overseas where it has become a restaurant speciality, although seldom cooked in an authentic style. Maharashtrian Kadhi is a traditional dish and represents India’s culinary diversity in a most delicious way.

All these dals and kadhis are tempting but as with life in general there are firsts among equals and I have picked a few that are particularly tempting. Rajasthani Baati ki Dal is made with split green gram (dhuli moong dal) and Bengal gram (chana dal) and the resulting dal is served with traditional baked balls of dough.

Bhindi ni Kadhi is bound to be on my list as I love ladies’ fingers (bhinda/ bhindi). This is a soupy combination of yogurt and gram flour (besan) flavoured with spices. The vegetables remain a little crisp giving the kadhi an interesting texture.

Dal Hari Bhari contains spinach and fenugreek leaves, onions and spices, and Sanjeev uses it to tempt those who would not normally enjoy green vegetables. This would be an easy meal when served just with rice.

Dal and Kadhi is an Aladdin’s cave of ideas for quick, tasty and healthy dishes. One expects lovely books from Sanjeev Kapoor and this is another in that collection that never disappoints. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy good food. This book will show you the way in fine flavourful fashion.

The Yogurt Cookbook

Arto der Haroutunian died too young. His books have become collector’s items but thanks to Grub Street we can all have access to his collections of eclectic and fascinating recipes. He had a focus on Middle Eastern food but this particular volume is ingredient-based and offers an insight into the uses of yogurt in many culinary traditions.

Yogurt is a mystical food, being live in the same way as yeast. It’s healthy and versatile, and can constitute a light snack in its natural form or be an essential ingredient for both sweet and savoury dishes. Popular now in the UK, it was once a rarity. 50 years ago it was unheard of and 10 years after that it was found only in the fridges of those middle classes who might have travelled to Greece for a holiday. It then became synonymous with hard-core vegetarianism and all things bland. Those days have gone and now we all have access to good quality yogurt and we can even make it at home.

We are now more aware of the healthful properties of yogurt. The author starts with a memorable quote from one of its supporters: “I owe my family and age to yoghurt, nothing else – not even God!” Those words from M. Husseynov at the age of 147.

Yogurt is easy to make at home. Just milk and a spoonful of live yogurt left tucked up in an airing cupboard will render tubs of natural yogurt for just a little money and hardly any effort. Add your own fresh fruit or honey and you have a quick breakfast or economic dessert which will be a preferable alternative to cake or ice cream for the kids. Let them design their own toppings and they will be sure to ask for more.

A rather different use for yogurt is as a base for soft cheese. Add herbs and a little salt to strained yogurt and you have a flavourful and delicious starter or sandwich spread. Panir (paneer) is the celebrated Indian cheese which uses lemon juice to encourage separation of curds from whey. Once strained, this will set into blocks for easy cutting. The resulting cubes can be used in the same fashion as the commercial product.

Yogurt is the key ingredient to many Indian dishes including Murgi Dahi – chicken in yoghurt-curry sauce. Many korma recipes also call for yogurt and it’s the ubiquitous garnish for chaat and for Middle Eastern kebabs, as well as those from the tandoor. My favourite recipe in the savoury section is probably that for Roghan Josh. A simple version of this common dish but it has all the flavour characteristics of much lengthier alternatives.

The chapter on sweets and cakes offers many international delights and showcases the naughtier side of this mostly healthy food. Awamaat - Arab doughnuts - definitely fall into that category. These are somewhat different from the Western doughnuts as they have self-raising flour as the raising agent instead of yeast. The fried golden puffs are dipped into rosewater-flavoured sugar syrup before being served sprinkled with walnuts and pistachios.

Arto der Haroutunian penned a book which is filled with delicious recipes for all manner of dishes. They are all good and all just happen to include yogurt. It draws on many culinary traditions and will appeal to anyone who enjoys real home-made food. If you can’t spare the five minutes to make your own yogurt then buy some, but do try some of these recipes. A winner.

Cookbook view: The Yogurt Cookbook
Author: Arto der Haroutunian
Published by: Grub Street
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-1-906502-61-4

The Blue Elephant Cookbook

This must surely be the most celebrated of Thai restaurant empires. It would be diminishing the class and the quality of the group to describe them as a chain. This is far from the KF Mac Hut of the Thai food world – think sumptuous and exotic and thoroughly impressive.

The Blue Elephant has a fine reputation wherever you might find it. and the cookbook now allows its followers to replicate its dishes in their home kitchens. Those who have never had the pleasure of visiting a Blue Elephant will soon appreciate the attraction.

Thai food in general has gained worldwide popularity over the past decade. More of us have the opportunity to travel to Thailand and also to visit Thai restaurants in our home countries, and we want to try those dishes for ourselves. The Blue Elephant Cookbook will offer you a marvelous array of recipes that represent the very essence of Thai food with all its vibrant flavours.

Blue Elephant recipes are authentic, attractive and tempting. They are not over-taxing for the competent home cook, and the ingredients are all availiable either from your favourite supermarket’s Asian food aisle, from a specialist Thai food store or by mail order via the internet. You’ll not only learn how to make soups, starters, salads, main dishes and desserts but also curry pastes and sauces.

Thai Fish Cakes will be instantly recognised by travellers returning from sun-kissed Thai resorts. They are delicately soft with a crunch supplied by a garnish of peanuts and refreshing lettuce. Serve this with Cucumber Sauce (recipe in this book) and you have a delicious snack or light lunch, or combine with other dishes as part of a Thai buffet.

Stir-Fried Seafood with Garlic and Peppercorns (Seafood Krathiam Prik Thai) is elegant and flavourful and would be an ideal “special” meal. OK, the prawns, scallops and crab are not cheap but this recipe makes the best of that seafood, and the finished result is stunning. The base is Blue Elephant Special Sauce which you can easily make and freeze for future use.

Tuk’s Duck Salad (Laab Ped) is a dish devised by the aforementioned Tuk who is a chef at the Blue Elephant in London. The duck is grilled and flavoured with a spice paste and garnished with fried shallots, chillies, fresh coriander and salad. A simple dish to prepare but it has great impact.

The Blue Elephant Cookbook is a jewel of a volume and definitely among my favourite Thai cookbooks. It will be snapped up by lovers of classic Thai food as well as those who are regular diners at The Blue Elephant restaurants. A lovely book.

The Bazaars of Istanbul

Many thousands of tourists visit Turkey every year. They bask on the beaches, perhaps hire a boat for a holiday afloat and enjoy grilled fish in seaside restaurants. They have a glimpse of Turkey and its people but it is, in fact, just a meeting with the modern globalized facade – a shadow of a rich and ancient culture.

The Bazaars of Istanbul marvellously captures these narrow shopping streets in both photograph (300 colour illustrations) and vivid description. Its 200 or so pages hold a wealth of images of both past and present and show why the bazaars are still, to this day, so captivating.

The authors Isabel Bocking, Laura Salm-Reifferscheidt and Moritz Stipsiez bring history to life as they chart the changing fortunes of the bazaars. They weave a colourful tapestry of turmoil, intrigue, craftsmanship and industry.

Istanbul straddles East and West. It has held strategic importance in many a war and revolution and has lost much of its exotic charm over the centuries, but it still has lots to offer those who are looking for disappearing vestiges of former glory. It’s still there to be discovered and relished.

The city has many bazaars, the most celebrated being the Grand Bazaar. This has been the venue for buying and selling goods from the far reaches of the world for more than 550 years. For those of us who are more used to seeing shop signs boasting “established in 1991” that’s quite impressive!

The bazaar is called Grand because that is exactly what it is. It contains nearly 3500 individual shops, 40 warehouses and has 61 streets and alleys. You’ll be advised to take a map with you (one thoughtfully provided in this book) or, if lost, ask directions from one of the 25,000 (yes, 25,000) people who work there. It’s likely you’ll find a shop assistant when you need one.

The Bazaar has evolved over the centuries. It has been ravaged by fire and earthquake. Many of its original features have been lost but there have also been moves to protect those which remain, and to ensure that the Grand Bazaar does not represent just an extremely big Mall selling designer fakes (they are here in abundance) from neon-garnished boutiques.

There is still plenty to delight the discerning shopper who wants to have a truly Turkish experience. There are rugs to admire. This volume has a page dedicated to the symbols found on authentic Turkish rugs. Take a cup of coffee or tea with the shopkeeper and ask questions. He will undoubtedly want to sell you a carpet but he will likely be equally enthusiastic about telling you of the history of his business.

This book will have you drooling at the objects on sale. Yes, there are tacky tee-shirts but there are lots of handicrafts still to be found. Leather work, ceramics, intricate metal work, jewellery and prayer beads all compete for the buyer’s attention. Visit a Turkish bath, smoke a traditional water pipe, a hookah, and have a genuinely Turkish meal. The authors even give a selection of recipes for you to replicate the experience in your own home.

The Egyptian Bazaar (only 350 years old!) is the place that will draw you like a magnet if you are a consummate foodie. Here you will find those evocative piles of spices that we so associate with eastern emporia. There are dried fruits and more importantly, tea and coffee. There are many sayings woven around each of these drinks. Of tea it is said, ‘A conversation without tea is like a night without a moon.’ A somewhat less romantic saying about coffee runs ‘Coffee should be as hot as a girl’s first kisses, as sweet as a night in her arms, and as black as the curses of the mother when she finds out.’

The Bazaars of Istanbul is a sumptuous volume which gives a real flavour of the most fascinating part of one of the world’s most fascinating cities. A must for anyone who has already visited or who plans to visit Istanbul.

Royal Hyderabadi Cooking

This is a collaboration between two of India’s finest sons of the culinary arts. If you have not heard of Sanjeev Kapoor (

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook

You should expect something special when you are presented with a Sanjeev Kapoor cookbook. Low Calorie Vegetarian really is something a bit different and this could start an exotic diet trend.

Sanjeev is probably the most celebrated of Indian chefs, presenting Khana Khazana on India’s Zee TV. It’s been airing since 1993 and its 600th episode is now just a memory. He has won several awards such as the Best Executive Chef of India Award and the Mercury Gold Award at Geneva, which has earned this man international as well as home-grown respect.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is just one of many cookbooks from this charming, handsome and charismatic man. Each book is welcomed by an adoring audience who have been impressed by the author’s skill on the small screen. It’s said that Sanjeev never repeats a recipe and will not need to for several decades; such is his volume of work.

Low calorie carnivorous and low calorie vegetarian recipes have often seemed to fall into one of two categories: boring or boring with vegetables. But Sanjeev’s book will strike the right chord with many readers who want a low calorie diet that offers food with taste and texture. If you don’t enjoy the food that does you good then you will fall back into the same old unhealthy eating habits which got you into your chubby mess to start with.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is about flavour, and Sanjeev has a collection of recipes that will tempt even those with no health or weight issues. This is good food with intriguing combinations of spices and fresh ingredients. There are Nutrition Information charts with each recipe to enable the home cook to make the best choices to achieve a balanced diet.

The recipes are broad-based and you don’t have to be a lover of traditional Indian food to appreciate the dishes. Sanjeev has French onion soup but his version raises the bar with French Onion and Garlic Soup. Spicy Pineapple Boat is light and refreshing but with a little kick from green chillies. For those who want a cool and summery salad then Minted Mushrooms should fit the bill. This is a dish of mushrooms, tomato, cucumber, mint leaves and a dressing of low fat yogurt, and the addition of lemon juice provides a tang.

However delicious the European-inspired dishes might be, most of us will be looking for that unmistakable taste of the subcontinent and it’s here in glorious profusion. Spinach and Cabbage Parantha is a flatbread with aromatic cardamom and spicy red chilli powder to complement the vegetables incorporated into the dough.

Desserts are not forgotten. Kesari Phirni is a lovely dessert of Pistachio nuts perfumed with saffron and cardamom. The sweetness comes from a sugar substitute such as Equal or Splenda so you can indulge with no guilt.

Do I have a favourite recipe? Well, you know I do and its Mushroom Dum Biryani. This is a rice dish made with the traditional method but have no fear, it’s not difficult and the results will impress both Western and Asian friends. I’ll make this dish often, not because I have a low calorie diet (although perhaps I should) but because it’s delicious and simple.

A Western cook will have no problem finding the spices in local supermarkets or from one of the many online Asian stores. The cooking techniques are not taxing and you don’t have to take a trip to Mumbai to kit out your new Asian kitchen. This is a fascinating book with recipes that will encourage you to make, eat and enjoy flavourful and healthful meals.

Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is the first of Sanjeev Kapoor's books that I have had the pleasure to review, and there are more to follow. This volume is bound to be a success with readers from every continent.

Rice, Spice and All Things Nice

The Observer Food Monthly described meeting Reza Mahammad as "like being ambushed by a cross between Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and Freddie Mercury". He must be one of the most easily recognised Asian faces on British TV. His effervescent style and playful personality have made him a popular presenter.

Reza was born in England to Indian parents and was sent off to boarding school in Panchgani, India, to be educated. His parents were worried that he would lose touch with their roots if he stayed in the UK. This provided Reza with a good British education but he says, “It left me speaking English with a public school accent and Hindi with an English accent. A hybrid torn between two worlds.”

It wasn’t the boarding school food that gave him a passion for fine Indian cuisine. “The food at boarding school was vile – Breakfast: cold fried eggs, watery lentils, stale bread, and rancid butter. Lunch: bland curry, stodgy rice.” He fell in love with Indian cuisine in the holidays when he stayed with his extended family in the Western Ghats in India.

Mr. Mahammad Senior was one of the first Indian chefs to come to Britain. “My father had arrived here in 1937 and we had been brought up on stories of how hard he used to work - tales of how he'd have to wait at the docks for the boats carrying the spices to come in.”

Tragedy struck the family when Reza was 16. His father died of a heart attack and the responsibility of the family business fell on Reza’s young shoulders. “There was an obligation to continue what my father had left behind. It was a duty.” The business in question was The Star of India Restaurant, Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London.

This was the caricature of a 1950s Indian restaurant with flock wallpaper, which wasn’t much to Reza’s taste. He embarked on a series of revamps and has settled on classic contemporary...for a while! His mother, Kulsum, was horrified. “But I said to her: ‘Who is running this restaurant, you or me?’ People thought I was making a terrible mistake but actually it was the best thing I did.”

The Star of India didn’t have the best reputation for food either, so it’s been hard work and dedication to turn things around. “When I inherited the Star of India from my father, I had no clue about cooking. I picked up a few recipes from my mother and improvised on the restaurant's existing menu. My mantra is to go easy on oil and make food appear as appetising as possible.”

Now The Star of India is one of London’s most successful and prestigious restaurants and Reza is both head chef and proprietor. Today you are likely to be rubbing shoulders with media types and “faces” from TV and film (Daniel Day Lewis, Hugh Grant and Art Malik are regulars) and it’s said that Reza drapes himself across tables and sings arias from time to time, but that could just be a rumour! “The years spent managing The Star of India established the restaurant as an institution and enabled me to explode onto the restaurant and food scene.”

Those media types come in handy sometimes! One of the regulars was a TV director who came up with the idea of Madhur Jaffrey (the original Cooking Star of India) and Reza collaborating on a cookery series that became A Taste of India.

Reza has become a familiar face on TV with UKTV Food Channel's Delhi Belly with Sanjeev Bhaskar, the star of Goodness Gracious Me/The Kumars. Reza’s irrepressible and often camp persona was allowed full rein which resulted in an exotic travelogue filled with authentic food, colour and pazazz. The success of Delhi Belly and the popularity of Reza led on to further series of Coconut Coast, and United States of Reza.

Reza Mahammad has penned his first book, Rice, Spice and All Things Nice; it’s a mixture of dishes from his restaurant, travels, and family recipes handed down through the generations. “It’s an attempt to demystify Indian cooking,” says Reza. “More and more people know how Indian food should taste because they've been travelling, but they don't know how to cook it.”

Rice, Spice and All Things Nice is a dream of a cookbook. It has that blend of food and travel that I, for one, find so appealing. The photography of both food and Reza is mouthwatering and the text is amusing but also encouraging. The man obviously wants you to cook his food and you won’t be disappointed if you do.

