India: The Cookbook
Pushpesh Pant's India: The Cookbook shatters the myth that Indian cuisine belongs only in restaurants. With more than 1,000 recipes spanning the subcontinent's diverse food traditions, this volume offers something genuinely rare: insider knowledge from someone who has spent years studying and practising these dishes in their original context. Based in Delhi, Pant writes as both scholar and practitioner, lending the book an authority that rings true on every page. What sets this apart from countless other Indian cookbooks is its unflinching commitment to authenticity without pretension. Yes, you'll find the classics that British home cooks crave. But venture deeper and you'll discover lesser-known treasures: bataer masalydaar (quails swimming in almond and cardamom spice), sambharachi kodi (a Goan prawn dish layered with coconut and tamarind), bagarkhani roti (a sweet bread studded with raisins and poppy seeds). The sections on breads, pickles, spice pastes and chutneys alone justify the investment, bursting with recipes that rarely appear elsewhere. The instructions are refreshingly practical. Pant has stripped away unnecessary fuss, ensuring that each recipe works beautifully in a Western kitchen. Guidance on equipment and sourcing ingredients proves genuinely helpful rather than daunting. Whether you're a curious beginner or someone who's cooked Indian food for years, you'll find yourself reaching for this book again and again.
- Author: Pushpesh Pant
- Publisher: Phaidon
- Genre: Cooking & Culinary Arts
- ISBN: 978-0714859026
- Pages: 960 pages