Indian Cooking

If there is anything that most Americans know about India beyond turbans and the Taj Mahal, it is the aromatic smell of curry. Indian food is the reflection of the heritage of its people. All through the centuries, different cooking styles existed, each highly distinctive. All these different styles find a place in the cookbooks and other resources listed below.

General

Classic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni (1998): This extraordinary cookbook is really a classic among Indian cookbooks. It amounts to a complete course in Indian cooking.

Flavors of India: Classics and New Discoveries by Madhur Jaffrey (1995): In this book Madhur Jaffrey takes her fans through many staple recipes, ranging from appetizers to chutneys, main courses to side dishes.

The Indian Recipe Book by Shehzad Hussain (2001): More than 170 recipes, all shown in step-by-step detail, with glorious pictures of every finished dish.

The Indian Spice Kitchen by Monisha Bhardwaj (1996): This illustrated cookbook explains how to use a wide range of herb, nuts and spices to create distinctive Indian dishes.

An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1999): Carefully worked out for American cooks in American kitchen, Jaffrey's classic demonstrates how varied and irresistible and inexpensive Indian cooking can be.

Madhur Jaffrey's Step by Step Cooking (2001): More than 150 dishes from India and the Far East.

Savoring India by Julie Sahni (2001): Included are some 140 scrumptious, authentic recipes for some of India's most loved dishes.

Fusion

Chilis to Chutneys: American Home Cooking with Flavors from India by Neelam Batra (1998): In this book Batra brings an Indian sensibility to typical American food.

One Spice, Two Spice: American Food, Indian Flavors by Floyd Cardoz (2006): Sophisticated fusion dishes from a chef who grew up in Bombay, spent summers in Goa, now works in the U.S.

Vij's: Elegant & Inspired Indian Cuisine by Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala (2006): This innovative husband and wife team use Indian cooking techniques with the local ingredients of Vancouver, Canada.

Low-Fat Recipes

New Indian Home Cooking by Madhu Gadia (2000): Low fat and easy recipes.

Low Fat Indian Cooking by Shehzad Husain (2001): Recipes and tips for quick and healthy meals.

Salads of India by Varsha Dandekar (1983).

Microwave Cooking

Moghul Microwave by Julie Sahni (1990): Cooking Indian food the modern way.

North Indian Cooking

Tandoor: The Great Indian Barbecue by Ranjit Rai (2001): This book on Indian grilling is designed for easy use and all recipes are presented clearly.

South Indian Cooking

Dakshin by Padma Chandra (1999): Emphasis here is on the vegetarian cuisine from South India.

Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alamelu Vairavan (2001): In this book, emphasis is placed on the Chettinad tradition of south Indian cooking.

Savoring the Spice Coast of India: Fresh Flavors from Kerala by Maya Kaimal(2000): Kaimal's knowledgable guide to South Indian cooking is highly recommended.

Vegetarian Cooking

Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie Sahni (1985): A masterful selection of India's vegetarian cuisine is detailed in this book.

Exciting Vegetarian Cooking by Tarla Dalal (2005): One of India’s most popular cookery authors.

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian (1999): Dishes from five continents touch on virtually all the world's best loved flavors, for an unsurpassed selection of vegetarian fare.

Video

Cooking with Kurma: Great vegetarian dishes and Indian entrees shown in detail.

Periodicals

India Abroad: This is a weekly newspaper. Its magazine has recipes listed under the heading "Food."

India Currents: This magazine has recipes listed in the "Lifestyles" section.

Internet Resources

Barwachi: Your Indian Cook: Recipes, cooking tips and feature articles.

The Complete Food Guide: Offers a menu of the week, recipes, a reference guide, plus much more, including tip and tricks on health, cooking and storage.

India Express: Indian recipes categorized by course, ingredient or region, including some continental recipes.

Tarla Dalal: The popular cookbook writer includes recipes, tips, nutritional information and more.

This Special Multimedia Collection last updated on February 10, 2007.