At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey

At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka Reviews

• 
  Bookfanatic

  A great cookbook filled with recipes from South Asia. These aren't complicated recipes. I think even a novice cook can tackle the majority of these recipes. I can find all these ingredients easily in my state and in Asian stores, but depending on where you live you may have to order some of the ingredients online. Everyone from vegetarians to carnivores will find something here to suit their palates. There are glossy color photos of some of the dishes. She doesn't have photos for all of the dishes. I wish she had included a recipe for gulab jamun, which is my all-time favorite Indian dessert, but other than that minor complaint, I thoroughly recommend the book for anyone interested in South Asian cuisine.
• 
  Jennifer

  Madhur Jaffrey's "At Home" is the cookbook I have been looking for, while I have have enjoyed cuisine from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka the idea of cooking it has been daunting but this lovely book makes it accessible and most of all the recipes are delicious. The recipes are straight forward and thankfully have not been simplified to the point of ridiculousness that they no longer resemble the original authentic recipes.
• 
  Jen Shapiro

  Read this cookbook cover to cover. Jaffrey's first cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking, is a favorite, but I like that Jaffrey has evolved her cooking style and recipes over time. The recipes in At Home With Madhur Jaffrey are very accessible to the average home cook and very tasty.
• 
  Jodi

  Love you, Madhur!
• 
  Kari

  My husband and I have made about 20 recipes from this book and most of them have been delicious. Our favorite is the Green Lamb Curry, which we have made 4 times now, but with chicken rather than lamb. I liked how Jaffrey would often give suggestions for other dishes to serve on the same menu. The book is a good basic primer on Indian cooking techniques and spices and building those signature Indian flavors that we already loved but didn't always know how to achieve. However, I must say I am miffed that recipes for naan bread and raita are not included, for to me those are basics of Indian home cooking that would have been logical in regards to the other recipes.
  
  So while the content is very good, my biggest criticism of the book is that from a design point of view it is not very appealing. The typography/page design is very boring and inaccessible and the book needs considerably more photos than it has. There are some nice photos but they are quite stingy about them. The design made this book hard for me to get into at first, and while I am glad I kept at it because the food was worth it, I wish the design would have better reflected the dynamic content of the book.
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  Ashani

  This is a below average (FOR WHO REALLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THESE CUISINES) read about Indian cooking. My hopes were very bothered after reading this.Madhur does not state what type of cheese to be used in page 12 in a Indian cheese toast.
  
  The Sri Lankan fish curry on page 60 seems very wrong about Sri Lankans cuisine too. We don't use bay leaves.(stating as a Sri Lankan myself).Beef smore(another Sri Lankan recipe) also seems wrong,she does not insist on frying meat after cooking. Missing the most important step.
  On page 175, she uses Basil leaves on a Sri Lankan style Zucchini curry. Originally its for bitter gourd curry. But its also utterly wrong.We don't use Basil leaves on our curries.And on page 246 she ruins the traditional coconut sambol by grinding it in a blender. Its the way of Sri Lankan Tamils do when they want to serve it along with Dosa and Idli. Sinhalese Sri Lankans use a wooden mortar and pestle to make coconut sambol and stone grinder.And she misses most important spices of making coconut sambol:garlic and black peppers. What a disappointing read.
  
  And also starting from page 280(a little guide like how to use spices and some methods),she does not say anything about any Bay leaves or Basil leaves 😕.
• 
  Sylvia Johnson

  This would be excellent for someone new to Indian cooking. Jaffrey limits her spice combinations and includes many substitutions knowing a beginner would be overwhelmed with the many dishes and spices which might not be available to American home cooks. I gave it only three stars because I was looking to enlarge my knowledge of spices.
• 
  Erin

  I need this in a physical book. I borrowed the ebook from the library but its hard to try the recipies and really take it all in without having the book at home. Will be buying for my personal collection.
• 
  Caroline

  Made these dishes:
  Egg Curry - had to make adjustments, too runny, too tart **
  Eggplants in a North-South Sauce - just meh **
  Bangladeshi Red Lentils - Cut down oil to 2 T***
  
  I would not add to my collection
• 
  Dawn

  Five stars just for alllll of the things I would like to make. I'm excited to try a bunch of the recipes and was super happy she had a lot of items with Okra, my favorite veg :)
  
• 
  Lisa

  I have loved and used this book for decades!
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  Laura

  enjoyed the pictures and the dishes from the many unique regions/traditions
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  Beth E

  These recipes look simple and delicious.
  I'm very interested in her recipe for making tomato puree to preserve garden tomatoes.
• 
  Jackie B. - Death by Tsundoku

  Madhur Jaffrey is an Indian born actress turned chef turned travel writer turned celebrity chef. She is recognized for bringing Indian home cooking to the Western world. In fact, her debut cookbook An Invitation to Indian Cooking (which I cannot find anywhere for the life of me) was included into the James Beard Foundation's Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006 (a cookbook hall of fame?! My TBR just got overwhelming). Since the publication of her debut cookbook in 1976, Madhur Jaffrey has continued her passion in sharing Indian recipes and cooking techniques.
  
