Madhur Jaffrey's Ultimate Curry Bible - Madhur Jaffrey

...enjoyable to make my own. Madhur Jaffrey is one of the most succesful Indian cooks and is a best selling cookery author so I thought this book would be the place to start.

First of all this book is very visually appealing - the cover is quite pleasing and not over the top. The real pleasure begins when you open the book however, as it has beautiful pictures and illustrations in the introductory chapter and at the beginning of each section.
...with a small anecdote from Madhur on how she has used the recipe or where she has gotten it from. Sometimes she also has tips on how to serve the curry or different ingredients to try.

The recipes themselves can be quite difficult to follow as there is so much writing and you have to refer back to the book a lot. Many of the dishes have huge ingredient lists which can also be a bit off-putting at times.

There is an immense ... more

I ordered this book as I enjoy curries and thought it would be enjoyable to make my own. Madhur Jaffrey is one of the most succesful Indian cooks and is a best selling cookery author so I thought this book would be the place to start.

First of all this book is very visually appealing - the cover is quite pleasing and not over the top. The real pleasure begins when you open the book however, as it has beautiful pictures and illustrations in the introductory chapter and at the beginning of each section.

Madhur Jaffrey begins her book with an introduction which explains the origins and history of curry and how it has evolved over time. The book has recipes not only from India but from Singapore; Malaysia; Indonesia; Thailand; South Africa; Kenya; the UK; Trinidad; Guyana; Japan and the USA. She explains how immigrants have adapted curry and produced new versions or recipes altogether.

The book is split into eight sections;

1) Lamb, Pork, Beef, Veal and Goat.

2) Poultry and Eggs.

3) Fish and Seafood.

4) Vegetables.

5) Dals, Beans and Split Peas.

6) Kebabs and Soups.

7) Rice, Noodles and Breads.

8) Relishes and Accompaniments.

There is also an additional section on Special Ingredients and Techniques, as well as an Index.

Each section is prefaced with an introduction of the ingredients i.e. Fish and Seafood and how they are commonly used in curries in different countries. There are also further historical explanations and these sections are quite interesting.

Each recipe is also prefaced, usually with a small anecdote from Madhur on how she has used the recipe or where she has gotten it from. Sometimes she also has tips on how to serve the curry or different ingredients to try.

The recipes themselves can be quite difficult to follow as there is so much writing and you have to refer back to the book a lot. Many of the dishes have huge ingredient lists which can also be a bit off-putting at times.

There is an immense variety and I have only attempted a few myself, as some of the recipes can look a bit scary!

I have mostly tried the different breads as I wanted to start out simply. The Chapati recipe is good and also the Guyanese Flaky Bread, although I did need to refer back to the book a lot and got a bit confused with all the folding and rolling.

The Aloo Paratha (Layered Wholemeal Flatbread stuffed with Spicy Potatoes) is very nice and not all that difficult to make. Again the instructions can get a bit confusing i.e. Flipping the paratha every ten seconds, then oiling it, then flipping every three seconds etc.

Perhaps it was the way the recipes were written as they were not set out step by step but were written in continous paragraphs. This just didn't suit me personally and may be fine for someone else.

The book as a whole is very comprehensive and I especially liked the small section on Special Ingredients and Techniques at the back. This section explained the different ingredients in case you had not heard of them, where they come from and what dishes they are used in.

I like this book and think it is useful to have as it explains the ingredients used in curries well. There is also such a wealth of recipes and information that I'm glad I bought it.

However it can be a bit overwhelming, especially to a relatively new cook and I haven't tried as many dishes as I had hoped to. It does take time to build up a store cupboard of the ingredients used most frequently in the recipes and it can be off-putting.

Personally I didn't like the way the recipes were written but the recipes themselves all sound great. The few I have attempted myself have turned out fairly well and I was pleased with them. There are no photographs of any of the finished recipes though which I was a bit disappointed about.

I would recommend this book if you have an interest in curries but would warn you that there is a lot of reading and it will take time to get used to the way the book is written.

R.R.P is £25 but it is available on Amazon for £16.25.

This review is also on dooyoo.co.uk under the username mogdred.

 

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