Made in India: Recipes from an Indian Family Kitchen

I can't rave about this cookbook enough. Where to start? I'd eaten Indian food very few times before cooking from this book--always chicken tikka masala and the occasional samosa. But I'm an avid home cook and heard so many great things about how easy, accessible and fresh these recipes are that I knew I had to try it out. I'm so happy I bought a copy for myself. About 4 months into owning this book, it's already taken a beating and I'm finding new recipes to catch my eye all the time. The rice recipe alone is worth the price of the book--I finally understand how to cook a perfect batch of rice! If you follow Sodha's instructions, you'll never make bad rice again. The Worker's Curry is stunningly comforting, and a cheap vegan dinner to boot. The Chaat salad is mind-blowingly delicious and fresh. The Chili Paneer tastes like the ultimate state fair food I have always dreamed of, except I made it in my own kitchen. My boyfriend and I ate the whole batch in one sitting, shamelessly. The Cilantro Chicken is so quick, easy, and flavorful that I've already made it three times. AND HER ICE CREAMS! Folks, the ice cream recipes are also totally worth the cost of the book. I don't own an ice cream maker, and I don't need to, because Sodha's ice cream recipes are still perfectly rich, creamy and delicious without one. She walks you through how to churn the ice cream by hand, with luscious results. I have a batch of the Fennel Seed Ice Cream in my freezer right now and am already thinking of so many ways her basic ice cream recipe could be customized. All that to say, I truly cannot recommend this cookbook enough. Sodha truly knows how to write for the home cook--there is no pretension or extra, confusing steps here. None of these recipes are difficult and most are quick enough to make on a weeknight. In fact, I'm trying out her Pav Bhaji tonight and I can't wait, because I already know it will be delicious. I'm anxiously awaiting the US release of Fresh India, Sodha's second cookbook, but until then I'm thrilled to work my way through the rest of this lovely book.

Really like this book: the writing is very engaging, the recipes are well explained and we've liked the few we've tried so far. Part of the charm is that the author lives in my native England, and I like those English references. There shouldn't be difficulties for American readers, but you may want to bear in mind that when Ms Sodha refers to 'chili powder', the Mexican chili powder in your cupboard is probably not what she's referring to, as it contains more than powdered chilis. Also, Americans may be puzzled as to why the index contains the entry 'eggplants' under 'A': the reason is clearly that in England these are called 'aubergines', so 'A' was the right place for this until the American editor changed the word without moving the entry! The only other comment I'd add is that canola oil is the go-to oil in this recipe book (as it is in other excellent Indian cookbooks), but I actually don't favour canola oil, since it's highly processed (look up how it's made) and is not the health oil the authors seem to imagine. To the contrary, a better oil is avocado: very healthy and natural, with neutral flavour and a high smoking point. Olive oil has also worked just fine for me as a substitute when avocado oil wasn't available. Update: Have just tried a potato recipe ('Ferrari') which calls for a lidded pan and then doesn't tell you what to do with the lid (if anything). The baffling point, though, was the 'ounce' of cilantro to be added at the end to the cooked seasoned potatoes. An ounce is an awful lot of cilantro, even for those that really like its pungent flavour: it fills my 2-cup pyrex storage bowl. I don't imagine that the author wants you to sprinkle all THAT on less than 1 pound of potatoes. But British cookbook authors often use grams (and metric generally) rather than American measures. Perhaps it was not '1 ounce' in the original English edition. Similarly, the peanuts asked for, while not a lot, are certainly a good deal more than anyone would want for a batch of this size. So sometimes the specific quantities might need to be taken with 'a pinch of salt'. Overall, I love the recipes and the ingredients discussions, as well as all the lovely pictures. This book is a great addition to anyone's cookbook library!

Awesome cookbook! -The recipes tend to use the same set of common ingredients: tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chili powder, ground coriander, etc. Seeing the same ingredients means you don't have to run out to the store every time you make a new dish. This is very convenient. On the other hand, you may suffer from menu-fatigue as many dishes can taste similar, especially the meat dishes. -Most recipes are for serving size of 4 people. However, it's easy to break the recipes in half. Recipes are easier than some other Indian cookbooks I've seen. -The process for cooking the items generally does not require you to have all of the ingredients ready-to-go when you start a recipe. You tend to throw a few ingredients in the pot and cook them for about 10 minutes at a time, and meanwhile you are able to prepare the next batch of ingredients. This cooking process lends itself to a nice pace and rhythm to cooking, and ability reusing prep bowls and utensils as you go. -Some of the menu items you see at American-Indian restaurant is not in this cookbook. Butter Chicken, Rogan Josh, etc. - There are not as many Meat recipes as I would have liked, especially Chicken. Instead, there is a balanced approach with veggies, drinks and dessert options. You will find recipes for fennel ice cream and black pepper ice cream. Although you may be lacking with main courses, there is definitely something for everyone in this book! -Ingredients are easy to find. Nothing too exotic. Indian Spices. Tomato Paste.Kidney Beans. Red Onions. This leads me to think that the recipes must have been adapted for Westerners. -Recipes mostly lack the "creaminess" that I usually find at local Indian restaurants. Maybe there is a lack of cream or coconut milk in the recipes? This cookbook is not a definitive cookbook for all your Indian cooking needs, but rather a great addition (or a great starter book). Without some key American-Indian recipes, it leaves me longing for yet another Indian cookbook. But at the same time, I wouldn't trade this book! It's absolutely great, its just not definitive.