The recipes are marvellously well chosen and offer something for every taste and skill. There are plenty of classics (Indian Rice Pudding to die for, Cucumber Raita, Chicken Dhansak) but lots of others which might be less familiar.

Afghan Aubergine Casserole has surprisingly few ingredients, is simple to make and delicious. Dak Bungalow Chicken has a longish list of ingredients but don’t be put off. This is another easy dish to make and it’s a stunner. Meatballs in a Green Sauce (Koftas Hara Masala) also has a good number of ingredients but the preparation is easy and you’ll just need to serve some rice alongside. A good recipe for a large dinner party.

Rice, Spice and All Things Nice is amongst my top 10 cookbooks. It is a thoroughly entertaining read, the food is gorgeous, I can make every dish without tears, and it’s a book I’ll actually use. I’ll need another copy as this one will soon be sauce-spattered and dog-eared. The sign of a well-loved cookbook.

The Asian Grill

Yes, it’s a BBQ book but one with a difference. This will capture the imagination of those who long for something more exotic. There are those fire-extinguisher-wielding, burnt-offering-offering culinary pyromaniacs who think that charcoal adds flavour. No, my little Webber warrior, my Hibachi hero! The charcoal is the fuel and not the food; add flavour by thoughtful use of marinades and condiments.

Corinne Trang is an international chef and food authority. Her heritage is Asian and European, and she is one of the few who are truly at home with both genres; but more importantly she loves food. Might sound a strange and rather obvious statement but there are many chefs and food-industry gurus who are just doing a job, but Corinne is a chef, a food professional, and a foodie with all the passionate enthusiasm that word implies.

I am not a lover of Fusion food as it is so often a compromise. Some chefs have built reputations on marrying ingredients which should never even have been introduced. Corinne’s food is easily described as good food with Asian flavour. There is nothing here that will bring the cry of horror, nothing that jars, but plenty that looks good on paper and even better on a plate.

The Asian Grill will gently lead you away (you can return from time to time) from ketchup, mustard and liquid smoke and will playfully nudge you in the direction of soy sauce, sesame oil and mirin. All the ingredients are available in a supermarket near you or via mail order. The cooking techniques don’t require a training course and you probably already have the equipment, so you are ready to dazzle.

Back-yard grilling isn’t famed for having a sophisticated meal as its end-product. It’s more often burgers like hockey pucks and flavourless chicken. It’s rarely the food that is the centre of attention but rather the grilling process that encourages conviviality. We marvel at the “skill” of (mostly) men who only don an apron when the smell of lighter fuel is in the air. Grilling is simple and was the first cooking method. Cavemen didn’t say “I’ll rustle up a nice soufflé for lunch” or “How about a delicately toasted English muffin with passion-fruit jelly?” No, dear reader, it would likely be “Pass me the pinny, Unk, I’m grilling tonight.”

Corinne has a flair for flavour, not only for the dishes that are grilled, but for all the associated breads, rices, noodles, and even sweets and drinks. There is everything you will need in this one vibrant and attractive volume. You will be able to compose meals around the grill that will be elegant but still fun both to cook and to eat.

I love lamb and The Asian Grill has a recipe that is a joy. Lamb Marinated in Yellow Spice Paste is flavoured with a pungent mix which elevates these kebabs into something mouthwatering. Corinne suggests serving these with Scallion Flat Bread from this same book. Pork Patties could be an alternative filling for that bread, and this recipe has a distinct Vietnamese flavour with fish sauce and lemon grass. BBQ Pork is Corinne’s version of the Cantonese classic, Char Siu, often seen hanging in windows in Chinatowns the world over. This will always be a crowd-pleaser.

Perhaps my favourite recipe is that for Spicy Sweet Soy Sauce Marinated Chicken. It couldn’t be easier to prepare but the resulting bird is a long way from the usual lack-lustre poultry of by-gone BBQs ...or I might choose Spicy Squid Salad ...but Asian Clambake is impressive ...although...

The Asian Grill is a book stuffed with tempting and flavourful food. You don’t need to know anything about cooking Asian food, and even a novice griller should be confident of a lot of compliments; everything you need to know is here. Corinne Trang has once again produced a book that will soon be stained through much use, and that’s a fine accolade for any cookbook.

Noodles Every Day

To the untutored this might seem an uninspiring proposition, but it’s perfectly possible to eat noodles every day and perhaps even several times a day without feeling as though it’s an endurance test.

Corinne Trang is a US based author, radio and TV broadcaster on the subject of Asian food. She is a well respected authority on foods from China and Southeast Asia and has been described as the “Julia Child of Asian Cuisine” by the Washington Post and me. Corinne has penned numerous books and has won a raft of awards - her very first won Best Asian Cuisine Book in the World at the World Cookbook Fair. Not too shabby!

Corinne has a passion for food and not just Asian food (a casual conversation with this lady about anything from bread to breakfast will have you drooling). Her background, a combination of French and Chinese, equips her very well to take her place in the culinary arena of both East and West.

Noodles Every Day is an attractive volume with marvellous photographs by Maura McEvoy. It’s more than a cookbook – this is an encyclopaedia of all things noodley. Every possible variety of noodle is considered and a wealth of recipes is offered. This is the original fast food and it’s both healthy and sustaining which is more than can be said for most of the popular western alternatives.

Every noodle type has its recipes but you can mix and match to suit your own taste. The five noodle categories are Wheat, Egg, Buckwheat, Rice and Cellophane but there is an additional chapter which covers Buns, Dumplings, and Spring Rolls. Although these are not noodles they do fall under the “snack” umbrella as do some of the noodle dishes.

Corinne introduces you to stock making and some typical Asian condiments, as well as basic ingredients. You will have all you need to be ever ready, with the addition of a few fresh items, for a quick but impressive meal... and fast!

Wheat Noodles with Spicy Ground Pork is a Szechuan classic. Dishes from this region are prized for their robust flavours and this one is no exception although the stir-fried Napa cabbage (Chinese Leaves) adds sweetness. Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Beef and Broccoli is another meat and vegetable recipe and a worldwide restaurant favourite but it’s easy to make at home. It’s flavourful, rich and comforting.

One of the most striking recipes in Noodles Every Day is that for Egg Noodle Soup with Five-spice Duck. This would make a smart dinner party dish with its succulent, aromatic meat and the soup served on the side. For sheer luxury though, Crab-flavoured Noodles with Velvety Crab Sauce and Green Peas takes some beating. It’s a simple recipe but has a cheffy quality about it. The crab-flavoured noodles can be found in larger Chinese food stores but if you can’t get hold of them you can substitute regular thin egg noodles.

Noodles Every Day is an instructive and inspiring book. It’s thoughtfully written with the western cook in mind but Corinne Trang is never pedestrian in her choice of recipes. This isn’t just another Asian cookbook but rather a vehicle which will help you to appreciate all the subtle flavours and textures that Asian food has to offer. Noodles Every Day will surely be another award winner.

Scent of the Monsoon Winds

Just the title evokes visions of hot steamy nights with the exotic (and for me exciting) aroma of damp vegetation and soil. The atmosphere that assures one of tempting and flavourful food.

Michal Haines has had a warm relationship with spices for all of her life. Her Chinese grandfather, Stan (you know that any Chinese grandfather called Stan would be a positive influence) left her with memories of fine food and a treasured meat cleaver. Michal has worked extensively in the New Zealand food industry, running gourmet food stores around Auckland.

Scent of the Monsoon Winds is a multi-ethnic cookbook with great shelf appeal. Michal offers an introduction to spices and their uses in the five main spice-dependant cuisines, and she suggests a list of spices that will allow you to prepare those dishes. There is nothing much that will demand a vacation to the Spice Islands (although it’s a good excuse). You’ll find it all in your regular supermarket, or mail order if you live on a remote hilltop.

The chapter headings are intriguing: Portable Feasts, Spiced Nights, Winter Blues and Kingly Condiments. The recipes are also a unique bunch, encompassing some celebrated dishes such as Indonesian Chicken Rampah and Cheese Sticks, but there is a lot here that will be new to many readers. Even an impressive book collection would not provide you with Michal’s own family recipes, which she shares here.

Scent of the Monsoon Winds offers modern versions of some classic dishes such as Drunken Chicken. This is a tangy but light dish with a kick from ginger, Szechwan peppercorns, star anise and cassia. Arabian White Coffee Cream will transport you to the souk: this is a sophisticated but simple dessert and truly a bit different.

Hot Mezze Hummus is a speciality of the mountains of Eastern Turkey and is a radical departure from the ubiquitous tepid hummus that we recognise from deli counters and Middle Eastern restaurants. This recipe has additional flavours and textures and is altogether more complex, although very simple to prepare.

If you are looking for a quick meal with impact then you could be turning to Vietnamese Dinner Noodles. There are quite a few ingredients but don’t be put off - this is cooking at its basic best. Pirate Chicken has plenty of punchy panache with Jerk Paste supplying the heat. It’s another fast meal but impressive nevertheless.

If Scent of the Monsoon Winds has a signature dish then it is, for me at least, Honey Tamarind Roast Duck. This is a flavourful and succulent recipe which avoids the perennial problem of dry meat. It all has to do with the cooking method, and this roast duck isn’t roasted but rather simmered. This is going to be a new classic.

Scent of the Monsoon Winds is an attractive volume of charm and innovation. It will be enjoyed by spice lovers who don’t have endless time to spend in the kitchen. We will, I hope, hear more from Michal Haines.

Veggie Haven – Easy Japanese Cooking

All you regular readers will know how I have waxed lyrical about other books by Kentaro Kobyashi and this one will be no exception. Veggie Haven from the Easy Japanese Cooking series has all the characteristics which helped to make Donburi Mania and Noodle Comfort so appealing.

Kentaro Kobayashi is a young man with a passion for food and not just Japanese food. He started his working life as an illustrator but soon displayed his flair for the culinary arts. His mantra is “easy yet delicious, stylish yet realistic”. He has featured in magazines and has appeared on television where he showed his skill for making delicious food with little effort.

I like this man’s style. Kentaro continues to present us with delightful food with a twist. Veggie Haven has Japanese elements but it isn’t a traditional Japanese cookbook. I suspect this might be the way modern Japanese eat at home: we in the West have embraced Chinese and Indian food, and it’s certain that a Tokyo housewife might similarly enjoy, as Kentaro suggests, a hearty potato gratin or a deliciously-garnished pizza. Take the aforementioned pizza and top it with garlic and anchovies. Use a bought pizza base and you’ll have a classy lunch, light dinner or nibbles with apero in no time at all.

Some liken tofu to a tasteless bath sponge. Consider it a vehicle for robust flavours. Sweet and Spicy Fried Tofu is a simple recipe which offers a tapestry of tang that will convert even a die-hard carnivore. This is the healthy face of fast food.

The cold weather is here in the northern hemisphere so warming dishes are the order of the day. The original Chop Suey is said to have originated in America; Kentaro offers Vegetable Chop Suey. This is a tasty pot of vegetables and the addition of quail eggs helps to elevate this dish to something luxurious.

Veggie Haven is an ideal cookbook for novices who want to try something a bit out of the ordinary. The recipes are clearly written and allow the cook to arrange things in steps. There might be a collection of 3 ingredients for a sauce that can be mixed before cooking starts. Perhaps the thickener can be made in advance. For simplicity these are noted in the ingredient list rather than in the method. No need to be overwhelmed: the dishes are easy.

In the US Japanese ingredients are readily available - America has had a closer relationship with Nippon than has Europe. Here, most larger Asian supermarkets stock Japanese ingredients and there are many internet sites that will be more than happy to supply you with the goods.

Kentaro Kobyashi introduces us to his Veggie Haven. This will be a ‘must read’ not only for Japanese food lovers but for those who want to present vegetables with a difference. This might be described as fusion food but it works for me.

Asian cookbook review: Veggie Haven – Easy Japanese Cooking
Author: Kentaro Kobayashi
Published by: Vertical, Inc
Price: $14.95US, £10.99
ISBN 978-1-934287-62-0

Martin Yan’s China

If you are a US-based reader then you will have heard of Martin Yan. He is the effervescent presenter of Yan Can Cook which boasts 2500 or so episodes. He is a celebrated chef and food consultant and award-winning author. Martin is founder and chairman of Chef Martin Yan’s Culinary Arts Centre in China. Martin Yan’s China is the companion volume to another of his Public Television series.

Those from outside America should know that Martin Yan is a talented and charming chef. He is fun-loving and full of humour. His cheeky smile and easy manner have encouraged millions of American Public Television viewers to have a go at Chinese cooking. He is a passionate food professional and teacher who is proud of the land of his birth and its culinary heritage.

Martin Yan’s China is a combination of travelogue and recipe book. Martin’s usual affable manner shines through the text which is witty and conversational. This chef wants you to cook his food and gives you every support and encouragement. He offers an index of ingredients and basic recipes before introducing you to his tempting dishes.

A Chinese cooking debutant might be anxious about the exotic ingredients. All are available in larger supermarkets, at your nearest Asian store or online. I know you are internet savvy as you are reading this review so you have no excuse to not try these dishes.

For the most part the cooking techniques are not taxing and there are a few tricks that you could use in future cooking adventures. A pasta or noodle nest makes a great presentation for Chinese but also for other cuisines. Martin gives instructions for making noodle baskets in Double Happiness Pasta. A delicious and simple dish which looks spectacular. I’d consider making these baskets and filling them with an Asian salad as a light starter.

I am impressed by Martin’s recipe for Preserved Duck Legs. Think French Confit and add the aroma of Chinese five-spice. It’s another easy dish but rather smart. Use the meat in stir-fries, stuffing for spring rolls, in place of Peking Duck, and also in Special Fried Rice. Martin suggests Preserved Duck with Clay Pot Rice. Buy a traditional clay casserole from Chinatown for an authentic centrepiece.

Grilled Spiced Pork Chops is an adaptable recipe. Martin uses asparagus but you can use green beans. Chicken or even turkey could be substituted for the pork. This is an ideal, quick week-day meal. Just add a bowl of rice or some noodles and contentment will be assured. A comforting and warming dish.

Steamed Ginger Sponge Cake is another Martin Yan recipe with a very European-sounding name. Steamed sponges are always light and this one is also exotic. It contains not only the aforementioned ginger but coconut milk as well. That’s a marriage made in heaven.

Martin Yan’s China is bound to be popular with those who have enjoyed his amusing shows. Entertaining though this man may be, he is also skilled at selecting recipes. This is a book of balance and charm. The dishes are designed to be accessible to the home cook. It’s an attractive volume full of innovation. Lots here that I will enjoy.

Asian cookbook review: Martin Yan’s China
Author: Martin Yan
Published by: Chronicle
Price: $24.95US, £15.99
ISBN 978-0-8118-6396-4

Bento Love - Easy Japanese Cooking

All of my regular readers will know the name Kentaro Kobayashi. I have reviewed another book of his which had its focus on Donburi, an underrated Japanese dish. He has now turned his attention to the evocative bento box.

Most of us would only have encountered a bento box via our TV screens. They are the stylish packages that are found on Japanese railway stations. No self-respecting documentary about the land of Nippon is complete without the western presenter opening his lunch to discover a savoury and attractive array of rice and accompanying dishes. All very exotic and exciting, but on analysis we are talking food on the go, which needs to be delicious and sustaining.

Kentaro has fond memories of the lunch boxes prepared by his mum. As a growing lad he craved flavourful meat. He was sometimes lucky but whatever the contents of his bento box he was always excited by it, and well fed. He has taken the opportunity with Bento Love to indulge his dream of meat-laden lunch to present some fine recipes, but he has also included dishes that would be craved by both vegetarians and those who prefer fish.

This chef has a knack for recipe selection. He has, once again, chosen dishes that will be tempting for the Japanese reader but equally for those of us who are not so familiar with Japanese food. There is nothing here that is bizarre, no ingredient thought delectable only by the Japanese. This is an accessible and delightful twist on a packed lunch which is a million miles away from a boiled egg sandwich and a bag of salt and vinegar crisps (chips).

The first recipe is that for Deluxe Steak Bento with Simmered Shiitake Mushrooms and Sautéed Watercress. That’s no surprise considering Kentaro's love of protein. The Pork Steak Bento with Sautéed Snap Peas and Shimeji Mushrooms is served with Shiba-style Pickles. Use your favourite European mushroom if you can’t find the shimeji variety, but you will likely find all traditional ingredients in your nearest Asian supermarket or online.

