One of the reasons for the great success of the television series Indian Food Made Easy is Anjum Anand's clear and straightforward presentation, rendering these recipes manageable (or least convincing us that they are within our own particular range). There is also a commendable avoidance of gimmicks -- particularly welcome in an era when TV chefs feel obliged to adopt unusual or eccentric personae to grab attention. And it's particularly pleasing to note that all of these qualities are in evidence in this book of the series: straightforward, concise recipes (illustrated only with tempting pictures of the food itself, rather than the presenter striking various telegenic poses -- she is to be seen on the cover only, admittedly looking Nigella Lawson-like). And given that Indian food is noted more for its delicious taste than its healthy properties, Anjum Anand takes on the negative reputation that the cuisine has in this regard, and comes up with alternatives to the standard high-fat ingredients (that's not to say that she doesn't unashamedly tackle such things where necessary -- taste is definitely the overriding consideration in this book). And with such recipes as Mangalorean chicken (with its mouth-watering combination of coconut, coriander and large fat red chillies) and wild mushroom and pilaff -- all presented in the most accessible and uncomplicated fashion -- this book is likely to accelerate the already considerable acceptance of Indian cookery for non-Indian aspirants. --Barry Forshaw

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

simple yet tasty indian food, 01 Nov 2008
I've watched the TV series with interest so I thought I'd take the plunge and buy Anjums new book. There are a lot of new recipes I've not heard of before in here but the first one I tried was the good old vindaloo. I was a little skeptical because there didn't seem to be a lot of ingredients but as it turned out it made a delicious curry. These proberbly aren't pure authentic Indian recipes but that's not what the book is claiming, after all the series is called Indian food made easy.
I've bought several so called Indian cook books that failed to deliver but this is not one of them. I'm definately going to be hunting out other books by the same author

Don't know what that other person is talking about!, 29 Oct 2008
I have recently bought this book, as I have her other one and use it all the time, and I love it! This is a classic easy, simple Indian cooking book. She makes things easy and interesting by explaining where the traditional dishes come from and what they were made for in the first place.
I think this book is aimed to make Indian food more accesable to the English to make, rather than the curries etc that we are used to from takeaways. Her writing is fun and approachable and she goes through everything from starters, sauces, pudding, drinks.
I for one, will be buying other titles of hers and would urge people who like simple, easy Indian traditional cuisine without the fuss and expense of a takeawy to buy this book!

Great Cookbook for Light, Modern Indian Meals, 29 Oct 2008
I found Anjum's latest cookbook a refreshingly light, modern take on Indian cuisine, with a fantastic selection of indian light meals and snacks, such as the Spongy Lentil Cake or Goan Chorizo Sandwich, and adapted Anglo-Indian treats like Indian Shepherd's Pie and Spicy Keralan Mash. Unlike some Indian cookbooks, that can focus too much on just curry's, this book offers stews, sundal's and a plethora of fish, chicken, meat, vergetables, beans and lentils and rice suggestions. Her tips and information on the cooking in different regions of India complimented the contents well. I can't wait for her new TV series!

Hmm - aspires to be Nigella, sadly without the substance, 23 Oct 2008
As a great lover of Asian and in particular Indian food, I have been following the cookery book scene rather closely for years. Anand aspires to be the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, she fails to do so for me. Her recipes are either not Indian - and this has nothing to do with the fact that there is indeed a Noveau Indian cuisine out there - or have been presented by other authors years ago (i.e. Mehernosh Mody, Madhur Jaffrey, Mridula Baljekar). Disappointing really. This is the second book I bought from her and I don't think I will buy another one in the future.

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

simple yet tasty indian food, 01 Nov 2008
I've watched the TV series with interest so I thought I'd take the plunge and buy Anjums new book. There are a lot of new recipes I've not heard of before in here but the first one I tried was the good old vindaloo. I was a little skeptical because there didn't seem to be a lot of ingredients but as it turned out it made a delicious curry. These proberbly aren't pure authentic Indian recipes but that's not what the book is claiming, after all the series is called Indian food made easy.
I've bought several so called Indian cook books that failed to deliver but this is not one of them. I'm definately going to be hunting out other books by the same author

Don't know what that other person is talking about!, 29 Oct 2008
I have recently bought this book, as I have her other one and use it all the time, and I love it! This is a classic easy, simple Indian cooking book. She makes things easy and interesting by explaining where the traditional dishes come from and what they were made for in the first place.
I think this book is aimed to make Indian food more accesable to the English to make, rather than the curries etc that we are used to from takeaways. Her writing is fun and approachable and she goes through everything from starters, sauces, pudding, drinks.
I for one, will be buying other titles of hers and would urge people who like simple, easy Indian traditional cuisine without the fuss and expense of a takeawy to buy this book!

Great Cookbook for Light, Modern Indian Meals, 29 Oct 2008
I found Anjum's latest cookbook a refreshingly light, modern take on Indian cuisine, with a fantastic selection of indian light meals and snacks, such as the Spongy Lentil Cake or Goan Chorizo Sandwich, and adapted Anglo-Indian treats like Indian Shepherd's Pie and Spicy Keralan Mash. Unlike some Indian cookbooks, that can focus too much on just curry's, this book offers stews, sundal's and a plethora of fish, chicken, meat, vergetables, beans and lentils and rice suggestions. Her tips and information on the cooking in different regions of India complimented the contents well. I can't wait for her new TV series!

Hmm - aspires to be Nigella, sadly without the substance, 23 Oct 2008
As a great lover of Asian and in particular Indian food, I have been following the cookery book scene rather closely for years. Anand aspires to be the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, she fails to do so for me. Her recipes are either not Indian - and this has nothing to do with the fact that there is indeed a Noveau Indian cuisine out there - or have been presented by other authors years ago (i.e. Mehernosh Mody, Madhur Jaffrey, Mridula Baljekar). Disappointing really. This is the second book I bought from her and I don't think I will buy another one in the future.

A little gem of a recipe book, 21 Oct 2008
I wouldn't say this was the perfect recipe book, if you are looking for authentic indian cookery then maybe it's not for you, but if you are fed up of paying a fortune for a takeaway that has too much colouring and not enough meat this is fantastic. The curry base is a great standby as it can be frozen however it's such a popular meal in our house that when I do make it the base is quickly used. The recipe for pilau rice, if followed, is foolproof. I made a dinner party for 14 using this book and it was talked about for months afterwards. If you like indian food in restaurants and takeaways but are feeling the pinch this is a must. As a negative any recipe book that has a weak spine loses marks for me. My copy is covered in cellotape.

I have the secret, 17 Oct 2008
This is a great book. I have had it for the past two years now, and love the amazing results.

I make massive batchs of curry sauce and freeze them off into portions. so i can make pratically any curry in the book in no time at all.

I also add things to the currys to personalise them, for instance adding a bit off creamed cocnut to the chicken tikka masala. U cant taste the coconut as such, but is adds another dimension.