  In 320 pages, Jaffrey covers quite the gamut of recipes. Including recipes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka I knew there would be a lot to take in. The table of contents covers appetizers, snacks, seafood, eggs, poultry, lamb, beef, vegetables and more. Honestly, I expected to be in over my head, but I quickly discovered I was not.
  
  In the Introduction, Jaffrey says:
  
  "My purpose in writing this book is to vanquish that fear, to make Indian dishes as simple and straight foward to prepare as, say, beef stew, and to hold your hand through the entire process with clear instructions and detailed explanations."
  
  Sounds like my kind of introduction to Indian cooking.
  
  This book is simple. There are very few pictures. Most recipes are one page in length or shorter. They call for simple ingredients, and always have a substitute for a non-standard Western grocery store option. For example, hot green chilies can be replaces with jalapeno, but use only 1/2 of the ailotted amount. Or, Italian basil can be used instead of Thai basil, but with a slightly different flavor. I quickly found that Indian food is often easier to make than many of the recipes which are my standards. And favorite recipes are quickly becoming staples in my household.
  
  If you are remotely interested in Indian cooking, seek this cookbook out immediately. Unlike other cookbooks everything is laid out simply. The last chapter of this cookbook contains information about the ingredients and special techniques used in Indian cooking, but you don't have to read them to cook these recipes. This is a wonderful cookbook.
  
• 
  Caroline

  I got this book from a Little Free Library back in 2015, and I was so surprised to see that it was signed by the author. I cooked a couple recipes, stir fried green beans and mango lassi. They were good, but I then put the book away and completely forgot about it. Whenever I went through my books to give some away, I couldn't give this one up. Not because I was using it--I wasn't--but because I felt like I wasn't giving it a real chance. This year, I needed easy but good recipes that I could cook early in the morning and reheat when I got home. After trying a few make-it-and-forget-it slow cooker recipes, I wanted something better, something homey. I pulled out this cookbook and made potato pea curry in the morning, and then I set up my rice cooker to have rice done by that evening. It was so good. I didn't realize how much I missed Indian food. I kept making curries, dals, and the ginger spinach soup. What I really love about this book is the simplicity of the instructions. Jaffrey takes you by the hand and in a soft, reassuring tone says that you can make this. I also love that in most of the food descriptions she said what other dishes and relishes to pair it with. That is very helpful when planning a meal. An all-around great cookbook and possibly my favorite of hers.
• 
  Joy

  Warm, accessible food writing that makes me want to try lots and lots of recipes. I wish that there were more vegetarian dishes here, but I appreciate the emphasis on simple, homey dishes. I have limited patience for recipes requiring strict adherence to amounts and complicated techniques.
  
  Side note: read this as an ebook, and while I generally enjoy reading things on my phone, the format does not lend itself to the sort of casual browsing and flipping back and forth one wants to do with a cookbook.
• 
  Rabya

  Easy recipes with delectable results. Includes vegetarian, fish and meat recipes from virtually every province and country in South Asia- so fairly diverse. I made the okra and loved it! Check out the lassi and dessert recipes too. And, true to Auntie form, Auntie shares personal anecdotes and sound advice on ingredients and cooking utensils. Cooking with this book is like having Auntie Madhur with you in the kitchen- in a positive and non-intrusive way!
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  malrubius

  I love Indian food and I cook it often. But most of the time when I am cooking I am already half-drunk and my cooking ain't too great. Nonetheless, I have made about eight recipes from this book and they have all been fantastic. My favorite cookbook.
• 
  lauren

  This book has been really fun to cook from and everything i've made from it has been great. In the future though I'm going to go a little heavier on the spices than she suggests.
  
  I've made several more of the recipes recently, and they've been wonderful! 9-13-11
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  Bonnie LeBlanc

  Simple dishes, easy to make with common spices (and she offers substitutes in consideration of folks who may not normally stock some of the ingredients). Definitely trying some of the chickpea curries!
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  Forest Tong

  Delightful. The recipes I've tried are simple and delicious. Occasionally I've found the recipes need some adjusting, as some are too watery or too salty for my taste, but the core flavors are divine.
• 
  Elisabeth

  I've just started cooking Indian food and these recipes are divine! Accessible ingredients, reasonable mix and cook times. Perfect for busy people who still want to explore new menus.
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  Katy

  I have loved reading this book very much. I have cooked some of the recipes and I can't wait to do more!!
• 
  Fiona

  Tasty recipes, clear instructions.
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  Tatiana

  so far so excellent, see p.123 for great lamb recipe.
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  Tracy

  Just got the Kindle version of this book for my iPhone via the NYPL's new e-book lending system/program. So awesome! Have bookmarked many, many delicious-looking recipes. Yay!
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  Beka

  Not as cut and dry as I'd hoped, but I still loved it. Can't wait to read more of her books.
• 
  Yasmeen

  Simple Indian food.
• 
  Elizabeth

  Good solid basics.