Cashew Chicken Stir-fry is a Chinese classic but is included here because this is a book about contemporary Japanese cooking. It’s a dish that works well for the lunch box, as does Japanese-style Chicken and Potato Curry, and there is even Fish and Chips Bento which includes some broccoli and rice balls.

My favourite recipe is Simmered Croquette Bento. This is a dish made from leftovers but I think it’s worth the effort of cooking from scratch especially for lunch. It’s a moist and flavourful dish and real comfort food. It’s hearty and would be welcome as a substantial lunch on a grey winter’s day.

We all need to eat and we should want to eat well. The credit crunch has forced many to consider a packed lunch from home. It’s a great notion and would save you cash but if that aforementioned lunch is unappetizing then you’ll soon be back to a curly, dry sandwich or a pie and a pint at the nearest pub. Consider some Japanese-inspired bento and be the envy of your colleagues. But don’t forget that you can eat all these dishes at home. They work just as well on a plate as in a box.

Bento Love - Easy Japanese Cooking

The Sari

This wasn’t, to be honest, what I expected. It has a bright and evocative picture on the front cover but this isn’t a book about colourful textiles, it’s about how the sari is worn and the place it holds in Indian society. It’s a simple length of cloth but to suggest that is all it is would be rather like saying a book is just reconstituted tree.

I have always admired women in saris. It’s not just the fabric that holds one’s attention but rather the form, the drape, the movement of the material. It’s an ancient dress but one that is by the same token timeless. It hints at exotic sexuality while simultaneously conveying an impression of modesty.

The Sari is about the wearers of saris and their relationship to it. It’s complex and varied but one that has impact. The diverse strands of feminine Indian society have a common denominator and that is the sari, with all its myriad styles and significance: it is not just an item of clothing like, for example, a western tee-shirt - a sari plays a role in much of Indian social interaction.

The Sari has a collection of personal stories from women who wear or have worn the sari on a regular basis. For some it’s reserved for smart evening wear, with western attire being the choice for the majority of the time. Others are full-time sari wearers who might even wear a sari to bed to ensure that they are covered from prying eyes at all times. The sari in many of these cases is used as an expression of religious and familial conformity.

Indian school girls don’t wear saris and the first time one is worn heralds the start of adult life. It was interesting to read that Indian women do, in fact, have sari accidents and anxieties. Yes, there have been occasions when a sari has become unwound, a careless foot causing embarrassment. I have tried a sari and I’ll not feel safe in one without the use of several 4-inch nails and a weightlifter’s belt. Sari-wearing is an art.

The Sari is a book that has introduced me to an aspect of Indian society that is seldom discussed. One looks at attractive ladies in beautiful clothes and one takes the sari at face value, but this amazing book shows a fascinating aspect of the lives of so many women of and from the subcontinent. It’s a worthwhile and compelling read and encourages one to consider the wearer rather than the worn.

The Complete Book of Korean Cooking

I am convinced that Korean food will be the next big food trend. It has an appealing mix of tongue-tingling spice, light freshness and an array of textures. It’s generally low in fat and high in fibre so will be welcomed by all of us who enjoy robust flavours but yet seek healthful meals.

The author, Young Jin-Song, is the owner of several Korean restaurants in Asia as well as Shed in London. His first book, Korean Cooking, won the Best Asian Cuisine Cookbook at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in 2006. The photography (800 step-by-step pictures) is supplied by the celebrated food photographer Martin Brigdale. He is a prize winner who has contributed to more than 50 cookbooks.

The Complete Book of Korean Cooking does not assume you know anything about Korea, its culture or its cooking. It offers an introduction to Korea, its geography, people, festivals and religion, and gives an overview to help put food into context. It’s evident that Koreans take their food seriously and enjoy not only formal and family meals but also take advantage of snacking opportunities.

There are 150 or so recipes here and, no, dear reader, they are not all mouth-numbingly spicy. Kimchi is well spiced but you can choose from several different varieties, from the classic cabbage Kimchi to Spring Onion Kimchi which is not as fiery, although it is still packed with flavour. If the cabbage Kimchi proves a bit too strong then use less chilli next time or make the ever-popular Pan-fried Kimchi Fritters. These are small cakes of kimchi and tofu and are served with a soy dipping sauce. They work well as either a light lunch, a starter for any Asian meal or a snack with drinks.

Stuffed Squid with Soy Dipping Sauce is traditional market food and a world away from dubious hot dogs that are ubiquitous in the West. This is surprisingly simple to make but it looks amazing and very chic. Very little work for maximum impact. Seafood Salad in Mustard Dressing is another dish that is simple, flavourful and smart and, at last, I find a decent recipe that includes whelks. A must-try dish along with Spicy Whelk Salad.

Braised Tofu might be the dish to persuade carnivorous westerners that tofu is something more than white, flavourless jelly. Consider it a healthy vehicle for flavour. The cubes of tofu are cooked in a sauce which gradually reduces to a thick glaze. It’s rich and delicious.

The Complete Book of Korean Cooking has a good selection of seafood, noodles, vegetables and rice but meat is also popular in Korea. Grilled Beef in Sweet Soy Marinade is not at all spicy but uses garlic and sesame seeds to add flavour. Sweet and Spicy Chicken is a dish appreciated by those who love some heat. This recipe has garlic, chillies and chilli paste to provide spice and colour to the chicken. The resulting dish is red and impressive, and could be served with some plain rice for a quick meal.

This book is a visual stunner. Its step-by-step photographs show every element of preparation but that preparation is, for the most part, simple. Buy a couple of jars of chilli paste and you’ll be cooking authentic Korean food in no time. A lovely book and great value for money. I thoroughly recommend it.

Quick and Easy Korean Cooking

Korean food has a place in America’s restaurant and recipe book pantheon but it’s a new-comer on the European food scene. There are more and more restaurants to be found but they are not as common as Indian restaurants, or even fish and chip shops, those bastions of traditional British dining that seem to be a dying breed.

Koreans love Korean food, that’s evident, but it’s a cuisine that travels well. It should hold no terrors for the European home cook as the techniques are simple and the ingredients (apart from a few spice mixes) can be found in your regular supermarkets. The end result of your efforts will be, however, a dish that is uniquely Korean, with all that it implies.

So what does that imply? Flavour. It’s been rumoured that Korean food can bring tears of chilli-induced pain to the eyes of seasoned spice eaters but that’s an exaggeration. Yes, there are robust flavours aplenty but you can season to taste.

Quick and Easy Korean Cooking is written by Celia Hae-Jin Lee who is a first-generation Korean American. Her first cookbook, Eating Korean, was selected as one of the Best of the Best by Food and Wine Magazine. She writes extensively for American papers and periodicals.

All the recipes here are easy to follow. There are lots of photographs by Julie Toy to give you a bit of confidence and the book gives an overall impression of style. Pages have been thoughtfully designed to give a hint of Korean culture and taste without being overtly themed.

This volume boasts 70 or so recipes that are truly quick. They should take you 30 minutes or less to prepare. It could be a popular book for that fact alone. If you are embarking on a new culinary escapade then you won’t want to be spending a good part of your day waiting to try your creations. We are talking fast family meals that you don’t have to reserve for special occasions.

Family recipes they might be but this list includes lots of celebrated dishes. Bibimbap (a bowl of rice with various toppings) is ubiquitous in Korean restaurants. Kimchi (traditional pickled vegetables) is the dish that has made grown men cry but you can choose your heat level. Boolgogi is seasoned slices of beef and typically Korean.

The charm of Korean food is that there are so many authentic dishes that are quick to prepare with inexpensive vegetables and spices. Add some fish or meat and you have a feast. Celia has provided several menus to enable the novice to combine dishes for various meals. You can start with the Tummy Warmer Breakfast (Black Sesame Porridge and Hot Ginger Tea) and finish with the Elegant Dinner Party (Soju Cocktail, Skewered Beef, Spicy Sashimi Rice, and Poached Asian Pear).

Quick and Easy Korean Cooking is a lovely and gentle introduction to Korean food. It’s an attractive book that will encourage you to try for yourself this marvellous but overlooked cuisine. Delicious!

Cookbook review: No-Oil Cooking

There are many of us now who are overweight and an increasing number who are clinically obese. In some European countries that figure has increased (no pun intended) to 25% of the population. That is a staggering statistic.

We have more overweight people and the weight by which they are “over” has also increased. The reasons for the rise in weight-related disease are simple: modern lifestyle and eating habits. We drive more and walk less. Our jobs often require little movement apart from fingers sprinting across computer keys. We don’t think we have time to cook healthy foods and we choose more and more fatty, pre-prepared foods or takeaways (takeouts).

Sanjeev Kapoor presents us with recipes that are both oil-free (that is to say no added oil) and are still delicious and satisfying. He is India’s most celebrated chef and food industry guru. Sanjeev is increasingly recognised by a discerning overseas audience as an authority on Indian food and his books and TV series Khana Khazana have long been popular. No-Oil Cooking has his touch of exotica and common sense which will be appealing to every nationality of reader.

Cooking with no added oil isn’t difficult... but it’s important to have recipes that have that taste and mouth-feel that at the end of the meal give us the sensation of having had “proper” food. It’s no good eating an oil-free meal and then tucking into a huge box of chocolates because you feel empty.

The chapters cover everything from drinks to main courses to sweets and everything in between. The recipes listed don’t read like worthy, noble and boring healthfood dishes. This is tasty food that just happens to be good for you. The whole family will enjoy these offerings so you won’t be confronted with the perennial problem of cooking one meal for the health-conscious folk and a different one for those who just live to eat. One meal fits all!

Garlic-Flavoured Rasam is my choice from the Beverages, Soups and Salads chapter. This is comfort food that is, thankfully, good for you. It is easy to prepare and that preparation only takes 10 minutes. The cooking time is just 30 minutes, without constant attention.

Corn Bhel couldn’t be simpler and is the ultimate healthy snack. Sanjeev uses Green Coriander Chutney and Date and Tamarind Chutney for this delight and he gives both recipes so you’ll have no excuse not to make it.

Vegetable Seekh Kebabs would be a great addition to any barbeque. They would be welcomed by vegetarians who are so often overlooked on these occasions but it’s also no-guilt munching for those who are looking for a healthy option. These are so tempting that you’ll need to make enough for the meat eaters as well.

No-Oil Cooking offers fast, no-fuss food that is full of flavour, colour and texture. Your body will thank you and so will your family.

Donburi Mania – Easy Japanese Cooking

I love Japanese food but seldom have I been offered anything other than tempura and sushi. Now, don’t get me wrong, I could eat both those lovely dishes every day but there is more to Japanese food than raw fish and battered vegetables. There is Donburi!

What exactly is this donburi? It’s all about rice. Doesn’t sound very interesting, does it? Top that rice with meat and/or vegetables and perhaps a few noodles and often egg, cooked or not. Those garnishes complement the rice which is held in such high esteem by the Japanese.

The author, Kentaro Kobayashi, is a young man with both talent and passion. He started his working life as an illustrator but soon displayed his flair for food. His motto has always been “easy yet delicious, stylish yet realistic”. He has featured in magazines and on television where he represented the new generation of cooks who wanted taste and texture in no time.

I am a food writer and researcher and frequent eater, and I had oft encountered recipes for Donburi but it was Toronto (no, not Tokyo) that gave me an opportunity to try these tempting dishes for the first time. I chose a chicken donburi which arrived with a sunny egg yolk nestling on top of vegetables and tender meat. I have been searching for such donburi perfection since then.

At last my menu scanning is over and I have help at hand in the guise of Donburi Mania, which houses between its covers 70 recipes for meals that are quick, delicious and healthy. You’ll have dinner ready in the time it takes to cook rice. You can use last night’s leftovers with some fresh vegetables for crunch. It couldn’t be simpler. No exotic equipment needed and more importantly...no special skills.

It’s been difficult for me to select a few recipes to represent donburi. All of Kentaro’s dishes are appealing and encompass a wide range of ingredients. There is plenty here for a vegetarian and for fish lovers but the author will not expect you to follow his ideas meticulously. Donburi is about casual and modern eating so make a few from this book and then invent your own.

Stewed Pork Donburi makes use of cheaper cuts of meat. This recipe is more time-consuming than others as the meat needs to simmer for an hour or so. You don’t have to sit and watch the pork cooking so it hardly constitutes as slaving over a hot stove. The end result of your foreplanning will be a silky and soft preparation that will become a firm favourite. It’s real comfort food that will have you finding excuses to make it.

Chicken Sukiyaki Donburi reminds me of my first encounter. You can use last night’s leftover Sukiyaki (or cook chicken in a sweet soy sauce) so you’ll have a smart meal in less than 20 minutes. The egg yolk might be alarming for the uninitiated but it forms a creamy coating which is rich and luxurious. Be brave.

Donburi Mania – Easy Japanese Cooking is the most comprehensive book around covering just this unique and flavourful dish. I’ll be eating my way through each of Kentaro Kobayashi’s tempting recipes.

Thailand - A World of Flavours

The author of Thailand - A World of Flavours is Christine Watson. The name doesn’t sound very Thai or even Asian but, in fact, Christine grew up in South-East Asia and so has been well placed to select dishes from Thailand that are certainly authentic but are also appealing to the western palate. Christine trained at the internationally renowned Leith’s School of Food and Wine and now works as a food writer and stylist in London.

Christine gives a tantalising overview of Thai cuisine in the first section of her book, and presents some classic dishes that those who have travelled to Thailand, and Thai restaurant-goers, will recognise. Fish Sauce with Chillies is as ubiquitous in Thailand as, say, ketchup might be in the west. It’s simple to make but it will add that distictive kick to Thai food. Chicken Pad Thai is one of the best known of Thai dishes but Pad Thai can also be made with seafood or tofu. Mangoes feature highly in Thai cooking, both sweet and juicy for desserts, and unripe in salads. Christine offers a delicious Mango sorbet that would be a charming finale to a traditional meal.

Each region of Thailand has its own cuisine which depends upon the produce found in that area. The north is mountainous and far from the sea so fish isn’t used so often. Pork, chicken and beef cooked in mild curries are typical. The food of Southern Thailand has the flavours we dream about. Coconut, fishcakes, shrimp and peanuts. The tropical climate encourages coconut palms to flourish and those coconuts are used to great effect in Coconut Beef Curry. This is quick to make but I suggest you reduce the quantity of chillies unless you want an authentically HOT Thai curry. It makes an impressive meal for little effort.

There is a recipe in Thailand - A World of Flavours that would encourage any Thai food lover to buy the book: it’s Chilli Preserve. That might seem strange but it’s a recipe seldom seen. Many books give rafts of instructions on how to make every dish from slow-cooked curries to carved fruit but Chilli Preserve is the essence of Thai cuisine.

Christine Watson is a writer who has evident passion for the food of South-East Asia. Her selection of recipes shows the best of Thai cooking and also introduces us to new delights that we can easily make at home. It’s an attractive and enticing volume and great value for money.

Balance and Harmony – Asian Food

660 Curries – The Gateway to Indian Cooking

Yes, I knew that a book of some 660 curries was winging its way to me but I had no concept of what a book of those aforementioned curries might look like. This is a seriously big book that cuts no corners and skimps not a jot of detail, advice, background or explanation.

The author Raghavan Iyer is a US-based Indian chef and educator. Both those disciplines place him ideally for writing this Curry Bible, this Subcontinental Encyclopaedia, this Master Work of Spicy Delight. I don’t mean to rename Raghavan’s book but it should have a title that more accurately reflects the breadth of the topic.

To tackle a cookbook of this size might be a daunting prospect, especially for the novice cook. No need to be put off. Raghavan gently takes your hand and leads you through every element of spice selection, paste grinding, frying, grilling and simmering. He doesn’t assume that you have a familiar and close relationship with your kitchen, and you’ll not be confronted by recipes that are anything other than simple.

660 Curries offers every conceivable curry for every possible occasion. I am impressed by Raghavan’s recipes for pastes and spice blends. These take just a few minutes to prepare but add a taste of true authenticity to dishes. Spices are readily available in stores or by mail order.