The one thing I would say about the book is the chicken Tikka recipe is not quite 'right'. If you add just 1/2 a teaspoon of 'Schwartz' garlic granuales it makes a massive difference, and massively transforms the taste. I hope this tip stops people from being disappointed.





The Curry Secret - Kris Dhillon, 01 Oct 2008
I bought this wonderful book some time ago as a friend recommended it.
It is a fabulous gem of a book and if you follow the recipes to the letter you will never be disappointed. I found the dishes to be very close to that of Indian restaurants. One tip I would pass on is to buy the garum masala mix from a proper indian food shop as the type sold in Tesco and the like are definitely not the same and ruin the taste of the curry.

I have since told all of my family and they have all bought the book and all think it a revelation.

Can't wait for 'The New Curry Secret' book to come out in Feb 2009!


Good starting point ..., 25 Sep 2008
A unique cook book and a good starting point in reproducing that Indian take-away flavour. If you love the 'British Indian Restaurant' (BIR) style (as opposed to authentic), better recipes for both the curry base and individual 'BIR' style curries are available for free from the Curry Recipes Online forum at cr0.co.uk

The Curry Cheat Secret, 18 Sep 2008
The Curry Secret: How to Cook Real Indian Restaurant Meals at Home

This book is awful, unless you want to cook using a microwave and add food colourings. Not what I was hoping for.

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

simple yet tasty indian food, 01 Nov 2008
I've watched the TV series with interest so I thought I'd take the plunge and buy Anjums new book. There are a lot of new recipes I've not heard of before in here but the first one I tried was the good old vindaloo. I was a little skeptical because there didn't seem to be a lot of ingredients but as it turned out it made a delicious curry. These proberbly aren't pure authentic Indian recipes but that's not what the book is claiming, after all the series is called Indian food made easy.
I've bought several so called Indian cook books that failed to deliver but this is not one of them. I'm definately going to be hunting out other books by the same author

Don't know what that other person is talking about!, 29 Oct 2008
I have recently bought this book, as I have her other one and use it all the time, and I love it! This is a classic easy, simple Indian cooking book. She makes things easy and interesting by explaining where the traditional dishes come from and what they were made for in the first place.
I think this book is aimed to make Indian food more accesable to the English to make, rather than the curries etc that we are used to from takeaways. Her writing is fun and approachable and she goes through everything from starters, sauces, pudding, drinks.
I for one, will be buying other titles of hers and would urge people who like simple, easy Indian traditional cuisine without the fuss and expense of a takeawy to buy this book!

Great Cookbook for Light, Modern Indian Meals, 29 Oct 2008
I found Anjum's latest cookbook a refreshingly light, modern take on Indian cuisine, with a fantastic selection of indian light meals and snacks, such as the Spongy Lentil Cake or Goan Chorizo Sandwich, and adapted Anglo-Indian treats like Indian Shepherd's Pie and Spicy Keralan Mash. Unlike some Indian cookbooks, that can focus too much on just curry's, this book offers stews, sundal's and a plethora of fish, chicken, meat, vergetables, beans and lentils and rice suggestions. Her tips and information on the cooking in different regions of India complimented the contents well. I can't wait for her new TV series!

Hmm - aspires to be Nigella, sadly without the substance, 23 Oct 2008
As a great lover of Asian and in particular Indian food, I have been following the cookery book scene rather closely for years. Anand aspires to be the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, she fails to do so for me. Her recipes are either not Indian - and this has nothing to do with the fact that there is indeed a Noveau Indian cuisine out there - or have been presented by other authors years ago (i.e. Mehernosh Mody, Madhur Jaffrey, Mridula Baljekar). Disappointing really. This is the second book I bought from her and I don't think I will buy another one in the future.

A little gem of a recipe book, 21 Oct 2008
I wouldn't say this was the perfect recipe book, if you are looking for authentic indian cookery then maybe it's not for you, but if you are fed up of paying a fortune for a takeaway that has too much colouring and not enough meat this is fantastic. The curry base is a great standby as it can be frozen however it's such a popular meal in our house that when I do make it the base is quickly used. The recipe for pilau rice, if followed, is foolproof. I made a dinner party for 14 using this book and it was talked about for months afterwards. If you like indian food in restaurants and takeaways but are feeling the pinch this is a must. As a negative any recipe book that has a weak spine loses marks for me. My copy is covered in cellotape.

I have the secret, 17 Oct 2008
This is a great book. I have had it for the past two years now, and love the amazing results.

I make massive batchs of curry sauce and freeze them off into portions. so i can make pratically any curry in the book in no time at all.

I also add things to the currys to personalise them, for instance adding a bit off creamed cocnut to the chicken tikka masala. U cant taste the coconut as such, but is adds another dimension.

The one thing I would say about the book is the chicken Tikka recipe is not quite 'right'. If you add just 1/2 a teaspoon of 'Schwartz' garlic granuales it makes a massive difference, and massively transforms the taste. I hope this tip stops people from being disappointed.





The Curry Secret - Kris Dhillon, 01 Oct 2008
I bought this wonderful book some time ago as a friend recommended it.
It is a fabulous gem of a book and if you follow the recipes to the letter you will never be disappointed. I found the dishes to be very close to that of Indian restaurants. One tip I would pass on is to buy the garum masala mix from a proper indian food shop as the type sold in Tesco and the like are definitely not the same and ruin the taste of the curry.

I have since told all of my family and they have all bought the book and all think it a revelation.

Can't wait for 'The New Curry Secret' book to come out in Feb 2009!


Good starting point ..., 25 Sep 2008
A unique cook book and a good starting point in reproducing that Indian take-away flavour. If you love the 'British Indian Restaurant' (BIR) style (as opposed to authentic), better recipes for both the curry base and individual 'BIR' style curries are available for free from the Curry Recipes Online forum at cr0.co.uk

The Curry Cheat Secret, 18 Sep 2008
The Curry Secret: How to Cook Real Indian Restaurant Meals at Home

This book is awful, unless you want to cook using a microwave and add food colourings. Not what I was hoping for.

Simply the best!, 02 Dec 2008
These recipes are sensational. No need to think: just do EXACTLY as he says and you'll be guaranteed delicious food every time. This very quickly became my most frequently used and favourite recipe book.

Simple Indian - the right title, 29 Jun 2008
After years of struggling for hours, stirring and stewing leaden dishes with heavy spices, it has been the most enormous relief to find this wonderful book. We ate at Benares and I bought the book as soon as I knew it existed. Since then I have cooked most of the recipes in it. They are short, clear and uncomplicated. I usually have most of the ingredients in the house or in the immediate vicinity of where I live, which makes the recipes ideal. I have fed happy vegetarians and vegans as well as the usual carnivores. I particularly like the ease with which you can produce five or six different dishes so that people can help themselves to an array of flavours, and all without it being hard labour. This is among my top three recipe books now and I recommend it with enthusiasm. I do halve the quantity of chilli in the recipes when I am cooking for people I know less well, but generally, if you are unfamiliar with Indian cooking, this is a fabulous place to start.

same as?, 21 May 2008
recently bought 'Simple Indian' Atul Kochar only to find that it is exactly the same as 'indian Essence' also by Atul kochar. the recipes are excellent but the same book just with a different cover?
Quadrille publishing not doing Atul any favours.

