NancyM's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
Chilis to Chutneys: American Home Cooking with the Flavors of India
By Neelam Batra
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1998
The author is a native of India but moved to America and now lives in California where she teaches cooking classes. The introduction of the book gives a very nice description of what it was like for her growing up in India and the food traditions she enjoyed. I've learned quite a lot about Indian foods, traditions and adaptations necessary for American kitchens from reading this book.
Many of the recipes in this book are familiar American dishes seasoned with Indian flavors, like Naan Pizza Bread with Nigella Seeds, Quesadillas with Chicken Tikka Kebabs and Smoked Gouda Cheese, Gingered Tomato Soup, Indian Coleslaw, Garbanzo Bean and Potato Salad with Yogurt-Cilantro Chutney, Blue Lake Green Beans in a Wok, Curried Russet Potatoes with Fresh Peas, or Guacamole with Yogurt and Chaat Masala.
Other recipes are more traditionally Indian but may have been adapted to work for American kitchens and the ingredients available (or not) here.
Each recipe has a nice head note that describes the ingredients or how the dish is traditionally made in India. Or sometimes, a personal story about the dish is given such as who she cooked it for, or why she developed the recipe. All of this reading is informative as well as entertaining. Just what I like to see in a cookbook!
The ingredient lists are very clear on how each item is to be prepped. No guessing is needed if the chicken is in pieces, what size or if the skin should be left on, etc. The recipe instructions are also very clear and detailed giving not just cooking times at particular temperatures, but describing exactly what the food should look like, smell like or sound like when that step is properly executed.
Along with most of the recipes are serving ideas - really menu suggestions on what to have with the dish to make a complete meal. These are extremely helpful to someone not familiar with the cuisine.
Notes on what parts of the recipe can be done ahead of time are given. The book's chapters are organized by two methods: recipes that follow a particular type of cooking, like roasting or deep-frying, and by type of food, like curries, soups or salads. Each chapter lists the recipes contained in it.
The spice blend chapter is really wonderful. It contains not just recipes for spice mixes, but also extensive text on the ingredients, what form they come in, where to buy them and how each is used.