The recipes will tempt both meat eaters and vegetarians. Every meat has its chapter and each vegetable has numerous possibilities. I love lentils and beans, and I thought I had acquired a reasonable repertoire of dishes but this book must contain every recipe ever devised. There are many with which I am familiar, such as Moong Masoor Dal (Red and Yellow Lentils) and Teen Taal Dal (Creamy Black Lentils) but that’s a fraction of the Legume Curries listed.

Chicken is popular among non-vegetarian Indians and it was amusing to find Chicken Tikka Masala. Yes, it’s said to be Britain’s National dish. Raghavan points out that it was concocted entirely for Europeans, but is delicious when made well. I guess we can still call it an authentic Indian dish because it was originally cooked by authentic Indians.

The chapter entitled Curry Cohorts is as important as the Curry chapters. The Cohorts are those indispensible side dishes or accompaniments. Rice is the obvious candidate, and Raghavan describes 10 alternatives to the plain boiled that tends to be the norm. There are plenty of breads including traditional roti, as well as hearty Mutter Kachoris (Flaky Breads stuffed with Spicy Green Peas).

An Indian meal isn’t quite complete without an array of other items to nibble. Papads (or papadoms) can be used instead of bread with a curry or served as an appetiser with some chutney or relish. Kachumber is a fresh Indian “salsa” made with chopped cucumber, tomato and onion. It is tangy and light and is amazing with fish. Nimboo Ka Achar is a lime pickle and one of the most popular preserves. Raghavan has an easy version that will add a tang to curries and breads but also to European cheeses such as cheddar.

660 Curries – The Gateway to Indian Cooking departs from the savoury theme just long enough to tempt you with Mango Cardamom Cheesecake. This is unmistakably Indian. Well, OK, cheesecakes aren’t normally considered to be an Indian invention, but the addition of cardamom gives the impression that cheesecakes might well have been first devised in a classy restaurant kitchen in Mumbai. A sprinkle of fresh pomegranate seeds, and you have a stunning and exotic dessert.

It’s been my pleasure (mostly) to review hundreds of recipe books and they have been well written and informative, but 660 Curries has a place in my top 10 books reviewed to date. Raghavan has an easy style of writing which is engaging and full of wry humour. I spend half my life eating Indian food and reading Indian recipes but 660 Curries – The Gateway to Indian Cooking has held my attention, introduced me to new dishes and encouraged me to learn more. This is one of the largest tomes to cross my desk (kitchen worktop on trestles) but the quality of research and penmanship are what sets this book apart. Raghavan Iyer is a remarkable ambassador for Indian food. Amazing value for money.

Khazana of Indian Recipes

Sanjeev Kapoor is the popular and charismatic host of the Indian TV show Khana Khazana. He has been presenting this award-winning programme since its birth back in 1993 and it has been the vehicle that has made Sanjeev a household name in India. It has also allowed him to take centre-stage promoting Indian food worldwide and this book brings you, the international audience, a chance to try for yourself some recipes that have made Sanjeev Kapoor such an icon.

Khazana of Indian Recipes is a general cookbook rather than one with a focus on a particular type of cuisine, regional food or healthful ingredients. This gives the reader an overview of typical recipes that might even be familiar to those of us who live outside India. Such is the draw of Indian food that even those who steer clear of the kitchen will have already eaten some of these dishes in restaurants or at the homes of friends. Khazana of Indian Recipes will persuade even a novice that Indian food is easy to prepare, with ingredients found in almost every western supermarket. Those living in India will enjoy this book as a good representation of dishes you will honestly want to cook.

A general cookbook should have a bit of everything and Khazana of Indian Recipes does. Soups and Salads, Snacks, Chicken, Lamb, Seafood and Vegetables along with Accompaniments, Breads and Rice are all here, as well as a tempting selection of sweets.

A glance through the pages of this book will give you the impression that Indian food is quick and easy to prepare. The majority of dishes have only a few paragraphs of instructions. Don’t be put off if a couple of recipes sport a lengthy list of ingredients. Closer inspection will show that the majority of those items are spices that will doubtless be already gracing your shelves.

Yes, I have favourite recipes but there are a lot of them. Batata Vada, Kheema Potli, Murgh ke Shami must be near the top of the list because I love snack foods. Malai Kofta Curry would be my pick for a non-meat dish; Prawn Balchao for my favourite seafood choice and Chicken Makhani for that rich and decadent meal that we all need from time to time. None of these dishes is difficult and every one will be superior to those found in all but the best restaurants.

But let me just mention some of the sweets that I adore and would cheerfully have broken an arm for... well, before I found the recipes. Besan ke Laddoo – few ingredients but the result is worth more than the sum of its parts. Chocolate Burfi with only 4 ingredients should be made a national treasure.

Khazana of Indian Recipes might be the book for you, even if you have only space for one Indian cookbook. It’s clearly written and honestly shows that Indian meals take no time at all. Throw away the take-away menu, find the map to the kitchen and dust off the hob.

India – The Ultimate Sights, Places, and Experiences

This book is large, colourful, and sumptuous and any other superlatives you care to mention. It’s a luxurious encyclopaedia of the subcontinent and covers pretty much every aspect of life, art and culture of this marvellous country.

India – The Ultimate Sights, Places, and Experiences is a weighty tome but it’s true to say that the subject is so vast that even this book can’t cover it in depth. What it does do is portray India in a most sympathetic and unpatronising fashion. The writers and photographers have evidently done their homework and intend you to have a broad-based look the people and places that make India so memorable.

I can hardly begin to tell you how bored I am by TV documentaries about Suchandsuch’s View of The Real India. In truth these documentaries just serve to reinforce stereotypes that westerners hold so dear. We are confronted by yet another rat-filled temple (yes, they are there but there is more to worship than that) and people living on the streets (Do Indian producers come to London to film drunks on park benches?). This book looks at typical Indians who have jobs, who work hard (and a few that don’t need to), go to school and have dreams of the future.

India is both ancient and new. Modern India is a little over 60 years old but its soul and character have existed for millennia. Towns in India had well-developed sewage systems in prehistoric times. More correctly, times when the west had done nothing much to make history but times by which India was already civilised and cultured.

India – The Ultimate Sights, Places, and Experiences draws on 700 or so pictures to lead you through this vast country with all of its awe-inspiring scenery (everything from mountains to lush valleys, from desert to jungle). It also introduces you to all its major religions, its amazing architecture, its art and treasures, and its diverse population.

 India is, at last, taking its place as a world power. Its future is bright and it has young people who will make a success of this land that has so much to offer. This gem of a book gives a tantalising overview of the country and its culture. It’s not a text book but rather a volume to be enjoyed by the whole family. It’s impressive and a joy, and astounding value for money.

Gardens of Delight – Indian Gardens Through the Ages

We British tend to think that we invented gardens and the concept of those spaces as areas of leisure. English gardens are mimicked the world over and even in countries whose climates are unsuitable for even the notion of a cottagey, green and lush space.

In horticultural terms India would be the head gardener and Europe would be either the apprentice lad or the pot washer, depending on which particular European gardening nation we are considering. India has been gardening for longer and on a grander scale than probably any other country, but its gardens are so often overlooked in favour of those more stereotypical examples from England, Italy and the classic ones of France.

It’s not just that Indian gardens are beautiful but there is another element and one which is missing from most western gardens. So many plants and trees have a religious or mystical association that adds another dimension to an already exotic environment. Tulsi (sacred basil) is revered by Hindus for both its medical and spiritual qualities. This shrub is unique in that it emits oxygen at night and was therefore planted in courtyards where people would sleep to avoid the oppressive heat of summer.

Sandalwood is also known as Chandana in Sanskrit and ancient texts tell us that the scent of the tree filled the Gardens of Paradise, and it is still used in Hindu religious ceremonies. In 1792, the Sultan of Mysore declared sandalwood to be a royal tree and now every such tree has government protection to prevent illegal smuggling of this prized wood.

The Lotus is the national flower of India and sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. It represents Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and prosperity, and the flower symbolizes spiritual enlightenment, divinity, fertility, wealth and knowledge.

Banyan represents the gods Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma and is symbolic of life and fertility. The tree can grow to an amazing size and the Great Banyan in Howrah in the Indian Botanic Gardens is among the largest in the world.

Gardens of Delight – Indian Gardens Through the Ages charts the changes reflecting the tide of varied influences of culture and religion. Ancient paintings depict scenes of formal gardens with couches and fountains, exotic trees and flowers. These gardens were considered extensions to the inside living areas and often had pavilions and tents to provide shade and privacy.

Garden design does not remain static and this book has some stunning examples of modern Indian gardens. The swimming pool of the Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel in Agra owes much to Moghal architecture but has crisp terracing that reminds one of classic European gardens in Italy. The Baha’i Temple in New Delhi is modelled on a lotus flower. It’s a veritable Asian Sydney Opera House floating on a sea of green. The podium gardens at the Kalpataru Horizon in Mumbai blends contemporary architecture with Indian trees and shrubs. Striking.

Gardens of Delight – Indian Gardens Through the Ages is a sumptuous book and a joy to leaf through. It’s filled with ideas for those of us who want to create our own Gardens of Delight. It’s a perfect gift for gardeners and travellers and those who love India.

Food of Japan

It’s the winner of a Japan Festival Award ‘for outstanding achievements in furthering the understanding of Japanese culture in the United Kingdom’ in 2000. In the same year it was also short-listed for the World Cookbook Awards and the Guild of Food Writers’ Jeremy Round Award for Best First Cookery Book. The author, Shirley Booth, in 2006 was awarded the Japanese Agriculture Minister's Award for Overseas Promotion of Japanese. There was no doubt that this book was going to be interesting.

Shirley has amazing credentials, being not only an award winner but, more importantly, having lived in Japan and taught Japanese cooking there. She seems to know just about everything there is to know about the subject but her addition of historic and personal narrative puts the food into context. It is that conversational but informative style that elevates this book to something more than just another ethnic cookbook.

Japanese food has become more and more popular over the last few years. Japanese restaurants proliferate and chilled counters in supermarkets groan under the weight of pre-packed sushi. The price is often prohibitive and the selection is small. So why don’t we just make Japanese food at home... and something other than sushi?

Well, we could and should but this is a relatively new food trend and we need a bit of coaxing. It’s true that the ingredients are not as readily available in the high street as, say, Indian or Chinese, but I know you have heard of the internet because you are reading this marvellously well-executed review. Just order ingredients online.

There are 200 or so recipes in this volume so there will be plenty to fire the imagination. My advice would be to look through the index and find a dish that you just like the sound of. Make up your mind that you’ll prepare your choice at the weekend and then go to the recipe. It’s unlikely that you’ll find a cooking technique that you have not encountered before and it’s probable that your dish will have familiar ingredients. No excuse not to have a go. Japanese food is famed for being healthy, flavourful and different. We should all be considering our diet and cooking foods that taste good and do us good.

You could start your culinary adventure with Gyoza. These are not strictly Japanese in origin but are popular Chinese dumplings adopted in the same way as Europeans have adopted kebabs. These are easy to make and a good way to disguise cabbage. Chicken Teriyaki is simple to prepare and tasty. I have used the Teriyaki sauce as a marinade for salmon so the recipe can be adapted for non-meat eaters.

One dish that will be popular with westerners will be Gyudon. It is, like so many here, simple with few ingredients but lots of flavour. It’s fried beef and onions with an added sauce of typical Japanese flavours: soy, mirin and ginger. Serve over a bowl of rice and you’ll have satisfied guests.

Food of Japan is a lovely book that is sure to become a classic. Shirley Booth presents what could be an intimidating subject in an accessible and witty fashion. This is a must for anyone who has an interest in Japanese food or culture.

Modern Spice

You know, dear reader, that Indian food is my passion. It’s been my pleasure to review many Indian cookbooks written by India-born Indians, UK-born Indians, India-born English, and now an India-born Indian living in the USA. Monica Bhide is that Indian and she has penned a most delightful book that will be as well received on this side of the pond as it is bound to be in the US.

Modern Spice takes a look at Indian food and gives it a twist. None of us have endless time to spend in the kitchen. We want food that is flavourful, healthy and attractive but we don’t want to be taking all day cooking it. Monica has a life full of children, work and husband but she still wants to present food that reflects her rich heritage. She takes advantage of ingredients that are readily available in western supermarkets and adds Indian spices to create a selection of new recipes that are both Asian and Western. This isn’t fusion food, it’s evolution food.

You don’t have to be a practised preparer of subcontinental food. There is plenty of advice here to set you off on your culinary journey. The first chapters introduce you to the spice pantry and then Monica’s Kitchen Rules. Nothing to make you anxious, just good sound cooking know-how.

Monica has captured the essence of Indian food but she has transformed it. These dishes are both accessible and charmingly different from those that we more often see in European-targeted cookbooks. The Indian “Burger” is traditional street food but Monica has adapted it for the western kitchen. This is comfort food at its spicy best. Heirloom Tomato Salad with Chat Masala has few ingredients and fewer directions but the result is both refreshing and spicy. Again, it’s using great produce to present something that is unique and appealing.

It’s difficult to choose just a couple of favourite recipes from Modern Spice. The Legendary Chicken 65 will become... well, legendary. It’s that combination of deep-fried food (don’t look at me that way, I am not eating it every day) and a spicy oil as a garnish.

Green Beans Subzi can be made with frozen green beans. This is a marvellous side dish to some plain roast meat. Yes, it has the unmistakable flavour of India but you don’t need to use Indian dishes just with Indian meals. There is so much in Modern Spice that you can mix and match with the European.

True, this is a cookbook, and a very fine one, but if you just read the recipes you will miss so much. Monica’s life has taken her from India to Bahrain and then to America. Modern Spice is a book made richer by family anecdotes, stories of laughter and tears. It’s a warm-hearted page-turner with lovely recipes. Modern Spice should become a classic of contemporary Indian cuisine. It’s not a compromise, it’s fresh and inviting.

Virtual Dinner for Modern Spice

Beet Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Rice Pudding and Mango Parfait

Eggplant and Tomatoes with Cilantro

An Indian Kitchen

This is a cookbook that works for me on several levels. The author is relatively unknown, it’s spiral-bound so it’s a book you’ll be persuaded to use in your kitchen, and thirdly it’s sold in a good cause.

The author, Farida Khan, is an amazing lady. She didn’t start her working life with catering in mind. Farida was a gifted medical student at the Chittagong Medical College when she married a young surgeon, Majid Khan, and three days later they set off for a new life in Somalia where they were presented with many challenges including finding somewhere to eat!

Farida had to learn to cook out of sheer necessity but it’s evidently a talent that might have remained hidden had she not left her own country. That would have been a great loss to her friends as well as to the many charities that have benefited from her skill as a cook and baker.

The Khans moved to Edinburgh in 1966 and Farida began to build a reputation for fine hospitality. She was urged to give cooking lessons which eventually led to her setting up her own catering company. Her birthday and wedding cakes are legendary but she has always found time to support charities and in this case Cancer Research UK.

If you are the thoughtful sort you will buy this book to support this very worthwhile cause, but isn’t it good when you actually get something worthwhile in return. This is a rather good cookbook that has some great Indian recipes but also some European dishes such as Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup, and Pavlova.

The Indian recipes are a lovely collection of family favourites and some that might not be so well known by non-Indians. The Bread chapter has chapatis and puris as you might expect but there is also Aloo Paratha and Puran Puri. The Rice chapter offers Vegetable Pillau and Chicken Pillau but also includes Masoor Pillau which is a rich rice dish with lamb and lentils.

You’ll expect me to wax lyrical about a particular recipe and I won’t disappoint you. It’s Delhi Korma, a recipe given by Farida's cousin. Korma has something of a bad rap. It’s a dish ordered by those who visit Indian restaurants under coercion. It’s an item sought by those who don’t actually like Indian food. Korma sauce is a supermarket staple which invariably ranges from over-sweet to bland. Try this recipe and you’ll find yourself converted to Subcontinental food in general and a real korma in particular. Simple to make, authentic and delicious. It’s mild and comforting and a world away from anything you’ll find in most restaurants.

An Indian Kitchen is a cookbook with the feel of a well-loved archive. You’ll enjoy the recipes, which aren’t over taxing even for the novice. Your family will thank you for buying this book... and so will Cancer Research UK.