Excellent, authentic, simple, 13 Dec 2007
I love this book. I've tried almost all of the recipes and, they've all been really easy to follow, and delicious, and some have even tasted like the food my mum makes.

Every time I cook these recipes for friends/family, everyone always says how tastey they are...and thats pretty good going as most of them are also Indian! Highly recommended.

This is not a new book!, 16 Oct 2007
Simple Indian was previously published as Indian Essence, by the same publishers, but this is not mentioned in the information at all - unless you notice that the synopsis is on Indian Essence and the publishers review is on Simple Indian.

Don't let this put you off the book - the recipes are excellent, well laid out and varied in their origin - just don't buy it if you already have Indian Essence!

Ian

A revised and updated edition of Madhur Jaffrey's classic Indian cookery book. As well as recipes, she includes comprehensive background information on spices and seasonings, equipment, authentic preparation techniques and suggested menus.

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

simple yet tasty indian food, 01 Nov 2008
I've watched the TV series with interest so I thought I'd take the plunge and buy Anjums new book. There are a lot of new recipes I've not heard of before in here but the first one I tried was the good old vindaloo. I was a little skeptical because there didn't seem to be a lot of ingredients but as it turned out it made a delicious curry. These proberbly aren't pure authentic Indian recipes but that's not what the book is claiming, after all the series is called Indian food made easy.
I've bought several so called Indian cook books that failed to deliver but this is not one of them. I'm definately going to be hunting out other books by the same author

Don't know what that other person is talking about!, 29 Oct 2008
I have recently bought this book, as I have her other one and use it all the time, and I love it! This is a classic easy, simple Indian cooking book. She makes things easy and interesting by explaining where the traditional dishes come from and what they were made for in the first place.
I think this book is aimed to make Indian food more accesable to the English to make, rather than the curries etc that we are used to from takeaways. Her writing is fun and approachable and she goes through everything from starters, sauces, pudding, drinks.
I for one, will be buying other titles of hers and would urge people who like simple, easy Indian traditional cuisine without the fuss and expense of a takeawy to buy this book!

Great Cookbook for Light, Modern Indian Meals, 29 Oct 2008
I found Anjum's latest cookbook a refreshingly light, modern take on Indian cuisine, with a fantastic selection of indian light meals and snacks, such as the Spongy Lentil Cake or Goan Chorizo Sandwich, and adapted Anglo-Indian treats like Indian Shepherd's Pie and Spicy Keralan Mash. Unlike some Indian cookbooks, that can focus too much on just curry's, this book offers stews, sundal's and a plethora of fish, chicken, meat, vergetables, beans and lentils and rice suggestions. Her tips and information on the cooking in different regions of India complimented the contents well. I can't wait for her new TV series!

Hmm - aspires to be Nigella, sadly without the substance, 23 Oct 2008
As a great lover of Asian and in particular Indian food, I have been following the cookery book scene rather closely for years. Anand aspires to be the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, she fails to do so for me. Her recipes are either not Indian - and this has nothing to do with the fact that there is indeed a Noveau Indian cuisine out there - or have been presented by other authors years ago (i.e. Mehernosh Mody, Madhur Jaffrey, Mridula Baljekar). Disappointing really. This is the second book I bought from her and I don't think I will buy another one in the future.

A little gem of a recipe book, 21 Oct 2008
I wouldn't say this was the perfect recipe book, if you are looking for authentic indian cookery then maybe it's not for you, but if you are fed up of paying a fortune for a takeaway that has too much colouring and not enough meat this is fantastic. The curry base is a great standby as it can be frozen however it's such a popular meal in our house that when I do make it the base is quickly used. The recipe for pilau rice, if followed, is foolproof. I made a dinner party for 14 using this book and it was talked about for months afterwards. If you like indian food in restaurants and takeaways but are feeling the pinch this is a must. As a negative any recipe book that has a weak spine loses marks for me. My copy is covered in cellotape.

I have the secret, 17 Oct 2008
This is a great book. I have had it for the past two years now, and love the amazing results.

I make massive batchs of curry sauce and freeze them off into portions. so i can make pratically any curry in the book in no time at all.

I also add things to the currys to personalise them, for instance adding a bit off creamed cocnut to the chicken tikka masala. U cant taste the coconut as such, but is adds another dimension.

The one thing I would say about the book is the chicken Tikka recipe is not quite 'right'. If you add just 1/2 a teaspoon of 'Schwartz' garlic granuales it makes a massive difference, and massively transforms the taste. I hope this tip stops people from being disappointed.





The Curry Secret - Kris Dhillon, 01 Oct 2008
I bought this wonderful book some time ago as a friend recommended it.
It is a fabulous gem of a book and if you follow the recipes to the letter you will never be disappointed. I found the dishes to be very close to that of Indian restaurants. One tip I would pass on is to buy the garum masala mix from a proper indian food shop as the type sold in Tesco and the like are definitely not the same and ruin the taste of the curry.

I have since told all of my family and they have all bought the book and all think it a revelation.

Can't wait for 'The New Curry Secret' book to come out in Feb 2009!


Good starting point ..., 25 Sep 2008
A unique cook book and a good starting point in reproducing that Indian take-away flavour. If you love the 'British Indian Restaurant' (BIR) style (as opposed to authentic), better recipes for both the curry base and individual 'BIR' style curries are available for free from the Curry Recipes Online forum at cr0.co.uk

The Curry Cheat Secret, 18 Sep 2008
The Curry Secret: How to Cook Real Indian Restaurant Meals at Home

This book is awful, unless you want to cook using a microwave and add food colourings. Not what I was hoping for.

Simply the best!, 02 Dec 2008
These recipes are sensational. No need to think: just do EXACTLY as he says and you'll be guaranteed delicious food every time. This very quickly became my most frequently used and favourite recipe book.

Simple Indian - the right title, 29 Jun 2008
After years of struggling for hours, stirring and stewing leaden dishes with heavy spices, it has been the most enormous relief to find this wonderful book. We ate at Benares and I bought the book as soon as I knew it existed. Since then I have cooked most of the recipes in it. They are short, clear and uncomplicated. I usually have most of the ingredients in the house or in the immediate vicinity of where I live, which makes the recipes ideal. I have fed happy vegetarians and vegans as well as the usual carnivores. I particularly like the ease with which you can produce five or six different dishes so that people can help themselves to an array of flavours, and all without it being hard labour. This is among my top three recipe books now and I recommend it with enthusiasm. I do halve the quantity of chilli in the recipes when I am cooking for people I know less well, but generally, if you are unfamiliar with Indian cooking, this is a fabulous place to start.

same as?, 21 May 2008
recently bought 'Simple Indian' Atul Kochar only to find that it is exactly the same as 'indian Essence' also by Atul kochar. the recipes are excellent but the same book just with a different cover?
Quadrille publishing not doing Atul any favours.

