5 SPICES, 50 DISHES - Simple Indian Recipes, Using Five Common Spices - by Ruta Kahate
This cookbook has a copyright of 2007. I do not know where I got this cookbook. I have never cooked from this book before.
I remember I picked this cookbook up because I was craving some Indian food, I thought the photo on the cover looked delicious and I liked the entire concept..simple Indian food that used spices I actually already had in my spice rack. Ms. Kahate promises that the book will have "Indian food that is not intimidating", "Simple recipes, but not simplistic dishes" and "The same spices, but not the same flavors". The five spices she uses are: coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ground cayenne and ground turmeric.
Basic chapters that also include a chapter on dals, raitas and one on a perfect cup of chai. About half of the recipes have photos (and for some reason I really like the photos...close ups that are well done and fill the entire page). There is a page explaining the five spices used (why it's used, what it adds etc). A few pages on techniques and ingredients, a page with menu ideas and a table of equivalents should you want to use the metric system.
The recipes seem pretty simple and straightforward with easy to find ingredients. Not every spice is used in every recipe. There seem to be a lot of recipes that call for cilantro, garlic or serrano chilies. Though most recipes don't seem to take that long to put together, there are some that require marinating time.
Lots of good sounding recipes to try. I have no idea how "authentic" they are to real Indian cooking, but I think this might be a great book to try to get my feet wet, so to speak. Recipes on my list are Railway Potatoes, Crusty Russet Potatoes with Coriander, Corn with Mustard Seeds, Everyday Yellow Dal, Black-Eyed Peas in a Spicy Goan Curry, Indian Brown Beef Stew, Anglo-Indian Beef Stir Fry, Lamp Chops with a Spicy Rub, Roasted Lamb with Burnt Onions, New Bride Chicken Curry, Spicy Seared Shrimp, Mild Fish Stew with Potatoes, Crunchy Cucumber Salad with Crushed Peanuts, Roasted Onion Riata, and, of course, Basic Chai.
I love Indian food. I was spoiled when I was younger to live in an area that had several very good Indian restaurants (locals might remember the restaurants on all four corners of Lawrence Expressway and El Camino). It's a cuisine I don't cook very much but absolutely love so I'm excited to try something from this book.
Comments