Asian cookbook review: An Indian Kitchen
Author: Farida Khan
The book retails for £10 from all Specsavers stores throughout Scotland and is being sold in aid of Cancer Research UK. If people south of the border are interested in purchasing the book then please contact susanne.grant@beattiegroup.com. She will liaise with you with regard to payment, and postage and packaging.

The Complete Asian Cookbook

I first came across Charmaine Solomon in the 1970’s. My first recipe book was Charmaine’s Chinese Cookbook and I am still using it today (well, actually, last Saturday night). It’s a treat to have The Complete Asian Cookbook, which is a mammoth one-stop Asian recipe book that covers those countries that constitute what we in the West consider Asia. Not the geographic Asia which would include parts of Turkey and Iran etc, but the Asia from China to Indonesia, from Pakistan to Japan

Ken Hom has written the foreword and he says “I trust that this major culinary work will be a companion to your cookery books as well as being used as a standard reference...” One glance will tell you that this volume is noteworthy. It’s a mine of information on food history, culture and practice for all the main Asian cuisines.

Although this is a formidable volume it’s a cookbook that is meant to be used. It’s ideal for those who have already discovered a passion for cooking Asian food but also for those who would like to. Charmaine doesn’t assume you know anything about the subject. She guides you gently through the basic techniques and even gives you a convenient shopping list for those store cupboard ingredients for each of the cuisines.

The chapters are divided by country and the lesser-known culinary nations are also given space. There are few books that focus on Sri Lankan dishes and probably still fewer that present the food of Burma. Each section has a wealth of classic dishes as well as family-style recipes, and the sheer volume is almost overwhelming!

I do have favourite recipes. Crisp Fried Pork with Sweet and Sour Sauce is a Chinese restaurant staple but it’s often heavy and greasy. This recipe is lighter and fresher-tasting than the take-away favourite. This recipe also works well with chicken and prawns and I often use the sauce over rice with vegetables.

Some Asian recipe books are a bit light on sweets. India has some of the finest as the sweetshops even in the UK will attest. Some of these delights are easily made at home and your guests will be impressed by an authentic Asian dessert rather than a scoop of trifle. Kulfi is a delicious Indian ice cream and the home-made version is far superior to the commercial offerings of the larger supermarkets. Mysore Pak, like a shortbread, has crumbly texture and has a delicate hint of cardamom and almond. Just right with a cup of afternoon tea. Barfi is probably the most common of Indian sweets and comes in many colours and flavours but The Complete Asian Cookbook has probably the most popular - Barfi Pista made with Pistachio nuts. Irresistible.

The Complete Asian Cookbook doesn’t have a picture for every recipe (there are 70 recipes just starting with the letter A!) but there are sufficient to give the impression of a sumptuous book that you will want to use. Yes, its size is impressive but the content is what will attract the reader. It’s a book of reference, charm and practicality. Amazing value for money!

The Cinnamon Club Cookbook

The title evokes pictures of colonial plantations with a menu of Anglo-Indian dishes and probably jam roly-poly in sweltering heat. That vision could not be further from the truth. This is all about classy and contemporary Indian cooking which manages to give a nod to that other fine cuisine... French.

The authors, Iqbal Wahhab and Vivek Singh, present us with a book filled with recipes from their celebrated Cinnamon Club restaurant in Westminster, London. This is a cut above (in fact many cuts above) your high-street curry house. This magnificent building is home to elegant dining, and it just happens to be Indian dining.

There is a move away from the long-familiar, standard fare on offer at the local take-away. We have travelled to the subcontinent and eaten in Asian friends’ homes in the UK, so we know that there is something better to be had. The Cinnamon Club Cookbook introduces a new concept which combines the best of Indian food with the presentation that we would normally expect from an up-market eatery in Paris. The authors have added wine recommendations which will be a relief to those of us who yearn for something other than a pint of Cobra with our spicy meals.

The recipes are surprising and tempting. Rabbit Tikka is ideal cooked on the barbeque with a nice chilled glass of Syrah from the Languedoc in France alongside. Spice-crusted Rib Eye of Beef with Masala Sautéed Potatoes would make an exotic change for Sunday lunch, served with wine from the Douro Valley in Portugal.

My favourite dishes are the accompaniments. Rajasthani Chickpea Dumplings with Yoghurt is a dish not often found on restaurant menus. Punjabi Black Lentils with Tomatoes and Cream would make a meal alone with just some fresh roti. But the chapter with the most comfort food has got to be Breakfast with such delights as Potato-stuffed Parathas, and Haleem which is a lamb stew with lentils and wheat. OK, so it’s a substantial meal but lovely on a cold winter morning.

Cinnamon Club Cookbook is a book packed with innovation. It will elevate home cooking to something for those special occasions when you want to get out the real napkins and buy a good bottle of wine.

Some say that there are three outstanding cuisines in the world: French, Chinese and Indian. For me Indian food is at the top of the list for flavour, colour and variety. It’s a cuisine I long to learn more about and the more I learn the more I realise I don’t know. The Cinnamon Club Cookbook is a delightful tool to continue my education.

The Chopsticks Diet

I guess that just the word “diet” will have half of my dear readers turning the page (if they were able to do such a thing on a website) and the other half waiting with bated breath for the next word that will change their lives completely. For those diet-haters I ask you to read on. For those who expect a magic solution for weight loss with no effort I must tell you there will never be one, but you might just find that this book helps.

Kimiko Barber is an award-winning author of books on Japanese cooking. The Chopsticks Diet is slightly different from others of Kimiko that I have reviewed. They focused on taste and some of the renowned health-giving properties of Japanese food. The Chopsticks Diet takes a slightly different and rather revolutionary approach, that of the combination of appropriate foods and the use of chopsticks.

The dishes that Kimiko offers are tempting to the taste buds and a feast for the eye. I am not a great lover of health foods that are bland and unappetising. We shouldn’t consider weight problems as an illness that can only be treated by unpleasant medicine in the shape of unpalatable meals. That just feels like punishment and reinforces the impression that we have been “bad”.

The key is in the title “Chopsticks”. If you use chopsticks to eat your food (OK, we will exclude soup) then you are bound to lose weight. You will naturally eat slower and take smaller mouthfuls and this fools you into thinking that you have eaten more than you have. Meals will be smaller but you will not feel deprived or hungry.

Yes, you could continue to eat your habitual foods with chopsticks and you would probably lose some weight, but how much nicer it is to enjoy a dish that is attractive and looks like it SHOULD be eaten with chopsticks. If you are going to make changes then have some fun.

The recipes in The Chopsticks Diet are enticing. There are just a few uniquely Japanese ingredients but they will be readily available from larger high street supermarkets, or online if you are a computer-savvy shopper. The basics are fresh vegetables, fish and noodles and will be healthful even if eaten with a fork.

The Domburi recipes are perhaps my favourite. The Chopsticks Diet has a selection of these dishes that are quick and easy to prepare. It’s rice with a variety of toppings and I think Domburi should be as well-publicised as its cousin, sushi. Egg and Spinach Domburi is comfort food Japanese style. The egg creates a sauce for the rice and gives a marvellously silky texture. A classic.

The Chopsticks Diet is a fresh and welcome approach not only to weight loss but to healthy eating in general. The recipes are stunning but not difficult. Gone are the days of cardboard crackers and calorie counters. Eat well and enjoy your food. It’s doing you good.

Made in India

My passion for Indian art started in the 1960s when UK shops were filled with all manner of Asian textiles, pictures and ornaments. These were the years of pop art, Hari Krishna and tie-dye. Made in India reflects “real” popular Indian art, that is to say the art available to the masses via advertising hoardings, boxes of matches, calendars etc. It ranges from primitive to elegant but always evocative.

The authors are evidently enamoured with this art form as they have produced similar volumes for Made in China and Made in Japan. Kalim Winata is a computer animation artist and an expert on Asian art. Reed Darmon has designed numerous books and gift products published by Chronicle Books.

Made in India is a chunky, compact volume that offers hundreds of images of everyday Indian graphic design from past centuries. They include folk art, religious prints, and black and white postcards from the time of the Raj, and artwork for children’s books. It’s a book to linger over.

Film has had a big impact on popular art. Made in India has a section devoted to that genre. Not the glitzy posters of Bollywood but marvellous romantic portraits of Ashok Kumar, for example, who was the king of the movies between the 30s and the 60s.

The transport posters are quite lovely and the artistic equal to any much-admired European equivalent. The luggage labels for celebrated hotels such as the Taj and the Oberoi would have adorned the cases of rich travellers of a century ago. An Air India fan of the 1960s is a snapshot of the Flower Power style of that era.

Do I have a favourite image from this lovely little book? Well, yes and it has to be of the goddess Saraswati. This representation is said to have been modelled on Bollywood star Hema Malini. It is a marvellously vibrant and charming print full of colour and religious symbolism. It remains stereotypically Asian while hinting at European Art Deco of the 1930s.

Made in India will be sought by any lover of art history, of popular art, of folk art or of all things Indian. It offers a peek into advertising graphics of the subcontinent. It’s amusing and thought-provoking.

Japan – Eyewitness Travel

You can travel to many countries and get by without a guidebook. You might get lost, you might wish you had the address of a hotel that had sheets on the beds, and you might possibly even regret not taking a packed lunch... but you’ll get by. Japan is a bit more difficult to negotiate without a bit of professional advice.

Japan is full of contradiction and enigma. It’s ultra modern in so many ways but it clings to its traditions. It has a matter-of-fact attitude to nudity in the communal bath houses but remains conservative in matters of morals. It’s a country that has embraced western-style fast food but offers death-dicing fish dishes and live octopus. Comic books are celebrated but religious festivals and rituals are still practised even by the young, who will pray for good exam results (although I expect lots of western students have secretly done the same).

This is a country that has caused anxiety in many a visitor. It’s not the threat of violence or antisocial behaviour (less likely here than most other countries) it’s the fear of making a social gaff, of offending a host or a colleague. Japan – Eyewitness Travel goes some way to steering you through the problems you might encounter when meeting the locals. There are few rules to remember but it’s a good idea to know what they are before you land in Tokyo.

The Japanese are polite and understanding of foreign visitors but you’ll be less embarrassed if you can conform to the general norm of behaviour. Take shoes for example... or rather take shoes off. You’ll be able to tell when removing shoes is appropriate. There will likely be several pairs of empty ones by a door and probably a pair of slippers as well. If in doubt... watch what others do.

Japan – Eyewitness Travel doesn’t leave much to chance. Everything is discussed, from dining etiquette to bathing etiquette. You might still feel a little out of place but at least this book will enable you to interact with the Japanese and leave a positive impression. You’ll learn about culture, history and religion and be able to make your own travel itinerary. The maps are superb and the photography is marvellous.

You can read a pile of books on Japan before you go. One of them should be Japan – Eyewitness Travel. You’ll only want to take one so let it be one that will introduce you to every region of this lovely country, that will offer dates of festivals, addresses of restaurants, and a great selection of hotels. Most importantly it will offer support to enable you to feel comfortable with this unfamiliar culture. This book will whet your appetite for the trip.

Bollywood Posters

Over the years, Sheena Sippy has shot ad campaigns for Johnson’s Baby Soap and others. She has also immortalised celebrities such as Zakir Husain, international model Naomi Campbell and politician and ex-cricketer Imran Khan. Sheena also undertakes freelance assignments for fashion magazines like Verve and Elle.

She was probably destined to do great things. She comes from one of India’s best-known film families. Sheena is the eldest daughter of director Ramesh Sippy, best known for directing the popular and critically acclaimed film Sholay (Embers). Sheena’s grandfather, G.P. Sippy, is known for several popular Bollywood hits such as Seeta Aur Geeta, Saagar and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.

The text for this amazing posterama is written by Jerry Pinto. He has had an long career which started at the tender age of 16. He wasn’t a trainee journalist or a “best boy” for Bollywood movies, he was a maths tutor! He has had a wealth of experience in the world of writing. He has penned poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and in 2006 he wrote Helen: The Life and Times of an H-Bomb, an affectionate portrayal of the dancing legend who had survived in the heady Mumbai film industry for 30 years.

Bollywood Posters is a glossy, large-format volume that will be sought after by Bollywood film enthusiasts, lovers of all things Indian and those who are fascinated by popular art. It contains  over 200 posters covering all styles of film. Posters of original films are contrasted with the remakes illustrating the change in taste and printing techniques.

This magnificent book charts the history of these posters from the beautifully hand-painted examples of the first posters to the digitally-perfect productions of the modern era. Perfect with regard to crispness of image, perhaps, but there was indeed something magical about the works of art of those long-gone days when the swish of a large-scale brush could draw the viewer into another world. This genre must be considered the archetypal Popular Art, as India has a huge population of film-goers who have even been rumoured to sell their own blood to buy a ticket to the movies.

It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of these film posters, not only to the Mumbai film industry but to the film-going public. Vibrant colour and scenes of gods, villains, beautiful women and an array of weaponry have graced the streets of Indian cities for generations. They advertise films of courage, comedy, drama and despair but the posters are now, quite reasonably, adored for themselves. They tell the story of Indian film and Indian society. Fabulous!.

Asian book review: Bollywood Posters
Author: Jerry Pinto
Photographer: Sheena Sippy
Published by: Thames and Hudson
Price: £19.95
ISBN 978-0-500-28776-7

Raghu Rai’s Delhi

Raghu Rai may not be a name familiar to you unless you are a photography professional. He has, however, had a career which has been so noteworthy that he was awarded the Padmashree in 1971, one of India’s highest civilian awards. Raghu’s National Geographic article “Human Management of Wildlife in India” won him high praise in 1992. He has won national and international awards, and has exhibited in Europe, Japan and Australia. His work has appeared in many of the world’s most prestigious magazines and newspapers including Time, Life, GEO, The New York Times, Sunday Times, Newsweek, The Independent, and the New Yorker.

Raghu Rai’s Delhi is an archetypal coffee table book... that is to say that it is the size of a small coffee table. I have reviewed many large-format books but this is the largest and the most impressive. This is surely going to become a classic not only of Indian photographic subject matter but of photographic work in general, not for reasons of sheer volume but for quality of composition.

This book is the third that Raghu Rai has published on Delhi and it spans 40 years of this man’s celebrated work. He has enjoyed changes in photographic technology over those years and now carries only a digital camera. He hasn’t turned his back on black and white, he assess each shot and converts colour to monochrome, and the mix of both genres adds much to this major work. The colour pictures have vibrancy and impact and the black and white show mood and texture.

You don’t have to have a passion for the subcontinent to appreciate Raghu Rai’s Delhi. It is magnificent in its representation of humanity that we can all relate to. This book dwells neither on poverty nor on opulence, it shows candid scenes from everyday life, scenes that might have gone unnoticed or considered banal by those of us with a less practised eye. Each shot captures a never-to-be-repeated moment. A story vividly painted.

Do I have favourite pictures? Perhaps. “Peeping Faces, New Shopping Complex” shows a modern, light and airy sari shop with shelves filled with precisely folded lengths of gorgeous fabric. Modern furniture gives an almost Scandinavian feel to this picture which does still manage to speak of Indian style and grace. The facing page is “Reflections at Pizza Hut” showing a scene that could be repeated all over the world, but the reflections in the window suggest an older India. 

Raghu Rai’s Delhi is quite simply the seminal photographic work on this amazing city. I have pored over this book for hours. Each frame is a masterpiece in its own right. Raghu Rai deserves his praise and awards. His talent must be a gift from one of India’s many Gods.

Asian book review: Raghu Rai’s Delhi
Author: Raghu Rai
Published by: Thames and Hudson
Price: £49.95
ISBN 13: 978-0500543771

Easy Indian Cookbook

This is a large format volume... seriously large but it’s spiral-bound and this reviewer loves that. What joy! A book that stays open on the counter. The pages offer a photograph by William Lingwood for every recipe and the text is big and easily read and understood. This book does give the impression that it’s going to live up to its title. To keep you in the right frame of mind, the publishers have also included a music CD to create the right ambiance for an exotic meal.

The author Manju Malhi is evidently well supported. Her acknowledgments read like a Who’s Who of the media food world. AWT, Jeni Barnett, Alan Coxon, Paul Hollywood to name but a few. Manju has been a regular on our screens for quite a while and it’s evident that people in the know have faith in her. That’s a good start, but how about the food?