Excellent, authentic, simple, 13 Dec 2007
I love this book. I've tried almost all of the recipes and, they've all been really easy to follow, and delicious, and some have even tasted like the food my mum makes.

Every time I cook these recipes for friends/family, everyone always says how tastey they are...and thats pretty good going as most of them are also Indian! Highly recommended.

This is not a new book!, 16 Oct 2007
Simple Indian was previously published as Indian Essence, by the same publishers, but this is not mentioned in the information at all - unless you notice that the synopsis is on Indian Essence and the publishers review is on Simple Indian.

Don't let this put you off the book - the recipes are excellent, well laid out and varied in their origin - just don't buy it if you already have Indian Essence!

Ian


Best Indian Cookery Book, 24 Nov 2008
Like the other reviewers, our copy of this book looks disgusting - all the page corners are bent over, many pages are besplattered with turmeric and other remnants of dishes made, and its grown to about double its original thickness.

It's superb and 95% of the dishes have been wonderful. We repeat them time and again. It uses a certain set of easy-to-get spices and, once you have them all, you can just about make anything in the book. You need a bit of time for preparation but the results are great. Our favourites are too many to mention but special places in our hearts and stomachs are: lamb rogan josh, chicken with tomatoes, royal beef, chickpeas, black-eyed beans, and potatoes with sesame seeds.

One word of warning: Madhur tends to be a bit heavy on the use of salt - would recommend halving the amounts she uses.

Indian home cooking, 01 Feb 2007
My copy of this little book is now almost illegible in places due to heavy use in the kitchen. Over time I have tried most of the dishes, and I keep returning to our many favourites. I have several Indian friends who tell me that the recipes are very authentic versions of their family home-cooked meals. Try these recipes and you'll never want to cook with pre-made sauces, or eat takeaway curries ever again. An absolute masterpiece which I'll probably have to buy another copy of to replace my be-smeared one.

A great masterpiece!, 06 Nov 2005
After eating mom´s delicious indian delicacies for years, it was a bit of a challenge to take on cooking. For about 3 years I struggled with my dishes - overcooked them, or had too much of some spices, or ended up with all dishes tasting the same.
So when I finally decided to learn a little from some books, I was looking for a book with a good mix of authentic dishes.

And what a great book to have bought. If nothing else, this book has taught me how to cook decent chicken and chick peas. Dishes have ingredients found in normal shops, dont take 10 hrs to cook and really do taste well.

This book is definitely a great buy!

very authentic, 23 Jan 2005
I bought this book after being recommended it by a friend and I have to say as a second generation Indian girl, the recipes are very authentic. Some of them are exactly the same as the recipes, that have been passed on through the generations of my mother's family.

The only bad thing I would say, is in the quatities of ingredients given. For example, instead of saying 4 onions she says to use 50g of onion! Other than that, the recipes are thorough and produce some tasty dishes.

This is definately a 'must', if you're Indian, living away from home and want to recreate the dishes that your mother makes!

gorgeous Indian food from an expert, 20 Sep 2003
I love cooking Indian food and have quite a few of Madhur's books, but this is by far my fave one. The spice descriptions and techniques at the start of the book would be useful for beginners, while I like to try out the menu suggestions. I find all the recipes I've tried to be very accurate and always a big hit with my family. The best so far has been cod steaks in a spicy tomato sauce, where we found the fish to be totally succulent. This is served with rice and scrummy spicy cucumber wedges. I also found it hard to resist trying out the tempting lamb dishes. The up-to-date design and pretty photos in this book make it a lovely gift. It's certainly one book that I will turn to over and over again.

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

simple yet tasty indian food, 01 Nov 2008
I've watched the TV series with interest so I thought I'd take the plunge and buy Anjums new book. There are a lot of new recipes I've not heard of before in here but the first one I tried was the good old vindaloo. I was a little skeptical because there didn't seem to be a lot of ingredients but as it turned out it made a delicious curry. These proberbly aren't pure authentic Indian recipes but that's not what the book is claiming, after all the series is called Indian food made easy.
I've bought several so called Indian cook books that failed to deliver but this is not one of them. I'm definately going to be hunting out other books by the same author

Don't know what that other person is talking about!, 29 Oct 2008
I have recently bought this book, as I have her other one and use it all the time, and I love it! This is a classic easy, simple Indian cooking book. She makes things easy and interesting by explaining where the traditional dishes come from and what they were made for in the first place.
I think this book is aimed to make Indian food more accesable to the English to make, rather than the curries etc that we are used to from takeaways. Her writing is fun and approachable and she goes through everything from starters, sauces, pudding, drinks.
I for one, will be buying other titles of hers and would urge people who like simple, easy Indian traditional cuisine without the fuss and expense of a takeawy to buy this book!

Great Cookbook for Light, Modern Indian Meals, 29 Oct 2008
I found Anjum's latest cookbook a refreshingly light, modern take on Indian cuisine, with a fantastic selection of indian light meals and snacks, such as the Spongy Lentil Cake or Goan Chorizo Sandwich, and adapted Anglo-Indian treats like Indian Shepherd's Pie and Spicy Keralan Mash. Unlike some Indian cookbooks, that can focus too much on just curry's, this book offers stews, sundal's and a plethora of fish, chicken, meat, vergetables, beans and lentils and rice suggestions. Her tips and information on the cooking in different regions of India complimented the contents well. I can't wait for her new TV series!

Hmm - aspires to be Nigella, sadly without the substance, 23 Oct 2008
As a great lover of Asian and in particular Indian food, I have been following the cookery book scene rather closely for years. Anand aspires to be the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, she fails to do so for me. Her recipes are either not Indian - and this has nothing to do with the fact that there is indeed a Noveau Indian cuisine out there - or have been presented by other authors years ago (i.e. Mehernosh Mody, Madhur Jaffrey, Mridula Baljekar). Disappointing really. This is the second book I bought from her and I don't think I will buy another one in the future.

A little gem of a recipe book, 21 Oct 2008
I wouldn't say this was the perfect recipe book, if you are looking for authentic indian cookery then maybe it's not for you, but if you are fed up of paying a fortune for a takeaway that has too much colouring and not enough meat this is fantastic. The curry base is a great standby as it can be frozen however it's such a popular meal in our house that when I do make it the base is quickly used. The recipe for pilau rice, if followed, is foolproof. I made a dinner party for 14 using this book and it was talked about for months afterwards. If you like indian food in restaurants and takeaways but are feeling the pinch this is a must. As a negative any recipe book that has a weak spine loses marks for me. My copy is covered in cellotape.

I have the secret, 17 Oct 2008
This is a great book. I have had it for the past two years now, and love the amazing results.

I make massive batchs of curry sauce and freeze them off into portions. so i can make pratically any curry in the book in no time at all.

I also add things to the currys to personalise them, for instance adding a bit off creamed cocnut to the chicken tikka masala. U cant taste the coconut as such, but is adds another dimension.

