gauntlet's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
660 Curries
By Raghavan Iyer
Workman Publishing - 2008
I've made around 90 unique recipes from this book in the 2 1/2 years since I bought it. There have been only 4-5 that I didn't care for and would not make again. The rest ranged from good to better than the best restaurant food I've had.
The layout of the book is straightforward, with spice blends and appetizers at the front, then the meat dishes separated by type, then lentils, vegetables, rice dishes, and a few other categories. I'm a vegetarian, so I appreciate not having to hunt through the ingredient list to make sure it doesn't use meat before I decide to make it.
The author introduces each recipe with the region it comes from as well as a story from his childhood, a historical note, or sometimes with a couple of recommended dishes to accompany it. He includes tips about how to prepare some of the items those not familiar with Indian cooking might not know, and even has a section devoted to information about some of the more esoteric spices and ingredients.
This book is the star of my collection, and I find myself sitting at it for long stretches of time trying to decide what new recipe I should try out next. I still have at least 200 vegetarian ones to go, and to top it off, I noticed that the author even included notes on some of the meat dishes on how to make them vegetarian!
Conclusion: get this book if you enjoy Indian cuisine!