Well, the dishes look lovely and will be familiar to British restaurant goers. You’ll be able to prepare many of your favourite Curry House meals. Not all of these are authentic recipes handed down through generations since the plaster on the Taj Mahal was still wet, but they reflect what we have come to expect from an Indian menu. Chicken Tikka Masala is here and that’s home-grown... that is, a British home!

Easy Indian Cookbook doesn’t assume you know anything about cooking Indian food. It’s not condescending or patronising but it gives you lots of basic advice that will be welcomed by the novice. There is a good glossary of ingredients with Hindi as well as English names and some basic cooking techniques which will hold no terrors.

The recipe chapters cover everything from chutneys, spice mixtures and breads to meat and side dishes. There is also a selection of sweet treats and that’s good to see. It’s often difficult to find an appropriately exotic end to an Indian meal. The Menus chapter will help you present a balanced meal combining flavours and textures that will make you look like you know what you’re doing.

One of the classiest of dishes is Prawn Poori. This isn’t a difficult recipe, none of them are, but it’s impressive. Pooris are deep-fried breads that are rich and flaky. The prawns are succulent with a hint of heat from green chilli. I guarantee that you’ll make this often. It’s smart comfort food.

Easy Indian Cookbook is a marvellous introduction to Indian cooking. An attractive book that would make a great gift for anyone who wants to try their hand at the cuisine we love so much.

India Color – Spirit, Tradition, and Style

Can there be a land that has given more to style than India? I admit I have a bias but it is evident that we in the West and particularly in Britain have long embraced all things Indian.

Melba Levick is the photographer for India Color. She has several other books under her belt... well, almost 50! She specialises in travel, architecture, gardens and design and all of those are featured in this volume to good effect. Melba has the practised eye of one able to get that shot that tells the whole story, that second of expression or movement that conveys so much. The text by Mitchell Crites and Amita Nanji gives context to Melba’s marvellous photographs and elevates this book from a coffee table curio to a sumptuous travelogue.

This isn’t a 21st century phenomenon. This is a love affair that has endured for centuries. Victorian ladies spent chilly evenings swathed in Indian shawls. Indian fabrics were a mainstay at the celebrated Liberty’s store in London, and Indian paintings have adorned many a European wall. It’s that combination of design and colour that has remained traditional and uniquely contemporary.

India Color is a marvellous showcase for those elements that are familiar yet still exotic. A shop selling nothing but bright bangles carefully arranged by colour giving the impression of shelves stocked with glinting rainbows. Trays of silver armlets which need no precious stones to create a sense of continuity and cultural identity, each piece being of traditional and regional design.

India Color touches on so many aspects of Indian life and all of them are overlaid with brilliance. Toys, mirrors, musical instruments, ceramics, carved stone and wood are all are here in abundance but so are turbans and saris, and the people themselves - they are the most vibrant.

Not many countries decorate the livestock as well as does India. An elephant presents a nice big canvas and looks spectacular with painted ears, head and trunk, and what could be more evocative of the real India. A country successfully reaching for modernity whilst maintaining a grip on all that is amazing from the past. Long may it continue. India Color is just a glimpse of the tapestry and a lovely glimpse at that.

Rajasthan – Lonely Planet

This might be your first big trip and the success of that adventure might well lay in preparation and planning. You’ll want to be informed of things to avoid and others not to be missed. Rajasthan – Lonely Planet is an ideal tool to supply some travel needs. You’ll want to get the most from this colourful region of India. Rajasthan – Lonely Planet

So why would you want to go to Rajasthan? Well, why wouldn’t you? It’s a desert land of forts and palaces. Why do I say it’s colourful? The people have a love of all things vibrant to contrast the immense areas of barren land, and that land is the size of Germany!

Lonely Planet have years of experience (they have been around since 1973) and their guidebooks are some of the best. They have expert researchers who share their advice. They don’t just steer you to the most celebrated of tourist spots (although you won’t want to miss the Taj Mahal), they will point you to Sam’s Cafe for a sit down and a nice cup of chai. You’ll be confident about venturing a little way of the well-trodden trail because the man from Lonely Planet has been there before you.

Read “Getting Started” before you get started. It states the obvious but the obvious is often the first thing that is overlooked. My sister forgot her passport and had to hide under a coach seat to cross the border from France to Belgium. There is a handy tip about taking a torch with a headband, and a universal sink plug. This is essential kit even when planning a trip to Rome!

It’s a good idea to have some notion of what you want to see when you get to Rajasthan. Lonely Planet has suggested three classic routes to consider. The Golden Triangle of just over 700km which will swing you by Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. Maharaja Circuit (that’s the one for me) is a loop of 2000km incorporating The Golden Triangle but then takes in forts and palaces in central Rajasthan. A Month-Long Sojourn is 2500km and allows you to delve into the spiritual heart of Rajasthan, its less well-known palaces and spectacular wild life. Truly a tip of a lifetime.

Lonely Planet has stuffed this volume with everything for the independent traveller. You’ll be able to choose restaurants and hotels to suit your budget. You’ll be able to order a meal, chat to the waiter (OK, a very short conversation), and ask for the bill, in Hindi. You’ll find your way around the extensive public transport system. Buy this guide in good time and start to plan your dream.

Asian book review: Rajasthan – Lonely Planet
Authors: Lindsay Brown and Amelia Thomas
Published by: Lonely Planet
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-1-74104-690-8

Anjum's New Indian

recipes from that series. Her last book called Food Made Easy focused on dishes from the first debut series. That book was an instant best seller and was one of the top 10 cookbooks for 2007. This book, however, introduces regional Indian cooking.

This young woman is attractive, smiley and vivacious. She has taught many culinarily-impaired Brits how to cook authentic Indian food. Her series is targeted towards those who are interested in family cooking rather than restaurant fare that is often unrecognisable from original dishes.

Although New Indian explores regional cuisine, the chapters are divided by food type rather than geography. There are chapters on Light Meals and Snacks, then on to meats and vegetables,  Beans and Lentils etc, to Desserts. Anjum starts with Before You Start which gives advice on the use of ingredients in the Indian kitchen.

The recipes are lovely and for the most part simple. The accompanying photographs by Vanessa Courtier are beautiful and help to give this volume a light modern feel. Anjum gives guidance on buying produce and spices for each dish. You’ll know what to ask for in an Asian supermarket.

Many Indians eat no meat at all so it’s no surprise to find so many vegetarian dishes. Goan Spiced Aubergine is easy and would be a great side-dish to fried fish. Stir-fried Peas could be used in the same way or as a filling for samosa, making a lighter snack than those with the more usual potato and pea stuffing.

Dal of many kinds is eaten by most Indians every day. It’s comfort food of the highest order and healthy, which is more than you can say for most dishes we crave. Tarka Dal will be familiar to those who frequent Indian restaurants. If you enjoy the dal from the local takeaway you will love the lighter home-made version and it will be a lot cheaper! Black-eyed Pea Curry is hearty and warming. It only takes 30 minutes if you use tins of black-eyed peas. That’s almost faster than the takeaway.

You’ll need something to eat with your curry or dal and a favourite is Roti or Chapatti. I have had a lesson from a professional so I can tell you it’s far easier than you would imagine to make puffy and soft breads in just a few minutes. Anjum takes the mystery out of the process so you’ll be able to present fresh, straight-from-the-pan roti along with an aromatic Indian meal for your guests. How smart is that?

Anjum has penned a book that reflects our desire to eat Indian food that would be recognised by Indians. We want healthy, light and delicious dishes with the minimum of oil but still full of flavour. A great introduction to Indian regional cooking with a contemporary feel.

Sushi

Vickie Liley is versatile to say the least. She is a recipe writer, food stylist and photographer. She is responsible for the majority of the pictures in this book and they are lovely. She has appeared on TV and radio. She has penned several other books including Asian Cooking Companion, The Complete Book of Hot and Spicy Cooking, and Simple and Delicious Dim Sum, all from Apple Press.

Sushi is becoming more popular in Britain with many supermarkets selling plastic-wrapped versions. It looks very nice and it’s probably better for you than a fat-rich sandwich or sausage roll. But sushi is all about freshness so why not make it yourself. It’s cheaper than shop-bought and you’ll notice the difference.

As I have said, it’s not complicated cooking but there are some skills to perfect. This book provides you with everything you’ll need to select the few items of necessary equipment and the ingredients. There are practical step-by-step pictures by Alan Benson that will take the fear out of the process.

In truth it’s several processes depending on the type of sushi, but you’ll soon master them and then it’s on to the recipes or more accurately the fillings. Vickie has an attractive selection of classic sushi that might be familiar to some of you. There are others that are equally authentic but new to many. Sushi isn’t all about raw fish. You will find plenty of vegetarian sushi and we won’t know if you make your own sushi filled with Marmite or strawberries. You can mix and match combinations of fillings and shapes.

The chapters include Thin-rolled Sushi, Thick-rolled Sushi, Inside-out Sushi, Hand-rolled Sushi and Stuffed Sushi. There is also a section on traditional soup to start your Japanese meal. Sushi etiquette is also discussed as well as information on appropriate drinks.

Vickie Liley illustrates a gorgeous array of delicious fresh sushi that will be a great introduction to sushi-rolling for the novice, and give inspiration to the more proficient. Sushi is also an ideal medium tfor introducing kids to food preparation. I have a young friend (I don’t insult him by calling him a kid) who mastered the art in just an evening. He presented us with a dazzling display of fish and vegetable sushi for the New Year. This book is an ideal gift for anyone interested in a stylish and guilt-free dining experience. Great value for money.

Contemporary Indian Cuisine

I confess that I had not heard of the author Anil Ashokan but that should not be considered as a reflection of the man’s skill. My only excuse is that he exercises those aforementioned skills in Sydney, Australia and that is about as far from London as you can get. Anil trained at the much celebrated Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai and has worked in several 5-star restaurants around India. He has found further success with his latest venture, Qmin in Sydney.

Anil Ashokan isn’t an Asian Naked Chef but you might say he is stripped down to the essentials. His recipes are authentic but he is mindful of the time constraints of working folks. He gives you permission to use garlic and ginger pastes from the store, and he doesn’t demand that you crush whole spices with a stone; a coffee grinder will do.

There are 120 or so recipes which will inspire you. They are comfortingly simple to prepare and are ideal for those who are new to preparing Indian food. Anil even offers advice on menus so you’ll have an idea of what to serve with your Eggplant Lucknow Style. Equally a well-practised home cook will find some unfamiliar dishes and some innovations.

Lamb is a popular meat in India and it’s shown to good advantage with Daalcha (Lentils with Lamb). It’s a winning combination and a good choice for these days of cost cutting. Any lamb suitable for slow cooking will work well in this recipe. If you want to push the boat out then Raan-e-Khyber (Braised Whole Leg of Lamb) is always impressive for a special meal for guests.

Do Kism Ke Murg Ki Seekh (Tandoori Chicken Two Ways) will appeal to the lovers of familiar restaurant-style Chicken Tikka Masala. This recipe is a definite improvement on that “Calcutta Curry House” standard of luminous, over-sauced poultry. This dish is of succulent chunks of moist chicken with two separately served sauces. Tandoori Salad and an Indian bread are all you’ll need to complete this light meal or starter.

Contemporary Indian Cuisine offers one of the largest chapters on Indian desserts that I have come across. Anil's recipe for a fruit-filled samosa is so simple that it wins a medal for “Why Didn’t I Think of That First”. Anjeer Aur Akhrot Ki Kulfi is traditional Indian ice cream with figs and walnuts. Anil gives two versions so even those of us without an ice cream maker can still enjoy this frozen treat.

Contemporary Indian Cuisine deserves to be popular. Anil Ashokan has penned a book that is a marvellous showcase for Qmin and is also a remarkable volume for anyone with a love of fine Indian food. A delight!

Shanghai City Guide – Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet produces some of the most relied-upon and trusted guides around. The company started in a small way in 1972. Tony and Maureen Wheeler published the first Lonely Planet guide to meet the needs of an increasingly mobile and ever-curious population. Lonely Planet is now the largest independent travel publisher in the world. These books have been used and abused by travellers who choose the less travelled road and those who want to get the best out of the journey.

Shanghai is a unique city that has embodied elements of both East and West for centuries. It had a reputation in the 1930s as a den of vice with gang warfare, drugs, jazz and prostitution. Things have changed and Shanghai is now a mecca for those looking for business opportunities in the newly prosperous China, but there are still a few ladies of the night if you look for them... and I am sure you’ll do no such thing!

There is plenty to keep you occupied in Shanghai and Lonely Planet offers a handy Itinerary Builder. This allows you, at a glance, to find sights, shopping, eating, drinking and entertainment in any of the eight neighbourhoods showcased. The Bund offers The Shanghai Museum, West Nanjing Road finds the Jade Buddha Temple, and Pudong has the China Sex Culture Museum (I only went in to ask directions to the opticians, Mum). If you can’t spend much time in the city then this table will give a good overview.

Any city can be exhausting so it’s good to consider out-of-town excursions, and Lonely Planet suggests four. Hangzhou has West Lake with walks and boat trips to calm you after days of pounding the pavements. Suzhou will tempt you with the shade of its gardens and the Silk Museum. The Canal Towns are picturesque with some original Ming and Qing architecture with those bridges that you’ll no doubt remember from your Granny’s willow pattern plates. Moganshan is forested with iconic bamboo, pine and juniper and is always cooler than the city.

Shopping is a major part of any trip and there will be plenty of retail therapy opportunities. Good buys include silk and tailored clothes. Pearls can be reasonable but you have to be able to spot the fake. (Don’t the real ones dissolve in Coke? But the test is a bit counterproductive.)  There are bargains to be had in home furnishings in most department stores...and IKEA!

Finding food in Shanghai will never be a problem. Eating is a popular pastime and there are several streets devoted to restaurants. Shopping Malls have food halls and you shouldn’t be a snob by avoiding chain restaurants as they are good value and used by tourists and locals alike.

Lonely Planet has one of the best Shanghai guides available, and the pull-out map will fit nicely in your pocket. This book will direct you to a bed, a meal, a bar, some fun and hopefully new friends and long-lasting memories of a fascinating city.

Korea – Lonely Planet

I know for sure that not many of you, my dear readers, have visited Korea. It’s a land less explored by tourists than its near neighbours China and Japan, but it has so much to offer the traveller. Korean history is rich and turbulent, its food unique and its culture proud.

Lonely Planet presents a guide that is thoroughly researched and with the independent traveller in mind. It starts with an overview to help you make up your mind that you need to go. It’s a vibrant country and Seoul, the capital, has a reputation as the city that never stops. There are late-night markets, early-morning cinemas and 24-hour baths – now that’s a long bath!

The Korean countryside is peppered with charming villages, temples, rice paddies and National Parks. You might find a Korean phrase book to be an advantage. It’s less likely you’ll find an English speaker away from the larger cities but that’s part of the adventure. The whole of South Korea is small enough to fly across in an hour so you’ll never be too lost.

Read the “Don’t Leave Home Without...” section before you leave. Check your socks as you’ll need to take off your shoes to visit private homes, traditional restaurants and religious buildings. You don’t want to let yourself down by showing your toes through holes. Practise parading naked in front of strangers so that you’ll not be embarrassed when taking a communal bath.

Lonely Planet has designed 5 South Korean and 1 North Korean itinerary for you. Classic Routes takes 10 days and covers 750km. This takes you from Seoul in the North to Busan in the south with a trip to the volcanic island of Ulleungdo on the way.

Honeymoon Island is a 1 week, 300km trip around Jejudo. They will let you onto the island even if you are not on honeymoon but this resort has a romantic reputation. Go scuba diving and walk along beaches at sunset (aaahh), visit waterfalls and take in an amazing Chinese acrobat show.

Korea is a conservative country and women can sometimes find themselves in difficulties. The advice here is the same as for most destinations: dress in a modest fashion, act with dignity and wear a big hat if you have blonde hair – men might ask if you are a Russian prostitute! People are, on the whole, pleasant so don’t be put off.