The one thing I would say about the book is the chicken Tikka recipe is not quite 'right'. If you add just 1/2 a teaspoon of 'Schwartz' garlic granuales it makes a massive difference, and massively transforms the taste. I hope this tip stops people from being disappointed.





The Curry Secret - Kris Dhillon, 01 Oct 2008
I bought this wonderful book some time ago as a friend recommended it.
It is a fabulous gem of a book and if you follow the recipes to the letter you will never be disappointed. I found the dishes to be very close to that of Indian restaurants. One tip I would pass on is to buy the garum masala mix from a proper indian food shop as the type sold in Tesco and the like are definitely not the same and ruin the taste of the curry.

I have since told all of my family and they have all bought the book and all think it a revelation.

Can't wait for 'The New Curry Secret' book to come out in Feb 2009!


Good starting point ..., 25 Sep 2008
A unique cook book and a good starting point in reproducing that Indian take-away flavour. If you love the 'British Indian Restaurant' (BIR) style (as opposed to authentic), better recipes for both the curry base and individual 'BIR' style curries are available for free from the Curry Recipes Online forum at cr0.co.uk

The Curry Cheat Secret, 18 Sep 2008
The Curry Secret: How to Cook Real Indian Restaurant Meals at Home

This book is awful, unless you want to cook using a microwave and add food colourings. Not what I was hoping for.

Simply the best!, 02 Dec 2008
These recipes are sensational. No need to think: just do EXACTLY as he says and you'll be guaranteed delicious food every time. This very quickly became my most frequently used and favourite recipe book.

Simple Indian - the right title, 29 Jun 2008
After years of struggling for hours, stirring and stewing leaden dishes with heavy spices, it has been the most enormous relief to find this wonderful book. We ate at Benares and I bought the book as soon as I knew it existed. Since then I have cooked most of the recipes in it. They are short, clear and uncomplicated. I usually have most of the ingredients in the house or in the immediate vicinity of where I live, which makes the recipes ideal. I have fed happy vegetarians and vegans as well as the usual carnivores. I particularly like the ease with which you can produce five or six different dishes so that people can help themselves to an array of flavours, and all without it being hard labour. This is among my top three recipe books now and I recommend it with enthusiasm. I do halve the quantity of chilli in the recipes when I am cooking for people I know less well, but generally, if you are unfamiliar with Indian cooking, this is a fabulous place to start.

same as?, 21 May 2008
recently bought 'Simple Indian' Atul Kochar only to find that it is exactly the same as 'indian Essence' also by Atul kochar. the recipes are excellent but the same book just with a different cover?
Quadrille publishing not doing Atul any favours.

Excellent, authentic, simple, 13 Dec 2007
I love this book. I've tried almost all of the recipes and, they've all been really easy to follow, and delicious, and some have even tasted like the food my mum makes.

Every time I cook these recipes for friends/family, everyone always says how tastey they are...and thats pretty good going as most of them are also Indian! Highly recommended.

This is not a new book!, 16 Oct 2007
Simple Indian was previously published as Indian Essence, by the same publishers, but this is not mentioned in the information at all - unless you notice that the synopsis is on Indian Essence and the publishers review is on Simple Indian.

Don't let this put you off the book - the recipes are excellent, well laid out and varied in their origin - just don't buy it if you already have Indian Essence!

Ian


Best Indian Cookery Book, 24 Nov 2008
Like the other reviewers, our copy of this book looks disgusting - all the page corners are bent over, many pages are besplattered with turmeric and other remnants of dishes made, and its grown to about double its original thickness.

It's superb and 95% of the dishes have been wonderful. We repeat them time and again. It uses a certain set of easy-to-get spices and, once you have them all, you can just about make anything in the book. You need a bit of time for preparation but the results are great. Our favourites are too many to mention but special places in our hearts and stomachs are: lamb rogan josh, chicken with tomatoes, royal beef, chickpeas, black-eyed beans, and potatoes with sesame seeds.

One word of warning: Madhur tends to be a bit heavy on the use of salt - would recommend halving the amounts she uses.

Indian home cooking, 01 Feb 2007
My copy of this little book is now almost illegible in places due to heavy use in the kitchen. Over time I have tried most of the dishes, and I keep returning to our many favourites. I have several Indian friends who tell me that the recipes are very authentic versions of their family home-cooked meals. Try these recipes and you'll never want to cook with pre-made sauces, or eat takeaway curries ever again. An absolute masterpiece which I'll probably have to buy another copy of to replace my be-smeared one.

A great masterpiece!, 06 Nov 2005
After eating mom´s delicious indian delicacies for years, it was a bit of a challenge to take on cooking. For about 3 years I struggled with my dishes - overcooked them, or had too much of some spices, or ended up with all dishes tasting the same.
So when I finally decided to learn a little from some books, I was looking for a book with a good mix of authentic dishes.

And what a great book to have bought. If nothing else, this book has taught me how to cook decent chicken and chick peas. Dishes have ingredients found in normal shops, dont take 10 hrs to cook and really do taste well.

This book is definitely a great buy!

very authentic, 23 Jan 2005
I bought this book after being recommended it by a friend and I have to say as a second generation Indian girl, the recipes are very authentic. Some of them are exactly the same as the recipes, that have been passed on through the generations of my mother's family.

The only bad thing I would say, is in the quatities of ingredients given. For example, instead of saying 4 onions she says to use 50g of onion! Other than that, the recipes are thorough and produce some tasty dishes.

This is definately a 'must', if you're Indian, living away from home and want to recreate the dishes that your mother makes!

gorgeous Indian food from an expert, 20 Sep 2003
I love cooking Indian food and have quite a few of Madhur's books, but this is by far my fave one. The spice descriptions and techniques at the start of the book would be useful for beginners, while I like to try out the menu suggestions. I find all the recipes I've tried to be very accurate and always a big hit with my family. The best so far has been cod steaks in a spicy tomato sauce, where we found the fish to be totally succulent. This is served with rice and scrummy spicy cucumber wedges. I also found it hard to resist trying out the tempting lamb dishes. The up-to-date design and pretty photos in this book make it a lovely gift. It's certainly one book that I will turn to over and over again.

Amazing!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I love Indian food and thought it was about time that I bought a decent book and learned how to it myself.

I've never heard of Camellia Janjabi, but the glowing reviews from Pat Chapman and Nidel Slater convinced me to buy it.

I've only tried the basic home curry (the first recipe in the book) and amazed myself - it was delicious!!

Can't wait to try all the other ones.

Too much background, recipes are flops, 05 Jul 2008
I have cooked three recipes so far from this book and will probably not cook any more. The book is excellent in terms of describing how to use spices but the recipes themselves are incomplete and sometimes a little confusing. On a few occasions I have looked at recipes where the amounts of spice used and techniques for preparation were...well, just weird...

The book is very well illustrated and while the recipes may be quite advanced, it falls short in giving enough supporting information. Maybe if I stuck at this I could crack Cammelia's recipes. But can I be bothered? No. I compared her Chicken Makhani to the recipe on the BBC website (I think by Jo Pratt) and the latter was ten times better and a lot easier to cook too. It was also free. Enough said.

