Miss Masala: Real Indian Cooking for Busy Living

by Mallika Basu

Delish recipes, hilarious anecdotes, and clever tips for juggling your masalas with your mascaras—how any hapless kitchen honey can become a fashionista foodie and cook gorgeous Indian food  So much more than just a cookbook, this beautiful, handbag-sized journal fuses irresistible Indian recipes with Mallika's quirky and hilarious tales, and will make Indian cooking an effortless part of anyone's goddess lifestyle. No-nonsense kitchen advice demystifies all those glorious, exotic ingredients and spices, and shows just how easy and rewarding it is to cook Indian cuisine at home. Alongside easy instructions for making aromatic Kerala Chicken or the best Seekh Kebabs, Mallika gives handy hints on how to cook a jalfrezi and still head to the bar an hour later without reeking of eau de curry. Fabulous recipes include Kosha Mangsho (lamb sautéed in yogurt and roasted cumin), Murgh Makhani (velvety butter chicken), Tandoori Macchli (monkfish in tandoori spices), Peshawari Naan (naan stuffed with nuts and raisins), Bhapa doi (saffron and cardamom cheesecake), and Vodka Chilli Cocktails. This is real Indian cooking for busy city living. Includes dual measures.

Genres: Cookbooks

248 pages, Hardcover

First published April 29, 2010

Reviews

[Jyoti Babel · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Miss Masala"

Isn't that a catchy name?

It is and so is this cookbook with its style- the presentation of recipes, the colors this books is laden with and the way this cook book is written. Actually, it is more than just a cookbook.

I have been writing book reviews and sharing recipes of food I make/experiment with on this space (www.jbabel.blogspot.com) for quite sometimes, so I thought, it would be good idea to do reviews of the cook books I often buy/pick up from the library. And here I am with my first cookbook review on this blog and let me tell you, I am finding it a more daunting task than my usual book reviews.

I believe, one can't review a cook book just by reading it, one has to actually try a couple of recipes to actually see how they work. Miss Masala by Mallika Basu has a very balanced content of both vegetarian and non vegetarian recipes. Since, I am a vegetarian my views are based on the vegetarian content only. Unlike, many other Indian cookbooks which are published in the west, Miss Masala has a wide range of Vegetarian recipes which is a delight for me. From the comfort food like Aloo Gobhi, Tadka Dal, Rajma, Channa Masala, Matar Paneer to the exotic Navratan Korma, Paneer Butter Masala, it has an array of recipes to please your palette. Even street food like Pav Bhaaji, Pakora, Chaats etc finds a place in the menu, not to mention the variety of Indian breads, side dishes, chutneys and sweets.

Just as is mentioned on the cover of the book - 'Real Indian Cooking for Busy Living', the author shares tips on quick Indian cooking, from what pastes and sauces can be made and freezed for later use, to which dishes can be prepared in bulk and deep freezed to be eaten later. This book has everything a new and inquisitive beginner in Indian cooking needs: glossary of spices, gadgets and utensils needed etc.

The book is very colourful and is presented in the style of a notebook. The author has also shared anecdotes about her cooking experience. Her writing style and the way this cookbook has been formatted seems to be reflective of her personality- smart, charming and witty. Only thing I would have liked to change would be the author's persistent banter about her fear of getting drunk even before entertaining her guests! To see why I recipes I have tried out from this book visit http://jbabel.blogspot.com/2012/02/mi...

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun chick lit guide to cooking indian food at home.I picked this little book up for a few pounds in charity. An amusing read that made me hungry. Oh for those lost pre covid days of offices, squashed tubes and too many drinks in Soho. Now I must try the recipes.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall some reasonably good recipes & a lot of useful, practical tips around keeping recipes healthy & simple (though I suspect she’s a bit like Nigella - the kind of gal who’ll whip up a semifreddo for a midweek dinner party.) The book design is beautiful- like a notebook with illustrations and asides. HOWEVER the thing is unnavigable- I planned to cook a couple of recipes to test it out as even though I’d cooked a couple years ago when I bought it, I fail to use it. However, where to start? There is no central contents list, no indication of what is in it each chapter. There is an index but unless you know the name of what you’re looking for, that’s limited. The recipes are amidst Basu’s asides about life in London & learning to cook but while I think it was meant to be hilarious, I found grating - she’s a part animal with a hot bod, a hot career, a brother in Cambridge etc. Too much name dropping, cliches & fabulousness to be relatable or very interesting, Absolutely Sex and the City isn’t quite the tone for a recipe book.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indian Cookery by Mallika Basu, Indian Anglo
A book that I read from start to finish in a couple of days and another book that is on my worktop book shelf.
Easy to read, easy to follow and a good explanation of spices and recipes.
Items that you would have in your kitchen store cupboard, well I did, but I love indian cooking.
I also like the fact that she explains products as she goes through the recipes
Tamarind, never quite knew what to do with this, but now I do and often just buy the pods from the indian supermarket.
Favourites.
Tadka Dal page 55 great for veggie friends and also a nice filler in if your having friends round to eat.
Murgh Makhani, family fav.
Lamb Korma. page 122 lovely in a parathas or any wrap

[Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've checked this book out from the library twice, with a couple of years in between, and have decided to move it from temporarily to permanently abandoned. I just can't get on with the printing or the voice.

[Varsha Ajaykumar]

Never fail to juggle up tongue tickling Indian Food from this one,, a must have !!