Classic Indian Cooking: Master Moghul Cuisine with Simple Techniques, Essential Spices, and Traditional Recipes

by Julie Sahni

This extraordinary cookbook, Classic Indian Cooking , amounts to a complete course in Indian cuisine. Elucidated by over 100 line drawings, it systematically introduces the properties of all the basic spices and special ingredients of Indian food, then explains the techniques employed in using them, always with the help of comparisons to familiar Western methods. It is immediately obvious that Indian food is rich and varied, yet not difficult to prepare. The cooking principles are basic and wellknown. The utensils needed are few and simple. As Julie Sahni says, "If you know how to fry, there are few tricks to Indian food." Every recipe has been especially designed for the American kitchen -- practically all the ingredients can be found in any American supermarket and there are scores of time-saving shortcuts with the food processor and handy directions for ahead-of-time preparation. Following a lively and absorbing introduction to the history of India's classic Moghul cuisine, Julie guides the cook through the individual components that make up an Indian meal. She begins with delicious appetizers like Crab Malabar and Hyderabad lime soup; continues through main courses, both nonvegetarian and vegetarian (this book is a treasure trove for the non-meat eater); goes on to all the side dishes and traditional accompaniments, from spinach raita and lentils with garlic butter to saffron pilaf and whole wheat flaky bread; and ends with the glorious desserts, like Ras Malai , sweetmeats, and beverages. Clear, illustrated, step-by-step instructions accompany the cook through every stage, even for making the many wondrous Indian breads, both by hand and with the food processor. And at the end of each recipe are balanced serving suggestions for every kind of meal, Among the many special features are ideas for appropriate wines, a useful spice chart, a complete glossary (which might also come in handy when ordering in Indian restaurants), and a mailorder shopping guide that will make Indian spices accessible anywhere. Most important, Julie Sahni imparts the secrets to mastering the art of Indian cooking. Even the beginner will quickly learn to move within the classic tradition and improvise with sureness and ease. Julie Sahni has written a masterpiece of culinary instruction, as readable as it is usable, a joy to cook from, a fascination to read.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, India, Reference, Culinary

560 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1980

Reviews

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorites. Great recipes, easy to follow instructions. Delicious. Food in not greasy. Favorite recipes include: string beans with coconut, potato samosas, cauliflower ginger bread, lamb and raison patties, stuffed tomatoes, potato salad....too numerous to name all. This book is the staple of my Indian cooking.

[Alice Cascorbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could have only one Indian cookbook, it would certainly be this one. The best book teaching Indian cooking in English that I know of, and I've read most of them. Clear and enjoyable to read, full of great history and information--and, most importantly, every recipe I've ever tried out of it has worked wonderfully well.

[Shane C · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book is really magnificent!!!

[Yaaresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will never go wrong with a Julie Sahni cookbook. She makes cooking Indian food very doable.

Note: there are no pictures in her cookbooks. Get over it. Beans look like beans. Rice looks like rice.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best Indian cookbook on my shelf. I've worn it out and would love to find a special copy to keep pristine. Every time I try something new from it, I am richly rewarded.

[Nyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook and Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking" are the bibles of Indian cooking. You will prepare heavenly dishes from either book. Don't miss making her garam masala.

[Pavithra Mouli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you fall in love with a cookbook? It feels like I did with this. I spent many a happy hours this month reading through every section(I skipped over just the non-vegetarian parts).

This is exactly what I expect any basic cookbook to be when introducing new cuisines to the masses. Most cookbooks in the charts these days are just a collection of recipes with the odd reasoning/facts strewn about - but not this book. It introduces the common techniques used in the Indian kitchens, a lot of details on how to handle each ingredient in the dish and how to store/reuse/upgrade the dishes. It is purely about teaching a cuisine to a population that doesn't necessarily cook it regularly (book is directed at the American kitchens but works for anyone I think). It is in no way an exhaustive recipe list of the Indian cuisine but this will equip anyone willing to read through, learn and practise the art of cooking Indian cuisine at home.

Am not exactly new to Indian cooking (duh, an Indian in India) - but I had quite a few takeaways indeed. I also absolutely relished the fact that this book is 40 years old (my copy says 1980 & 1st edition) - it felt like a time capsule into how a typical Indian kitchen cooked up back then and how so much has passed onto the current day. I caught myself smiling many a times as well, when reading through the explanations and the recipes.

I will be judging, with this as THE benchmark, all other cookbooks claiming to teach a cuisine.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed this book so far. I like that it has beef recipes from Northern India, too. I would not buy it if you do not have very close access to an Indian or World Grocery or a LOT of money to spend on buying and grinding spices.

I have been adapting some of the recipes for my pressure cooker and would highly recommend that.

Her directions and illustrations are absolutely spot on and I really enjoy learning about Indian culture.

However, like most classic cookbooks, this stuff is HARD! The recipes are involved, take a long time to prepare and require you to read the introduction and the full recipe well before you begin cooking. They are definitely worth it, though. I haven't had a single one that I didn't like so far.

[Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my bedrock for Indian cooking. Spices you need to know about, how to roast or fry them in the ghee, how to make ghee, what ghee is... it's good stuff.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie does a wonderful job explaining the culture, preparation and techniques needed to make many iconic Indian dishes.

[Roxy Iconoclast · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful cookbook, with many easy recipes suitable for potlucks.

I bought this cookbook more than 10 years ago and have found it to be a reliable favorite. I think it was my first Indian cookbook, and it still beats the others I have hands down. I'm not a particularly skilled or patient cook, yet every recipe I have tried turned out well.

