cover image CUISINES OF INDIA: The Art and Tradition of Regional Indian Cooking

CUISINES OF INDIA: The Art and Tradition of Regional Indian Cooking

Smita Chandra, with Sanjeev Chandra. . Ecco, $27.50 (320pp) ISBN 978-0-06-093518-4

Geography, custom and religion—along with neighboring and invading cultures—have shaped contemporary Indian cuisine; Chandra (Indian Grill), who teaches cooking in Toronto, carefully traces its myriad influences, and adds her own touch to this fresh reappraisal of Indian cooking. Chandra introduces each of six regional chapters with anecdotes about ingredients, people, legends and conventions, and then goes into depth, making the book almost as much a detailed history and travelogue of the subcontinent as it is a cookbook. More than 120 recipes (vegetarian and meat-based) offer an enticing diversity. Chandra is a traditionalist, but she's no purist. Saadey Naan, for instance, is made with store-bought pizza dough. Akhroat Murgh, a chicken-based dish, includes portobello mushrooms, yogurt, powdered walnuts, mint and spices—and is served in tortillas. Plenty of Chandra's recipes are more conventional, like Dhaniwal Roghan Josh (lamb with onions, yogurt, almonds and coriander) and Saag Kofte (spicy meatballs in spinach and yogurt sauce). Most ingredients are easy to find these days—exceptions include beaten rice and dried fenugreek leaves. Chandra's care with history will convince those skeptical of her improvisations (as will an author tour, the book's selection as a fall alternate of the Good Cook Book Club and former Taste host David Rosengarten's blurb), while those new to Indian cuisine will find this a good beginner's guide. B&w illus. 20,000 first printing. Agent, Madeleine Morel. (Aug. 1)