Chetna’s Indian Feasts: Everyday Meals & Easy Entertaining

In this beautiful and endlessly appetizing collection, Great British Baking Show contestant Makan (Chetna’s Easy Baking) defines feasts as any good meal served for a get-together, and her colorful and tasty recipes live up to that promise. She offers up an array of complete menus ideal for specific occasions, from picnics to a more formal Sunday brunch. Whether readers go for the full menu or just selected dishes, there is much to whet the appetite. “Feasts for Two” include scrumptious sticky spicy chicken wings with tomato curry, and a mouth-watering Biscoff cheesecake delight, while “Fast Feasts” include quicker options such as peanut, coriander, and lemon rice and dal with mango. Makan utilizes classic Indian preparations for many dishes, such as chicken tikka masala, prawn vindaloo, and cumin rice, and offers an appetizing lineup of chaat, including spinach leaf pakora made with turmeric and ginger, and pista kulfi, a frozen blend of milk, double cream, cardamom, condensed milk, and pistachios. Barbecued paneer skewers are a delightful meal whether as part of a cookout, as Makan suggests, or just on their own. Alongside this treasure trove of culinary gems, Makan includes a helpful glossary of U.K.-to-U.S. terms for common but differently named ingredients. This will win over those new to Indian cooking and practiced cooks alike. (Aug.)