At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
Madhur Jaffrey. Knopf, $35 (336p) ISBN 978-0-307-26824-2
Legendary chef, notable actress, and prolific author Jaffrey demystifies Indian cuisine for the home cook in this appealing and flavorful collection. Jaffrey highlights dishes that are simple, straightforward, and ideal for time-pressed cooks by utilizing simpler methods and fewer steps than traditionally used. Her recipes hail mostly from India but also from Southern Asia and reflect the diversity of this large geographical area. From chickpeas for nibbling to chicken mulligatawny soup to eggplant with fennel and cumin, she showcases easy-to-make dishes with readily accessible ingredients. She offers a wide array of fish and seafood dishes including spicy stir-fry shrimp, mussels in a creamy coconut sauce, and squid curry. Jaffrey also includes chapters on eggs and poultry, meat, rice and grains, and desserts. Not surprisingly, sections on vegetables, dal, and chutneys are especially tantalizing with South Indian-style green beans, potato chaat with variations, green lentils with green beans and cilantro, black-eyed peas with butternut squash, and peanut chutney with sesame seeds. With more than 30 color photos, this book is as attractive as it is appetizing, and Jaffrey’s legions of fans will eagerly embrace her newest compilation. (Oct.)
