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!

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.