The best book on Indian cooking I have read, but..., 28 Mar 2008
I have read several books on Indian cooking through the years, but this is the one I keep coming back to. It gives good background information and explains the process of making good Indian food. Yet, if you follow the recipes slavishly, you may still be disappointed, because the quantities depend on the quality of the ingredients you use as well as your personal taste. Chili is just one example. It comes in so many varieties with different pungency, that you just have to experiment to find out how much you want to add. The book is still a great introduction to Indian cooking.

Great Book, 31 Jan 2008
This is a brilliant book, and from the onset let it be known that this is not to produce restaurant curry as is known in britain. This is regional authentic indian cooking. My curry making skills have come on in leaps and bounds recently and if you are not getting anything good out of the recipes I am afraid more practise is needed. You need to use fresh spices, preferable freshly roasted and ground yourself, and not out of the small commercial supermarket glass jar variety. Fresh spices and fresh ingredients which are properly cooked in the oil and flavours to bring the flavours out. Dont expect to see any Indian dish overloaded with 2 dozen different spices. A couple is all thats needed when you know how to bring the flavour of them out into the dish you are cooking.

The best of its kind in my opinion, 19 Aug 2007
I love the book and use it almost exclusively when making indian food. The recipes are easy to follow. Ok, the list of ingrediants can sometimes seem daunting but it is well worth the effort. The '50 curries' title undersells this a bit. A great deal of information is given about the philosphy of indian food, and indian ingrediants. The book provides recipes for breads, rice and side dishes. A book for lovers of indian food.

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

simple yet tasty indian food, 01 Nov 2008
I've watched the TV series with interest so I thought I'd take the plunge and buy Anjums new book. There are a lot of new recipes I've not heard of before in here but the first one I tried was the good old vindaloo. I was a little skeptical because there didn't seem to be a lot of ingredients but as it turned out it made a delicious curry. These proberbly aren't pure authentic Indian recipes but that's not what the book is claiming, after all the series is called Indian food made easy.
I've bought several so called Indian cook books that failed to deliver but this is not one of them. I'm definately going to be hunting out other books by the same author

Don't know what that other person is talking about!, 29 Oct 2008
I have recently bought this book, as I have her other one and use it all the time, and I love it! This is a classic easy, simple Indian cooking book. She makes things easy and interesting by explaining where the traditional dishes come from and what they were made for in the first place.
I think this book is aimed to make Indian food more accesable to the English to make, rather than the curries etc that we are used to from takeaways. Her writing is fun and approachable and she goes through everything from starters, sauces, pudding, drinks.
I for one, will be buying other titles of hers and would urge people who like simple, easy Indian traditional cuisine without the fuss and expense of a takeawy to buy this book!

Great Cookbook for Light, Modern Indian Meals, 29 Oct 2008
I found Anjum's latest cookbook a refreshingly light, modern take on Indian cuisine, with a fantastic selection of indian light meals and snacks, such as the Spongy Lentil Cake or Goan Chorizo Sandwich, and adapted Anglo-Indian treats like Indian Shepherd's Pie and Spicy Keralan Mash. Unlike some Indian cookbooks, that can focus too much on just curry's, this book offers stews, sundal's and a plethora of fish, chicken, meat, vergetables, beans and lentils and rice suggestions. Her tips and information on the cooking in different regions of India complimented the contents well. I can't wait for her new TV series!

Hmm - aspires to be Nigella, sadly without the substance, 23 Oct 2008
As a great lover of Asian and in particular Indian food, I have been following the cookery book scene rather closely for years. Anand aspires to be the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, she fails to do so for me. Her recipes are either not Indian - and this has nothing to do with the fact that there is indeed a Noveau Indian cuisine out there - or have been presented by other authors years ago (i.e. Mehernosh Mody, Madhur Jaffrey, Mridula Baljekar). Disappointing really. This is the second book I bought from her and I don't think I will buy another one in the future.

A little gem of a recipe book, 21 Oct 2008
I wouldn't say this was the perfect recipe book, if you are looking for authentic indian cookery then maybe it's not for you, but if you are fed up of paying a fortune for a takeaway that has too much colouring and not enough meat this is fantastic. The curry base is a great standby as it can be frozen however it's such a popular meal in our house that when I do make it the base is quickly used. The recipe for pilau rice, if followed, is foolproof. I made a dinner party for 14 using this book and it was talked about for months afterwards. If you like indian food in restaurants and takeaways but are feeling the pinch this is a must. As a negative any recipe book that has a weak spine loses marks for me. My copy is covered in cellotape.

I have the secret, 17 Oct 2008
This is a great book. I have had it for the past two years now, and love the amazing results.

I make massive batchs of curry sauce and freeze them off into portions. so i can make pratically any curry in the book in no time at all.

I also add things to the currys to personalise them, for instance adding a bit off creamed cocnut to the chicken tikka masala. U cant taste the coconut as such, but is adds another dimension.

The one thing I would say about the book is the chicken Tikka recipe is not quite 'right'. If you add just 1/2 a teaspoon of 'Schwartz' garlic granuales it makes a massive difference, and massively transforms the taste. I hope this tip stops people from being disappointed.





The Curry Secret - Kris Dhillon, 01 Oct 2008
I bought this wonderful book some time ago as a friend recommended it.
It is a fabulous gem of a book and if you follow the recipes to the letter you will never be disappointed. I found the dishes to be very close to that of Indian restaurants. One tip I would pass on is to buy the garum masala mix from a proper indian food shop as the type sold in Tesco and the like are definitely not the same and ruin the taste of the curry.

I have since told all of my family and they have all bought the book and all think it a revelation.

Can't wait for 'The New Curry Secret' book to come out in Feb 2009!


Good starting point ..., 25 Sep 2008
A unique cook book and a good starting point in reproducing that Indian take-away flavour. If you love the 'British Indian Restaurant' (BIR) style (as opposed to authentic), better recipes for both the curry base and individual 'BIR' style curries are available for free from the Curry Recipes Online forum at cr0.co.uk

The Curry Cheat Secret, 18 Sep 2008
The Curry Secret: How to Cook Real Indian Restaurant Meals at Home

This book is awful, unless you want to cook using a microwave and add food colourings. Not what I was hoping for.

Simply the best!, 02 Dec 2008
These recipes are sensational. No need to think: just do EXACTLY as he says and you'll be guaranteed delicious food every time. This very quickly became my most frequently used and favourite recipe book.

Simple Indian - the right title, 29 Jun 2008
After years of struggling for hours, stirring and stewing leaden dishes with heavy spices, it has been the most enormous relief to find this wonderful book. We ate at Benares and I bought the book as soon as I knew it existed. Since then I have cooked most of the recipes in it. They are short, clear and uncomplicated. I usually have most of the ingredients in the house or in the immediate vicinity of where I live, which makes the recipes ideal. I have fed happy vegetarians and vegans as well as the usual carnivores. I particularly like the ease with which you can produce five or six different dishes so that people can help themselves to an array of flavours, and all without it being hard labour. This is among my top three recipe books now and I recommend it with enthusiasm. I do halve the quantity of chilli in the recipes when I am cooking for people I know less well, but generally, if you are unfamiliar with Indian cooking, this is a fabulous place to start.

same as?, 21 May 2008
recently bought 'Simple Indian' Atul Kochar only to find that it is exactly the same as 'indian Essence' also by Atul kochar. the recipes are excellent but the same book just with a different cover?
Quadrille publishing not doing Atul any favours.