Korea – Lonely Planet is a guide that will steer you away from problems but will give you sufficient advice for you to be able to plan your ideal trip and to take advantage of all that Korea has to offer. It’s not quite China and it’s not quite Japan but it’s very definitely a Korea in its own right.

India

If you are about to go off to India then buy this book. Buy this book and read the first 80 or so pages before you pack, and then dip into relevant chapters by destination. You will be glad you did.

Why read the first 80 pages first? Well, it’s not just because they are at the beginning but because they cover important issues like packing (that’s why I said, to read this before packing), water purification, hazards of road travel and money matters (yes, it does!)

The back of the book is also, in my opinion, a “must read sooner rather than later”, it being Background and Language. The Background chapter covers history, culture, religion and geography. Language covers, well, language! It makes a good impression if you can say “thank you” in Hindi.

This is such a comprehensive book and it covers every place you would want to go and a few that you wouldn’t. Let’s look at one area and marvel at the thoroughness of this volume. Stick a pin in the map, dear reader, and I’ll tell you what the guide says about that location...

Kerala, nice choice! Pages 887 to 959. We start with a map of the subcontinent and Kerala highlighted, a list of contents for this chapter and the special Footprint Features which include items like Don’t Miss, Kerala’s Social Underbelly, Body Language, The Backwaters, and The Modern Mass Pilgrimage. Other regions have appropriate Footprint Features, one of the many elements that put these guides ahead of the others.

The smallest of towns is listed and there is advice on travel, sights, places to stay (prices indicated), eating (don’t eat the buffet), shopping and tours. I don’t think anything has been left to chance. Every detail has been well researched. In Munnar, for instance, you can visit the Tata Tea Museum, or how about the Elephant Yard in Guruvayur?

The maps are first class and there are lots of them, from regional maps to city street maps. The transport information is the best I have come across in this type of guidebook and the detail is amazing, giving bus routes and frequency, motorcycle hire websites and addresses, rickshaw and taxi rates and train information. The Footprint Guides are designed with the independent traveller in mind, and they don’t assume that you are loaded with cash.

Each area has its own Directory, a comprehensive list of handy addresses....like a chemist.  All guides tell you where to post a letter (your mum will be lucky if she gets a postcard), but you need to know where to go if you get sick or, more important, if you need to check your email! It’s all in this guide.

This is your “Big Trip” and you want to get as much out of it as possible. You only want to carry one book so let this be the one.

Healthy Indian Cooking for Diabetes

Now, don’t just scroll to the next review! Have a read and understand that this isn’t a book for people with diabetes but a book for all of us. We are all at risk from diet-related illness but there is no need to deprive ourselves of good and flavourful food.

Azmina Govindji is a registered dietitian and the first 45 pages of this book are packed with dietary information, advice about complementary and alternative therapies, weight management and healthy cooking tips. Even these introductory pages have gorgeous pictures. This is, after all a recipe book and not a medical encyclopaedia.

I didn’t know that just being South Indian can put you at risk of diabetes, leading to further complications like heart disease. Whilst it’s not nice to hear, it’s better to know and make a few changes to your lifestyle to keep yourself well.

How often have I heard my Western friends say that they don’t cook Indian food because it’s too oily or too rich? Well, this is the book for you - launch yourself on a new and healthy culinary experience. Stock up on a few Indian spices and dry goods and have a go. It’s easy.

Indian food is a big part of my diet so I am very happy to find some lighter alternatives to some traditional favourites. Sanjeev Kapoor is India’s leading chef and winner of culinary awards so his recipes are bound to be delicious.

Dehi Methi Murgh (yogurt chicken with fresh fenugreek) is lovely and has no fat. You wouldn’t know it as the marinade gives a richness that is more associated with oil. It’s the “mouth feel” that tricks us into thinking that there must be some ghee in this recipe.

The recipe for Chicken Biryani is exceptional but it has no oil. The spices create a rich and full flavour so I would advise that you stick to the recipe and don’t cut down on the spice. The seasonings are what make these dishes work.

Dal is something I could eat for every meal....at least for a while. It’s Indian comfort food served with some breads or rice. Mixed Dal uses very little oil and the little oil that is used is olive oil.  Yes, it’s a surprise but olive oil is used to replace the heavier ghee and traditional Indian oils in this book.

My favourite recipe is Mutton Dhansaak (lamb and lentil stew). If you have ordered this in an Indian restaurant then you would have noticed that it’s sometimes a heavy dish. Healthy Indian Cooking presents us with a less oily alternative. The rich quality comes from the texture of the sauce rather than the fat.

You don’t need to be Indian to enjoy this book. Use these recipes and you will make exotic food without the guilt. Take care of yourself but enjoy eating well.

The Indian Kitchen

The Indian Kitchen by Monisha Bharadwaj is, for me at least, a must-have Indian cookbook. To call it just a “cookbook” somehow diminishes its value. It’s a lush, rich encyclopaedia of ingredients common to kitchens on the subcontinent.

I am a fairly well practised preparer of Indian food but there were even a few surprises for me. I began by just flicking through the pages and have finished by reading it from cover to cover in almost one sitting. It’s a book that is difficult to put down once opened.

The introduction is poetic: “...the kitchen can be the most fascinating room in an Indian home. Here, iridescent spices sparkle alongside huge boxes of Himalayan snow-washed rice, earthy lentils accentuate plump, dry fruits and rich, musky nuts sit next to jars of pearly sago and subja seeds.” You will love this book even if you had never tasted curry and didn’t intend to!

Each ingredient is listed by type. We start with From the Spice Box and continue to From the Grinding Stone and there are several other chapters all with equally evocative names.

The individual spices, seeds, nuts, grains etc. each have a general description and have paragraphs called Appearance and Taste, Buying and Storing, Culinary Uses, and then the recipes. Some items even have Medical Uses which will be of particular interest to anyone who prefers the natural approach to health care.

The photography is wonderful and the recipes are clear. It’s written in such a way as to hold your hand and give a bit of confidence, not only to the inexperienced cook but also to those of us with a few Biryanis under our belts who are trying something different.

Take an ordinary ingredient like an onion. Well, it’s several different types of fresh onions and powdered and flaked onions. There is a paragraph on how it grows, lots of lovely photographs and a couple of recipes. Onion Bhaji is a popular starter in Indian restaurants but they are easy to make at home and this recipe is particularly interesting as it has a different seasoning from my usual recipe. I am sure Monisha’s is an authentic version and my mouth is already watering at the prospect.

Indian bean dishes are comforting and delicious but seldom seen at the local “Calcutta Curry House”. Lobhia Ki Subzi (Spicy Black-eyed Beans) is gorgeous and I would have mine with some Indian bread. It’s simple to make and only has 3 tablespoons of oil for a dish for four people.

I can’t praise this book highly enough. I could say more but the best idea would be to go and buy a copy. Don’t even think of asking if you can borrow mine!

India Food and Cooking - Hardback

Pat Chapman is famous among Anglo curry enthusiasts as a passionate Indian food lover and the man who started the Curry Club over 20 years ago. Its members now number 15000 so there is evidently support for Pat’s take on food of the subcontinent.

This is a hefty volume with the first 60-odd pages devoted to the history of India and the evolution of its food, tools and equipment, and basic preparation. He goes into great detail about the spices before we reach the recipes. His research is obviously thorough and adds a lot to the overall quality of the book.

There are a great many “Modern Chef’s Recipes”, with Spiced Stuffed Peppers being the offering from London chef Pital Gopal. Creamy Brown Lentils is a dish based on a recipe from London restaurateur Camilia Panjabi. Beef Tomatoes stuffed with gorgonzola is another chef recipe which is obviously a bit of a fusion dish.

Most of the recipes are said to be authentic and Pat give the region from where these originate. They are a delicious bunch and cover everything from starters through meats and vegetables to drinks. There is even an interesting item about the famous Bombay Duck, which I haven’t seen for years. It’s not a duck at all but rather an eel-shaped fish that is filleted and dried and used as a condiment.

My favourite recipe would have to be the Raan, Aromatic Roast Lamb. This is succulent leg of lamb, and the meat just falls from the bone. It’s savoury and delicious and easy to make. You can marinate the lamb for up to 60 hours (be warned, your fridge will smell of spice for all those 60 hours) and then just roast for 3 hours. It’s an ideal Sunday meal for a crowd.

Kulfi, Indian ice cream, makes a welcome end to any spicy meal and you don’t need to invest in an ice cream maker. Pat lists several varieties all using the basic recipe but with the additions of either chocolate, pistachio, mango or almonds. Yum!

The Chutney and Pickle chapter has Pat’s wife’s Sweet and Hot Tomato Chutney. It’s a clear chutney that looks attractive and bright. The traditional Lime Pickle would be the one for me and you can also use the same recipe to create a lemon pickle.

India Food and Cooking would be a good choice for anyone wanting to know a lot more about Indian food and history. There is plenty of reading, marvellous pictures and recipes to make your mouth water.

Bamboo – A Journey with Chinese Food

Feeding the Gods

A Taste of China

A Taste of China is one of Ken Hom’s first books and probably one of the best. It’s now back in print and I would urge anyone who has an interest in China and its food to buy a copy.

This is described as the definitive guide to regional cooking and it is indeed that, but it’s also a very personal and charming journey. Ken visits his family and an ancestral shrine with his mother for the first time, and finds that he is very much at home. It’s Ken’s relationship with the Chinese people that has allowed him to write this unique book.

Ken Hom was one of the first and is still one of the most respected Chinese food writers and was the first to make Chinese food truly accessible to the British home cook. His quiet reserve and his evident passion endeared him to millions. This book reflects just that same passion and pride.

 Some of the dishes will be quite familiar to lovers of Chinese food and they are classics. Ken has included a number of family recipes and that adds so much to the quality of this volume. Every single recipe has a history or anecdote to give some background to the dish and to fire the imagination. This is a book to read before you even consider putting a hand on a wok, and could almost be part of an autobiography.

There is not much here for which you would need a trip to Chinatown. All the ingredients are now quite common in any average UK high street with an Asian supermarket. It’s the combinations of flavours that make these dishes something special. There is nothing taxing about the cooking methods but all these recipes are authentic, diverse and delicious. There are examples of street food, health-reviving recipes, restaurant dishes, and city and country cooking.

One of my favourite dishes for a quick meal is Dan Dan Mian (Spicy Sichuan Noodles). It’s flavourful, fragrant and if you try it once I promise you will make it often. It represents a typical spicy dish of the region of Sichuan but it’s also typical of Ken’s recipes, being simple to make but giving delicious results.

This is one of those “must have” cookbooks. It has already stood the test of time and seems as fresh and absorbing as it did when first published. It’s a fascinating story of a chef’s homecoming and a wonderful introduction to the rich tapestry of Chinese food.

Stylish Indian in Minutes

This volume just oozes class. Gus Filgate is one of the best photographers around and his stunning pictures are contrasted marvellously by black and white shots of striking Indian ladies and gentlemen at cocktail parties and dinners.

Monisha had found the preparation of authentic Indian food in the UK to be something of a challenge for her British friends. Her professional training had equipped her to produce classic dishes which were popular with everyone, but she wanted to develop recipes that gave the sense of smart home cooking to the British audience. The Indian cookbooks Monisha found in the UK presented Indian food as complicated, over-exotic and only to be tackled by those with endless time and the support of several assistants!

Her skill allowed Monisha to ditch the European-targeted Indian cookbooks and devise her own techniques to provide truly authentic dishes, the sort that are made by truly authentic Indians! All of the ingredients used in

The Rough Guide to China

China to Chinatown

There can’t be a single town in the UK or North America that can’t boast at least a Chinese takeaway or a brace or two of Chinese restaurants, but have you ever wondered why it’s Chinese food that is so ubiquitous and not, say, Malay or Turkish?

J.A.G. Roberts has written China to Chinatown – Chinese Food in the West and it’s a book that goes some way towards charting the history of our (that is, western) relationship with those delicious dishes that have been loved and loathed in turn over the last couple of hundred years.

Eighteenth and nineteenth century Europeans living in China were very reluctant to even try Chinese food. It was often more of a reflection of social prejudice than dislike for a cuisine they knew nothing about. It’s true that there were (and still are) a few challenging dishes. The prospect of eating dogs was, and still is, rather distasteful to Europeans who are more comfortable eating a cute fluffy lamb or bunny.

Chinese food became more popular to westerners when they had the opportunity to eat Chinese food on home territory. Some of the first restaurants frequented by Europeans were in California where there was a sizable Chinese population, and having your own Chinese chef became a status symbol.

There have been various “Chinatowns” around Britain for a considerable time. These were not places that most of the indigenous population would frequent. They were considered as dens of vice with laundries, and the few eateries catered to the Chinese, with no concessions to western tastes.

These last decades have see our eating habits change, and now Chinese food is no longer considered strange or fear-provoking. “Instant” Chinese food was available in supermarkets in the 70s and fish and chip shops run by Chinese might also sell a spring roll or two.

Ken Hom had a popular TV cooking series in the 80s and he helped to present Chinese food as delicious, fresh and different. Most of us have a wok at home and now find Chinese restaurants that don’t offer European dishes, and these days you’ll have to ask for a fork. We have come to expect higher standards and are more eager to try authentic dishes.

The swings in popularity of Chinese food have had more to do with the politics of the moment rather than culinary preferences. More Chinese have come to the UK and food is big business. The days of deeply-felt suspicions are gone and the rumours of cat skins being found in dustbins are now consigned to the annals of urban myth.

It’s been a fascinating evolution and J.A.G. Roberts has penned an absorbing account. China to Chinatown probably tells us as much about our own attitudes as host community as it does about food.  A worthwhile read.

Korean Cuisine – An illustrated history

It is, as it says, an illustrated history and those pictures add much to understanding what Korean food is all about. It has been influenced by China and Japan and, in more recent times, the West. The cuisine remains, however, unique and is well worth investigating should you be lucky enough to cross the threshold of a Korean restaurant.

Table etiquette developed over thousands of years. Each diner would be presented with a small individual table with the dishes already in place. Men were often served before women, who would eat in another part of the house. This practice has largely given way to the Western custom of eating together at a regular-sized table.

Many Westerners are convinced that Korean food consists of nothing more than Kimch’i (fermented cabbage) and dog meat. It’s true that Kimch’i is very popular and just as much these days as ever, though it isn’t just fermented cabbage but vegetables in general that are considered Kimch’i. There are hundreds of varieties and this was originally the food of desperation. As much food as possible would have been preserved to stave off hunger during the hard winters.

Dog meat is still a ticklish issue but then we are looking at the subject through European eyes. Perhaps if cows were fluffy, friendly and kept our feet warm we would all be vegetarian!

Korean barbecued meats are famous for flavour and succulence, and the mixed vegetable and rice dishes are healthy and delicious... But a more recent development in Korean cuisine sounds a bit unlikely and involves tins of Spam and other processed meats. It’s said that these Military Camp Stews date from the time of the US presence, when the local population would use surplus military rations. It’s becoming a restaurant favourite these days!

Korean eating utensils sum up its place in Asian food culture. Koreans use both chop sticks and spoons. The spoons are not the same as the Western version, having a shallower bowl. The chop sticks are unusual in that they are traditionally metal rather than wood. They are shorter and flatter than Chinese and don’t have pointed ends like the Japanese chopsticks. This country has adapted and borrowed from outside and has evolved a varied and different cuisine.

Korean Cuisine by Michael J. Pettid is a comprehensive and fascinating look at a truly different food culture.

Culinary Jottings for Madras

“I should recommend anyone with a taste for Victorian gastronomic literature to snap him up...His recipes are so meticulous and clear, that the absolute beginner could follow them, yet at the same time he has much to teach the experienced cook.” That’s from the great Elizabeth David.

Culinary Jottings for Madras was written by WYVERN who was really Colonel Arthur Robert Kenney-Herbert. He had a military career in India from 1858 till his retirement in 1892 and this book is an icon of the time and the place.

He served as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General for part of his military service and that experience evidently gave him the confidence to attempt to transform the domestic kitchens of the Europeans in India.

It’s hard to imagine those times of huge dinner parties in sweltering heat with menus that were little changed from those of a country house in England in mid-winter. The British were for the most part unwilling to change their culinary habits and must have suffered for it.