Overall: Well-organized, excellent table of contents/index/ingredients sources/illustrations. Recipes: easy to follow. We love the ones we've tried and have several others on our make-soon list. Why I bought this book: My husband read the NY Times Food article about this book and the author. He told me that the chicken curry (from the author's mother) featured in the article was very similar to a chicken curry recipe given to him decades ago by a fellow VISTA volunteer and that we make regularly. This similarity piqued my interest. A lot of Ms. Sodha's recipes are simple enough to make on a weeknight but flavorful enough to be interesting. And she writes with wit and charm. Bona fides: we regularly use recipes from cookbooks by Ismail Merchant and Madhur Jaffrey.

Recipes are great, I just wish there was a more comprehensive table of contents.

We both love this cookbook not only for the great recipes but for the personal stories and anecdotes. It's a gem and very usable even for the occasional cook like me. Both my husband and I are using the book although he is the cook in the house about 80% of the time. He's Cajun and loves food with spice, heat and flavor. Funny thing is he now likes Indian dishes better than the Cajun dishes he has made and eaten for 30 years. I enjoy using this book because it's well written and the food is fresh, as well as, seasoned. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Ingredients can be found at some of our rural grocery stores and the big Indian market in the city. These are not hard to cook dishes and you won't be spending endless hours in the kitchen prepping and cooking. To my delight there is an excellent recipe for chicken livers in this book. Everything we have prepared has been tasty. So far we haven't found any incomplete recipes or recipes with obvious errors. It looks like Meera has a 2nd book so that needs to go on the wish list.

Meera Sodha seemed to write this cookbook for a British audience in order to introduce them what her family actually cooked at home instead of what you can find in the curry houses. She has a lot of Gujarat recipes as that is where her family is originally from, but they and she is well traveled so many have been adapted recipes for what's available in England and even Africa. In addition, she has some recipes from her travels along India (including South India) as well as things she came up with herself. You are not going to get Westernized restaurant dishes like butter chicken or chicken tikka, but honestly, I'm really okay with that. So far I've enjoyed her recipes and the greatest gift this cookbook has given me is that it his inspired me a lot (for instance, mustard seeds are back in my rotation!) as far as flavor combinations. In addition, she has really really good descriptions of spices and ingredients as well as how to make staples like condiments, pair food with alcohol, fun tips on eating like an Indian, etc. This version has been mostly adapted for the American kitchen (rather than UK) except the term "chili powder" is actually different-- in the US is a mixed of red ground chili + oregano + salt but elsewhere it refers to just the red dried ground chili :).

I haven't written a review for a cookbook before, but I want everyone who wants to give Indian cooking a shot to get this book. Thanks to our current shelter-in-place lifestyle, I am at home most of the time now and cooking a lot more than I usually do. Like most folks, I was trying to think of ways to use up the dried beans in my pantry and reached for this cookbook. I had bought it a while back along with Fresh India but hadn't tried any recipes from this one. I'm very sorry I didn't because the Kidney Bean Curry (p. 168) was delicious and the Perfect Basmati Rice (p. 153) lived up to its name. They turned out so well, I've now been on a Indian cooking spree that has lasted at least a week and everything I've made from this cookbook has been absolutely fantastic. In addition to the two dishes above, I've also made the Green Beans with Mustard Seeds and Ginger (p. 181), the Jumbo Shrimp with Garlic and Mustard Seeds (p. 138), the Masala Omelette (p. 148) and the Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Turmeric, and Lemon (p. 191). I usually don't prepare pickles or chutneys at home, but the recipes I had tried up to that point were so good and her description so approachable that I thought what the heck and tried my hand at se all and the Lime-Pickled Onions (p. 221). So simple and yet so tasty! It gave every bite that little extra oomph. She suggests eating the Omelette with buttered toast, but I put it on toast with some mayonnaise and some of the pickled onions and was transported. That sandwich along with a side salad was one of the tastiest and most satisfying lunches I've ever had. I'm now imagining other ways to eat my leftovers, such as taco-style in a flour tortilla with some of those onions and yogurt on top! I also don't usually make Indian breads at home, but I'm on a tear now and will next make the Cinnamon-Lamb Stuffed Paratha (p. 206). After that are the Gujrati Potato Curry, Simply Spiced Cabbage, Daily Dal, Cilantro Chutney Chicken, and the Sweet and Hot Tomato Chutney. I've been telling everyone I know about this cookbook now. I must have a dozen Indian cookbooks in my collection, most by Madhur Jaffrey. I'm so sorry, Ms. Jaffrey, but this is my new go-to.

This book is a keeper. Beautiful photos. Amazing recipes. I've been cooking Indian food for 20 years. This book is special. So lovely. Well written, and so authentic. Already made 3 of the recipes and dinner with my friends was a real success. The descriptions for every recipe are so kind and sweet. If you really love good food this book will be on your cookbook permanent cookbook shelf.

I made Pistachio Chicken and Naan and I am in love with it! I am tired ordering Indian restaurant food and I love cooking. The Pistachio chicken that I made is the same as if ordering from the restaurant - I cannot tell the difference! It is absolutely amazing. I will be making it again and again. And, it was easy and creative to make. The Naan is amazing as well. It is much better than from the store. I will be making it again and again as well! And so easy to make. Cannot wait to make more recipes!

All the recipes I cooked so far are delicious and very simple to prepare

Great book and in good condition as well.

I'm yet to use my recipe book! I like using the book to easily find recipes to try.