Excellent, authentic, simple, 13 Dec 2007
I love this book. I've tried almost all of the recipes and, they've all been really easy to follow, and delicious, and some have even tasted like the food my mum makes.

Every time I cook these recipes for friends/family, everyone always says how tastey they are...and thats pretty good going as most of them are also Indian! Highly recommended.

This is not a new book!, 16 Oct 2007
Simple Indian was previously published as Indian Essence, by the same publishers, but this is not mentioned in the information at all - unless you notice that the synopsis is on Indian Essence and the publishers review is on Simple Indian.

Don't let this put you off the book - the recipes are excellent, well laid out and varied in their origin - just don't buy it if you already have Indian Essence!

Ian


Best Indian Cookery Book, 24 Nov 2008
Like the other reviewers, our copy of this book looks disgusting - all the page corners are bent over, many pages are besplattered with turmeric and other remnants of dishes made, and its grown to about double its original thickness.

It's superb and 95% of the dishes have been wonderful. We repeat them time and again. It uses a certain set of easy-to-get spices and, once you have them all, you can just about make anything in the book. You need a bit of time for preparation but the results are great. Our favourites are too many to mention but special places in our hearts and stomachs are: lamb rogan josh, chicken with tomatoes, royal beef, chickpeas, black-eyed beans, and potatoes with sesame seeds.

One word of warning: Madhur tends to be a bit heavy on the use of salt - would recommend halving the amounts she uses.

Indian home cooking, 01 Feb 2007
My copy of this little book is now almost illegible in places due to heavy use in the kitchen. Over time I have tried most of the dishes, and I keep returning to our many favourites. I have several Indian friends who tell me that the recipes are very authentic versions of their family home-cooked meals. Try these recipes and you'll never want to cook with pre-made sauces, or eat takeaway curries ever again. An absolute masterpiece which I'll probably have to buy another copy of to replace my be-smeared one.

A great masterpiece!, 06 Nov 2005
After eating mom´s delicious indian delicacies for years, it was a bit of a challenge to take on cooking. For about 3 years I struggled with my dishes - overcooked them, or had too much of some spices, or ended up with all dishes tasting the same.
So when I finally decided to learn a little from some books, I was looking for a book with a good mix of authentic dishes.

And what a great book to have bought. If nothing else, this book has taught me how to cook decent chicken and chick peas. Dishes have ingredients found in normal shops, dont take 10 hrs to cook and really do taste well.

This book is definitely a great buy!

very authentic, 23 Jan 2005
I bought this book after being recommended it by a friend and I have to say as a second generation Indian girl, the recipes are very authentic. Some of them are exactly the same as the recipes, that have been passed on through the generations of my mother's family.

The only bad thing I would say, is in the quatities of ingredients given. For example, instead of saying 4 onions she says to use 50g of onion! Other than that, the recipes are thorough and produce some tasty dishes.

This is definately a 'must', if you're Indian, living away from home and want to recreate the dishes that your mother makes!

gorgeous Indian food from an expert, 20 Sep 2003
I love cooking Indian food and have quite a few of Madhur's books, but this is by far my fave one. The spice descriptions and techniques at the start of the book would be useful for beginners, while I like to try out the menu suggestions. I find all the recipes I've tried to be very accurate and always a big hit with my family. The best so far has been cod steaks in a spicy tomato sauce, where we found the fish to be totally succulent. This is served with rice and scrummy spicy cucumber wedges. I also found it hard to resist trying out the tempting lamb dishes. The up-to-date design and pretty photos in this book make it a lovely gift. It's certainly one book that I will turn to over and over again.

Amazing!!!, 15 Nov 2008
I love Indian food and thought it was about time that I bought a decent book and learned how to it myself.

I've never heard of Camellia Janjabi, but the glowing reviews from Pat Chapman and Nidel Slater convinced me to buy it.

I've only tried the basic home curry (the first recipe in the book) and amazed myself - it was delicious!!

Can't wait to try all the other ones.

Too much background, recipes are flops, 05 Jul 2008
I have cooked three recipes so far from this book and will probably not cook any more. The book is excellent in terms of describing how to use spices but the recipes themselves are incomplete and sometimes a little confusing. On a few occasions I have looked at recipes where the amounts of spice used and techniques for preparation were...well, just weird...

The book is very well illustrated and while the recipes may be quite advanced, it falls short in giving enough supporting information. Maybe if I stuck at this I could crack Cammelia's recipes. But can I be bothered? No. I compared her Chicken Makhani to the recipe on the BBC website (I think by Jo Pratt) and the latter was ten times better and a lot easier to cook too. It was also free. Enough said.

The best book on Indian cooking I have read, but..., 28 Mar 2008
I have read several books on Indian cooking through the years, but this is the one I keep coming back to. It gives good background information and explains the process of making good Indian food. Yet, if you follow the recipes slavishly, you may still be disappointed, because the quantities depend on the quality of the ingredients you use as well as your personal taste. Chili is just one example. It comes in so many varieties with different pungency, that you just have to experiment to find out how much you want to add. The book is still a great introduction to Indian cooking.

Great Book, 31 Jan 2008
This is a brilliant book, and from the onset let it be known that this is not to produce restaurant curry as is known in britain. This is regional authentic indian cooking. My curry making skills have come on in leaps and bounds recently and if you are not getting anything good out of the recipes I am afraid more practise is needed. You need to use fresh spices, preferable freshly roasted and ground yourself, and not out of the small commercial supermarket glass jar variety. Fresh spices and fresh ingredients which are properly cooked in the oil and flavours to bring the flavours out. Dont expect to see any Indian dish overloaded with 2 dozen different spices. A couple is all thats needed when you know how to bring the flavour of them out into the dish you are cooking.

The best of its kind in my opinion, 19 Aug 2007
I love the book and use it almost exclusively when making indian food. The recipes are easy to follow. Ok, the list of ingrediants can sometimes seem daunting but it is well worth the effort. The '50 curries' title undersells this a bit. A great deal of information is given about the philosphy of indian food, and indian ingrediants. The book provides recipes for breads, rice and side dishes. A book for lovers of indian food.

every day?, 16 Jun 2008
I wanted a curry cookbook where the recipes would be quick and simple to prepare but with this book you have to mess about making pastes and such like rather than directly just using the spices - very time consuming - (unless you really plan in advance and make a batch up (e.g.) at the weekend) but in addition to that, the recipes I have tried have not been very good at all. Very bland and dull.

Excellent healthy indian cook book, 20 Nov 2007
Really good book.
Excellent lentil dishes. A healthy way of cooking which is what i am always after.
Can really recommend it.