The chapter headings well illustrate the order of things. Three chapters on Sauces, A Few Nice Pies, Our Curries, and that’s just in Part 1. Part 2 consists of Thirty Menus – Worked Out In Detail, all those menus being for four or six people. He continues with For a Little Home Dinner, comprising for example, soup, fish with a sauce, lamb, mash, aubergine, blancmange, cheese, dessert and coffee. A nice quiet night in!

WYVERN saves the best till last with a whole chapter devoted to Our Kitchens in India. He instructs on everything from the kitchen building to staff management. His description of the common state of kitchens indicates the reason why so many Europeans died young!

This is a recognised classic and I can understand why. It offers a look at a totally different era with attitudes that are long gone (thank goodness). WYVERN writes well in a style that is Victorian and charming. It isn’t a book whose recipes you are likely to follow, but you won’t buy this book to use the recipes. You’ll enjoy the experience of the Raj at its height and understand why it couldn’t last!

Homestyle Asian

and I’d say it’s a winner. We are talking about the whole of Asia so the recipes are diverse. Each one is clear with photographs of the finished dish but also photographic step-by-step instructions and there is nutritional information for each recipe.

You will already be familiar with the cooking techniques - stir-frying, steaming, etc - and the ingredients are almost all to be found in the local supermarket. It’s the combinations of spices and fresh vegetables or meats that makes Asian cooking so popular. We all want to eat healthier foods that don’t take ages to cook.

Homestyle Asian covers everything from soup to salad, curry to dessert. The book is divided by food rather than country so the chapter on noodles and rice includes Udon Noodles from Japan, Phad Thai from Thailand, Chinese Fried Rice, Singapore Noodles, etc.

There are lots of classic recipes from all over Asia: California Rolls (have you never heard of Continental Drift?), Tempura, Sichuan Chicken, Thai Beef Salad, Chilli Crab, Nasi Goreng and many more. This is a one-stop Asian cookbook!

 There are quite a few dishes that are new to me. Hot and Sour Lime Soup with Beef sounds tangy and interesting, Chilli Octopus Salad will be flavourful and light, and Noodle Cakes with Chinese Barbecued Pork will be a stunner for a smart lunch.

There is a nice selection of Asian desserts that would make an exotic end to your meal. I am often at a loss and it’s too easy to resort to ordinary fruit salad, but how about a fruit salad with pineapple, papaya, star fruit and ramboutans! There is a scrumptious Coconut Ice Cream and you don’t even need an ice-cream maker, but the most striking has got to be Sticky Black Rice sweetened with palm sugar. It’s easy to make but will be both delicious and memorable.

Don’t open this book unless you have got a nice cup of tea or glass of red wine. You won’t want to put it down. A lovely book and great value for money.

The Japanese Kitchen

Persia in Peckham

Fish Indian Style

Japanese Pure and Simple

It’s fair to say that Kimiko Barber is the undisputed queen of Japanese cooking in the UK, and this book is just another illustration of why.

Japanese Pure and Simple has over 100 health-giving recipes that are simple and flavourful and a feast for both the eyes and the palate. The photographs by Jan Baldwin are gorgeous, giving the large format book an overall feel of elegance.

Kimiko presents Japanese food as nourishing, balanced and seasonal. The fresh ingredients are tinkered with as little as possible to retain nutrients and texture. There is evidently something to be said for that philosophy as the Japanese have the highest life expectancy in the world.

The recipes are divided into various categories such as Soup, Fish, Poultry, Rice etc and they are a marvellous selection, but my favourite dishes are the Japanese Hotpots. These take fondue to new heights of sophistication and have the advantage of being good for you. There is the usual process of cooking raw meats and veggies in a stock but then you are left with a richer and more flavourful broth than you started with. Anyone who has a little space at the end of the Hotpot can finish that broth with the addition of rice or noodles.

Teriyaki dishes are always popular. They are easy to prepare and have that sweet rich flavour that is irresistible. Teriyaki Pork Steak is one of those dishes that you’ll make often as either part of a Japanese meal or served with western vegetables or salads. The ingredients are easy to find and not expensive, and once the sauce is made you can keep it for a while in the fridge. It works equally well with lamb chops but I love it with chicken breasts.

The Japanese are renowned for the exquisite presentation of food and Kimiko has thoughtfully given us some pointers. You don’t need to invest in new crockery although I think that a small Sake flask and cups adds a hint of authenticity. Use your usual plates but don’t pile on the food, rather create landscapes with plenty of space and artful use of garnish. Very Zen!

Kimiko Barber writes books that are full of advice to enable you to prepare truly beautiful but healthy food with surprising ease. Choose the freshest produce and enjoy these delightful dishes.

Chinese Food Made Easy

Calamity and Courage

The author Belinda Morse is the great-granddaughter of the Victorian artist John Hanson Walker, who exhibited the portrait of Ethel Grimwood at the Royal Academy, and the search for that portrait is in itself an interesting journey.

Calamity and Courage is the story of Ethel Grimwood and Manipur and it’s a tragic tale of Government mismanagement and unnecessary loss of life. It’s the kind of story that would make a romantic adventure film, a cross between The Life of Florence Nightingale and The Far Pavilions.

There was a lot of family in-fighting around the court of the Maharaja of Manipur which necessitated the resignation of one Maharaja and the placement of another. The manipulation of events by the Indian Government (British Government in India) seemed to have rocked lots of boats, which led eventually to a massacre in 1891.

Ethel was marooned in the residence with a small force of armed men and an increasing number of injured. It became evident that they would all lose their lives if they stayed put so it was decided to start out under fire to seek help, not only for themselves but for those officers and men who were by that time held captive at the Maharaja’s palace.

After many days of hardship they were rescued by friendly forces and conducted to safety. It was, however, many weeks till Ethel discovered the fate of her husband and the other captives. The uprising against the British was big news and Ethel was given recognition for her service to the injured men. She was even invited to meet Queen Victoria (who took a great interest in events in India) to be awarded the Red Cross medal.

It seems that Ethel and her husband had a good relationship with the Indian Princes who had treated them not only with polite courtesy but with warm friendship and generosity. They seem to have been unwitting victims of political infighting and both suffered for the prejudices of those in authority.

Calamity and Courage is a book filled with Victorian attitudes but it presents Ethel as a young woman with a bit of grit and loyalty to the princes who were once so kind to her. An amazing read.

India’s Vegetarian Cooking

Ricelands – The World of South-East Asian Food

Vatch’s Thai Street Food

Easy Japanese Cookbook

Stylish Thai in Minutes

The Legendary Cuisine of Persia

Margaret Shaida, the author, was born in England but moved to Iran when she married. She lived there for 25 years and learned to cook from her mother-in-law, friends and other family members.

At first glance you might find it difficult to see the relevance of Persian cuisine in modern Europe but there are a few clues to its impact. The Old Persian bâdangân became al-badinjan in Arabic, alberjinera in Spanish, and finally aubergine in French and English. The word Spanish has its origin in the Old Persian espenj, orange came from nârang, lemon came from limoo.

The Moghuls (Mongols) invaded Persia and adopted the language, cuisine and religion of their new land. Two hundred years later Tamerlane, a direct descendant of Genghiz Khan, set his sights on India and took with him the traditions of the Persian court and kitchen. Biryani is the Persian word for baked, nan was introduced to India by the Persians and was baked in a tanoor which later became a tandoor. It’s certain that India has changed the original Persian dishes and made them her own. They might have the same names but they are spicier now.

The recipes are divided by type with a chapter on bread being first. This might seem strange but bread has an almost mythical importance even in the modern Iranian home. It’s never wasted or allowed to fall to the floor. Left-overs are made into breadcrumbs rather than being thrown away.

There are delightful recipes here. They have subtle and aromatic flavours rather than being hot with spices. Rice dishes are held in high esteem but poorer families might only eat these on festival days. Rice with Herbs (Sabzi Polow) is perfumed with parsley, coriander, dill and chives. Rice with Dried Fruit and Nuts (Ajeel Polow) is substantial and delicious with minced lamb, crisp fried onions and dried cherries.

Kebabs are now familiar to us in the west. Margaret Shaida offers us a mouth-watering selection all of which will be more succulent and tasty than the dodgy examples found in late-night take-aways from Brighton to Beijing. Lamb Fillet Kebab is delicate and tender and you’ll notice the difference.

Pickles are traditionaly a big thing in Iranian homes so Margaret has included several interesting ones. Pickled Shallots are easy to produce although a bit time-consuming. Make large quantities of these and you’ll have something different to offer guests. Try them and you’ll agree they are worth the effort.

It’s always tempting to just jump directly into the recipes in cookbooks. Don’t do that with this book. You’ll miss so much fascinating information. Claudia Roden has said “...the background and history of the food is both a joy and a precious contribution to the world of gastronomy.” If you have a serious interest in food then you will find this book enchanting.

The Big Book of Thai Curries

India – One Man’s Personal Journey Round the Subcontinent

Indonesian Food

The Bollywood Cookbook

The Chinese Kitchen

Curry – Classic and Contemporary

The author, Vivek Singh, is the executive chef at the celebrated Cinnamon Club in Westminster and the Cinnamon Kitchen in the City. He has previously penned The Cinnamon Club Cookbook and The Cinnamon Club Seafood Cookbook. Curry – Classic and Contemporary is a marvellous showcase for this man’s talent and unique perspective.

But what is Curry? We all think we know. We go out “for a curry”, “let's get a take-away curry”. But in reality it’s an Anglo term for any kind of Indian food. It seems that most Indians would be rather amused  by our notion of all Indian food being “curry” (or horrified at our ignorance). It seems that the misconception dates back to the British officers of the East India Company. These chaps spent their whole lives in India but couldn’t speak the language so when asked, the cooks would tell the officers that it was “curry” tonight rather than trying to educate the daft sahibs about the delicious array of other diverse dishes.

The recipes here are striking. I recognise the classics like Jungle Curry, Beef Bhuna, Lamb Rogan Josh, but there are many more that are new to me and very appealing. Nargisi Kofta Curry was a popular restaurant favourite in the 60s and 70s but has fallen out of favour as it’s a complex recipe for mass catering. It’s an Indian version of a scotch egg (boiled egg with a meat crust) served with an aromatic sauce. Those army officers in India would recognise this one.

I love Raan (leg of lamb) and Vivek has two versions. The Modern Raan is tunnel-boned and stuffed and makes the most wonderful presentation for a meal for friends. It’s a dish that takes a bit of work but you’ll find it’s well worth the trouble. The spices permeate the meat which will be succulent and flavourful. Your house will have a fabulous aroma that will excite your guests’ taste buds before they even sit at the table.

Curry – Classic and Contemporary is filled with recipes that are both of the moment and authentic. I am impressed and will enjoy cooking my way through every dish. A delight.

The Road to Vindaloo – Curry Cooks and Curry Books

The Road to Vindaloo – Curry Cooks and Curry Books is part of a remarkable series from Prospect Books. The English Kitchen series looks at the history of dishes and their place in our cuisine. Other volumes include Trifle and Soup, but Early Vegetarian Recipes and Rhubarbarian will follow shortly. They form a fascinating study into what we eat and why.

The authors, Helen Saberi and David Burnett, are well placed to write a quality food-related volume. Helen has penned Noshe Djan – Afghan Food and Cookery, and assisted the late Alan Davidson in the compilation of the Oxford Companion to Food. David is a publisher who has won acclaim for his re-publication of Countryman’s Cooking by W.F. Fowler.

Our love of curry did, in fact, start before the Victorian era. The first mention of a curry in a cookbook was in 1717, although Nicholas Culpeper discusses in 1653 the properties of many of the spices that later were recognised as key curry ingredients. Of coriander he writes “... sends up unwholesome vapours to the brain, dangerous for mad people.” I hear that curry is often on the menu at the House of Commons; there is hope though, as the ever-popular mustard is said to be “...excellent for one that is troubled with lethargy.”

The charm of The Road to Vindaloo – Curry Cooks and Curry Books is that it’s a compilation from a variety of cookbooks. The attitudes they present range from the naive to the enlightened, with even the quintessentially English Mrs Beeton interesting herself in the preparation of a Chicken Curry with Chickpeas. She even recommends the use of ghee (Indian clarified butter) and that indicates that those returning from the subcontinent brought with them some traditional Indian ideas ...and perhaps some traditional Indian cooks.

Dr. Senn produced a good many cookery books before the First World War and until the 1930s. He is “famed” for such works as Tomatoes and Their Many Uses, and Special Dishes for Borstal Institutions. He notes that “...Madras curry is of the best classical period”, “...The Bengal artist is greatest in fish and vegetable curries”, and “...Bombay boasts of its particular gifts in its bomelow fish and popedoms.” I can find no reference to bomelow fish so I conclude that it must be extinct!

The Road to Vindaloo – Curry Cooks and Curry Books is a fascinating and sometimes amusing look at the food we love so much. We might not eat “authentic” Indian food but we seem to love our version of it. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys Britain’s favourite food.

Complete Indian Cooking - Meena Pathak

Meena trained in food technology and hotel management with the prestigious Taj hotel group. Combine that with a passion for food and you have a recipe (sorry for the pun) for culinary success. She has, in fact, packaged her talents and sold them on to the general public, but Complete Indian Cooking is about cooking from scratch with hardly a jar to be seen.

There are over 180 recipes in this volume which is really two books in one: Flavours of India and Indian Cooking for Family and Friends. Meena does not assume that you are a seasoned Indian cook so she introduces us to India’s Culinary Traditions, Favourite Ingredients, Cooking Tips and Kitchen Equipment.

The food is mouthwatering. I have a love of Indian food and I’ll enjoy eating my way through much of this book. The photography by John Freeman is first class, showing both the food and Meena to best advantage. It’s a large format book with great visual appeal and is a marvellous showcase for Meena’s food.

The recipes are broad-based and offer plenty of choice for both vegetarians and meat eaters. The meat of choice is, unsurprisingly, lamb but there are fish dishes aplenty as well as sweets. The recipes are easy to follow and are, for the most part, simple to prepare. The key to success is the combination of spices. There are no complicated cooking techniques and you’ll already have the kitchen equipment.

There are some stunning dishes here. Prawn Balichow is a favourite relish but I have only ever tasted the commercial varieties. This isn’t difficult to make and it’s lovely as part of a starter or buffet. Devilled Prawns would be a delicious alternative.

The chapter called Rice, Bread and Accompaniments has some lovely dips. Coriander and Mint Raita will be familiar to restaurant goers, as is Sabzi Raita served with Biryani. Lentils with Cream and Butter is real comfort food, rich and unctuous, so eat this with just rice or bread... not white sliced though.

Complete Indian Cooking is a book to use. It’s attractive and sumptuous but it would be a shame to keep it anywhere but the kitchen.

Chinese Cookery – Ken Hom

Ken was the first Chinese chef/cook/food presenter to make a real impact in the UK. Kenneth Lo had long been respected as a promoter of Chinese food in Britain, but Ken Hom had a TV series that coincided with renewed interest in cooking and all things foodie. This slightly nervous young man presented entertaining and fascinating programmes that introduced Chinese food to a country that was ready to accept new flavours and the excitement of frying with a wok with the gas turned high. We started to find Chinese ingredients in high street shops and a quick stir-fry seemed more appealing than a time-consuming roast.

Chinese Cookery is a book welcomed by those new to Chinese cooking and those who are well practised in that cuisine. Ken offers a wealth of information about ingredients, equipment, menu planning and technique, and then it’s on to the food which is marvellous. There are some additions to the first edition so now there is a selection of dishes that encompass both traditional family cooking and also some contemporary innovations.

I am not sure that Ken Hom has a “signature dish” but I have my favourites. Chicken Pieces in Black Bean Sauce is a recipe that is simple but delicious. The black beans are salty and tangy and they give the chicken a unique flavour that I have found to be quite addictive.  Cold Spicy Noodles are comforting and rich. I use peanut butter although Ken says that sesame paste is equally good. These noodles are so easy to prepare and it’s truly a meal in moments. If you don’t really like cooking you will love this one.

OK, so the TV series was well-timed but it’s the quality of Ken Hom’s work that has allowed him to stay at the top of his profession. Chinese Cookery has endured because the recipes still reflect modern tastes. Timeless!

Some favourite Publishers