There is a down side, though: Sahni's recipes are far better than anything you encounter in restaurants (in the U.S., at least). Now Indian restaurant food just seems so anemic and stingy (sigh).

Full disclosure: I omit a few spices that don't appeal to me, such as asafetida and black salt.

I wish this were available on Kindle too, so I could use that version for shopping reference.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such precision in Indian cookery has never been this accurate ! I wish this book gets an revised update with colored photos since a such a vibrant cuisine needs to show it in pictures as well . What an amazing fit to the American kitchen !

[baxter baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well named as it's a classic, lots of info on ingredients and regional variations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key ingredient during Indian month.

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

My treasure trove for Indian cooking. Love both this and the vegetarian edition. A wealth of information, cover to cover - no photos as space fillers.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rather bland and clinical approach to Indian cooking!

It lacked the passion and fieriness that I am accustomed to , in my own cooking.

[Claire DeVore · Rating 5 out of 5]

35 years ago as a college undergraduate a boyfriend wanted to spend Way too long hunting around (I'm a sucker for used bookstores this was all new)
I sat down in front of a long shelf of Indian Cookbooks. Having spent time in England and being stuck with Madhuri Jaffri who a found too precious I sought someone more idk authentic? Comprehensive? Finally I picked up a book with only line drawings no photographs but oh I knew I was looking for the right thing!
True Northern India but I only knew restaurant cooking including Nairobi a wonderful spot for Indian food. (The Black cat long gone now best tandoori ever dripping with yogurt)
I have never looked back. I have another 8 or so with pretty pictures found of course in used bookstores but I've given away Jaffrey, movie star, ones.
Highly recommend. Not fiddly and hard. The how to drawings are what you really need. And hand holding in a sense as you can lose yourself on YouTube.

[Dan Plonsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the Indian cookbooks I have cooked from (about a dozen) or perused (many more), this is by far the best for the beginning cook, because Sahni goes into great detail as to how to accomplish such basic procedures as properly browning onions, roasting and grinding spices, preparing and cooking rice. The prose is precise, clear and well-edited. The recipes are varied geographically and stylistically, and Sahni often provides background as to who cooks what, where and when. She suggests possible combinations for meals, and variations. Published in 1980, I hope that it will one day be updated to include more vegetables and other ingredients which are now more commonly available. However, some of these can be found in the sequel, Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. Once you have mastered the techniques in this book, you can hunt down any interesting regional cookbooks you please, which often assume basic knowledge and skill.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s cheating a bit for me to say I “read” this cookbook. I haven’t read every page, nor have I cooked every dish in it. But it’s such a good Indian cookbook that I don’t want to forget about it (I got it out of the library). I first saw it on the counter at Bollywood Theater restaurant in Portland, and so when I saw it on the library shelf, I had to give it a try. I’m so glad I did.

[Adam Robitaille · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cookbook with very helpfully written steps. Besides how to cook the recipes, she includes useful information and advice such as whether the leftovers will freeze well and background information about the regional origin of the food and so forth. This is currently my favorite cookbook.

[George Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook is one of favorites. Always something tasty to make!

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made this dish:
Onion Fritters - delish

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm assuming this is the same book I have although mine is ' cookery ' not ' cooking ' and was originally published in 1997 and reprinted 2005.
I will be honest, I don't often, and never have, cooked Indian dishes regularly, but I collect cook books.
Therefore my review is based more on a comparison of other cuisines and their associated cookery books.
As such, I was impressed.
It is laid out in a manner that would make it easy for anyone to to learn perhaps all they need to know in order to produce good quality Indian cuisine from standard every day meals to more elaborate dishes.
There are a number, few only, of line drawings showing various prepping, but no photos. This, no doubt to cut the cost of production, but when serving a dish of which you are not familiar are helpful.
I would place this in the category of a standard cookery book that deals with a specific cuisine and to my mind fills this admirably.

Just realised I have a hardback copy of this book by Dorling Kindersley pub 1986 referring to the original 1980 date and has ' cooking ' not ' cookery ' in the title.
This also has no photos, so although I assumed my other paperback copy left out photos to cut costs, it obviously never had any.

[Heather Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful guide to cooking and eating Indian food! I love the introductory material that walks us through spices and how they combine, traditional cooking techniques, food as ritual and religious observance, and how the cuisine reflects and compliments the distinct cultures and climates of different regions. She does a good job, too, of adapting traditional recipes for the modern Western kitchen without oversimplifying them, I think. (But how would I know?)

[Alex]

One thing I must emphasize about this book: if you keep vegetarian, DO NOT get the Sahni's vegetarian cookbook as a substitute for this one. Sahni's vegetarian cookbook is great, but it's a supplement to the vegetarian recipes in this book, not a replacement. Ignore the meat recipes and make things like cauliflower with scallions and black mustard seeds...

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice collection of recipes from all over India - there are a few in here that I come back to again and again. Her commentary does a good job contextualizing each dish.

[Foxthyme · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great East Indian Cookbook. I'd also highly recommend those by Madhur Jaffrey.

[Cwalsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My introduction to Indian cooking. Anyone can be successful following these excellent recipes.

[Dh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I haven't gotten that far into this cookbook, but so far Ms. Sahni is three for three. She has forever changed the way I look at broccoli, and I will never look back.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

i didn't have a chance to try more recipes in this book, but it is a classic and I think has a lot of great information. I liked it, but would look at others before I would buy it.