Excellent easy indian cooking, 26 Sep 2007
When I buy a cookery book the true test for me is to ask myself if I have used any of the recipes. This book gets a thumbs up for this. I am no great cook but following the simple recipes I have created some really tasty meals. Apart from the meals being tasty and economical they are also healthy so really important if like me you have to watch fat consumption.
Great book, if you are in any doubts borrow a copy from your local library first. I did and now I am going to buy my own copy.

marika's review, 05 Aug 2007
I bought this book in the hope of being able to cook Indian Food every day as the title suggests, but in practise it's very difficult to do this where I live. I found the ingredients quite impossible to locate or even interprete. For me it was a real disappointment.

Best Indian cookbook , 30 Apr 2007
We had a New Year resolution to cook homemade curry once a week and every recipe I have tried works and is really tasty. You might think Indian cookery is complicated, but even the mango chutney recipe is straight forward. Top cookbook.

Straightforward Simple Nice Food, 01 Dec 2008

We went to the East Midland Food show this year where Anjum was doing cookery demonstrations. She is passionate about her cooking and explains her methods and ingredients simply and effectively.

I've made a few of the dishes in here and found inspiration for some of my own based around the core recipes in this book. I'd recommend the yogurt based curry - very healthy with little fat or oil and very tasty. A winner with all the family.

CAN COOK, WILL COOK, 27 Oct 2008
This book has made me start to enjoy cooking! No longer the look of bewilderment when trying to cook a decent meal. The instructions are easy to follow, the pictures are a boost! I have her other book, Indian every day which does not have as many photos of the final result.

I have also had great service from shopping with the online retailers for all the ingredients. So simple. The resulting food is truly delicious. Such delicate and yet again tasteful flavours. I can not recommend enough

Dissapointed too, 24 Aug 2008
I bought this book after watching a couple of shows on television. This book is not inspiring, it is westernized Indian food at best. I read the other reviews and disregarded the negative ones, this was a mistake. I hope whom ever buys this at the charity shop likes it better than I.

Failed To Inspire, 15 Aug 2008
Given my title, that would suggest that I havn't made anything from this book, and if you assumed that, you would be right. So, you may wonder what right I have to review a cookery book when I have not tried any of the recipes, surely though a cookery book has suceeded to an extent if it inspires you to attempt only one of the recipes presented to you on it's pages.

And that is the main problem with this book in my opinion, it just hasn't made me go into my kitchen and want to recreate any of the recipes I have seen in it, which is a real shame as I enjoy cooking a lot and like trying new kinds of cuisine.

So, does that make it a bad book? For me it is, but maybe for other people it's great. So I'd say see if you know someone who has a copy and ask to have a look at it or buy your own copy (it's not much money so even if it is a waste, it's not a big loss).

Disappointing, 14 Aug 2008
I was disappointed by this book, after catching and enjoying a couple of episodes of the television programme. I don't know about Indian Food "Made Easy" as I found many of the recipes really fiddly and time consuming. I planned on hosting an Indian Dinner Party, but after spending all weekend in the kitchen on the practice run the weekend before, I simply couldn't face it! Plus, although good, the food isn't GREAT, which is what you'd hope for when it's taken several hours to prepare.
Think this will just live on my shelf gathering dust.

simple yet tasty indian food, 01 Nov 2008
I've watched the TV series with interest so I thought I'd take the plunge and buy Anjums new book. There are a lot of new recipes I've not heard of before in here but the first one I tried was the good old vindaloo. I was a little skeptical because there didn't seem to be a lot of ingredients but as it turned out it made a delicious curry. These proberbly aren't pure authentic Indian recipes but that's not what the book is claiming, after all the series is called Indian food made easy.
I've bought several so called Indian cook books that failed to deliver but this is not one of them. I'm definately going to be hunting out other books by the same author

Don't know what that other person is talking about!, 29 Oct 2008
I have recently bought this book, as I have her other one and use it all the time, and I love it! This is a classic easy, simple Indian cooking book. She makes things easy and interesting by explaining where the traditional dishes come from and what they were made for in the first place.
I think this book is aimed to make Indian food more accesable to the English to make, rather than the curries etc that we are used to from takeaways. Her writing is fun and approachable and she goes through everything from starters, sauces, pudding, drinks.
I for one, will be buying other titles of hers and would urge people who like simple, easy Indian traditional cuisine without the fuss and expense of a takeawy to buy this book!

Great Cookbook for Light, Modern Indian Meals, 29 Oct 2008
I found Anjum's latest cookbook a refreshingly light, modern take on Indian cuisine, with a fantastic selection of indian light meals and snacks, such as the Spongy Lentil Cake or Goan Chorizo Sandwich, and adapted Anglo-Indian treats like Indian Shepherd's Pie and Spicy Keralan Mash. Unlike some Indian cookbooks, that can focus too much on just curry's, this book offers stews, sundal's and a plethora of fish, chicken, meat, vergetables, beans and lentils and rice suggestions. Her tips and information on the cooking in different regions of India complimented the contents well. I can't wait for her new TV series!

Hmm - aspires to be Nigella, sadly without the substance, 23 Oct 2008
As a great lover of Asian and in particular Indian food, I have been following the cookery book scene rather closely for years. Anand aspires to be the Nigella Lawson of Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, she fails to do so for me. Her recipes are either not Indian - and this has nothing to do with the fact that there is indeed a Noveau Indian cuisine out there - or have been presented by other authors years ago (i.e. Mehernosh Mody, Madhur Jaffrey, Mridula Baljekar). Disappointing really. This is the second book I bought from her and I don't think I will buy another one in the future.

A little gem of a recipe book, 21 Oct 2008
I wouldn't say this was the perfect recipe book, if you are looking for authentic indian cookery then maybe it's not for you, but if you are fed up of paying a fortune for a takeaway that has too much colouring and not enough meat this is fantastic. The curry base is a great standby as it can be frozen however it's such a popular meal in our house that when I do make it the base is quickly used. The recipe for pilau rice, if followed, is foolproof. I made a dinner party for 14 using this book and it was talked about for months afterwards. If you like indian food in restaurants and takeaways but are feeling the pinch this is a must. As a negative any recipe book that has a weak spine loses marks for me. My copy is covered in cellotape.

I have the secret, 17 Oct 2008
This is a great book. I have had it for the past two years now, and love the amazing results.

I make massive batchs of curry sauce and freeze them off into portions. so i can make pratically any curry in the book in no time at all.

I also add things to the currys to personalise them, for instance adding a bit off creamed cocnut to the chicken tikka masala. U cant taste the coconut as such, but is adds another dimension.

The one thing I would say about the book is the chicken Tikka recipe is not quite 'right'. If you add just 1/2 a teaspoon of 'Schwartz' garlic granuales it makes a massive difference, and massively transforms the taste. I hope this tip stops people from being disappointed.





The Curry Secret - Kris Dhillon, 01 Oct 2008
I bought this wonderful book some time ago as a friend recommended it.
It is a fabulous gem of a book