India’s 500 Best Recipes

The spicy and exotic dishes of India and South-East Asia are popular around the world, and there is an incredible variety of regional dishes to explore, from the hottest chilli-infused curry to the subtly spiced and fragrant rice dish.

This book brings together 500 authentic recipes, from spicy appetizers and deliciously rich and creamy curries to vegetarian dishes and chutneys, including and all the classic breads, rices and side dishes, sumptuous desserts and popular drinks.

All the Indian classics are featured, such as Chicken Tikka, Beef Madras, Lamb with Spinach, Fish Jhalfrazi, Curried Chickpeas, Saffron Rice, Spiced Yogurt and Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream). There are also more unusual Indian recipes to try, such as Balti Chicken with Panir and Peas, Lahore-style Lamb, and Almond Sherbet. There are also tantalizing recipes from the nearby regions of South-East Asia, including Stir-fried Prawns with Tamarind, Roast Lime Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, and Coconut Fried Bananas.

Every recipe is illustrated with a photograph showing the finished dish, so that you can see what you are aiming for. There is also nutritional information to help you plan meals for those with dietary considerations, plus useful cook’s tips and variations throughout the book. From Pakistan to Myamnar (Burma) and beyond, all kinds of cooking styles are represented, making this is a wonderfully varied collection of recipes for every lover of spicy food.

About the Authors

Shehzad Husain is the author of several books on Indian cooking and has contributed to popular magazines including Taste and Family Circle. She is also consultant to Marks & Spencer on their range of Indian foods.

Rafi Fernandez is an accomplished cook and prolific author of books covering recipes from her native India. These include Indian Vegetarian Cooking, The Cooking of Southern India, The Little Indian Cookbook and Complete Indian Cooking. She appears at cooking demonstrations and runs two shops, Rafi’s Spice Box, based in Sudbury and York, UK.

Mridula Baljekar is a best-selling author of a number of Indian cookbooks, as well as having done much TV and radio work. She contributes regularly to various magazines and newspapers in the UK, Australia and her native India.

Manisha Kanani, who was born in Uganda, is a freelance home economist specializing in Indian food and cooking; she works regularly at Family Circle magazine, and assists on photography shoots for various magazines and books.