Moghul Microwave: Cooking Indian Food the Modern Way

If pairing cookery of the Moghuls--Muslims of Mongolian, Turkish and Persian origin who wielded power in India from the 16th to 19th centuries--with the modern microwave oven seems incongruous, Sahni ( Indian Cooking ) makes the partnership work. She instructs readers in microwave techniques and speeds the preparation of exotically flavorful Indian food. ``Microwave Indian cooking is much the same as stove-top Indian cooking, only faster, neater, and healthier,'' the author argues, showing us how the microwave can conjure up some snack foods--puppadum, or toasted lentil wafers--and classics such as Bombay sweetish-soursic garlic lentils, scallops with cucumber in coconut sauce, tomato basmati pilaf and pistachio fudge, all of which can, without undue strain, become habit-forming. Included are a section devoted to the preparation of nonalcoholic beverages (e.g., monsoon cooler), as well as a few startling cocktails, and information on where and how to purchase spices, herbs and other specialized ingredients in the U.S. Illustrations not seen by PW. Author tour. (Sept.)