I love Indian food - but cooking it, not so much. After several failed attempts to make a dal as good as Snehal's I decided to try this cookbook. I heard the author on NPR either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day talking about black-eyed peas. As a Texan, that got my attention so I put in a request at the library.I tried 3 recipes. I took a few short-cuts but all 3 turned out pretty good. 1) Bolly Cauli, p. 482: Delish! As a fan of the movie Bend it Like Beckham this one was a must!2) Double the Potatoes with cumin and chilies, p. 583: Another great dish! I like breakfast for dinner and this was awesome with fried eggs.3) Baby Potatoes with carmelized red onion sauce, p. 554: Ouch! I cut the amount of chilie in this recipe in half and it was still too hot! It was good but I'd prefer something milder.I'd like to try a few more recipes but it's time for this one to go back to the library. Overall I have to say that Indian cooking is a bit more complex than I'm willing to do. Maybe someday I'll catch on to the secret of Snehal's dal.... I cooked a Purim meal out of this last night and it was spectacular. Each time I use this book I am amazed by the wonderful, flavorful, complex taste the food I produce has. One thing we do alot of is using leftover meat and making it into a curry to get a second use out of it, and this book can be equally good "out of the gate" or "around the second bend". Tari Waali Murghi, or Vibrant Chicken was on the menu last night, and it was delicious, warm without being overpowering so kids could enjoy, and the only thing I would improve is to make more rice!
What do You think about 660 Curries (2008)?
Great recipes and flavors; always turn out well.
—lucia
