Catagory: Crafts, Home & Lifestyle

If there is one part of this country that is yet to be discovered, at least in terms of its cuisine, it is the North-East. The kitchens of the North-East are the source of an extraordinary range of dishes that blend tradition and innovation in unexpected ways. The basic tribal diet of jungle produce has, over the years, been influenced by various other communities-the Thais, who once ruled over some parts of the territory; the Chinese, because of their proximity; and the Bengali migrants-and it is this unusual combination that makes the food of this region unique in India. With a variety of new recipes from the eight states of the North-East-now including Sikkim-this updated cookbook will help you transform the most ordinary meal into an exotic experience.

The Sindhi community traces its roots to the Harappan civilization and claims a continuity of tradition and lifestyle that is unique in the Indian subcontinent. As the introduction to this book explains, cuisine is an important aspect of this continuity. While Sindhi food has absorbed elements from various other cuisines, especially Mughlai and Punjabi, it has always retained its own special blend of flavours and fragrances. The famous Sindhi curry, as appealing to the eye as to the palate with its mix of vegetables and curd, the delicately flavoured fish baked in sand, the lotus stems cooked to succulent perfection in earthen pots “the array of dishes is unusual in its variety and range. But this book isn’t just about recipes; it’s also about the traditions and ceremonies that involve food. What, for instance, is the story behind the Sindhi New Year? What are the dishes customarily prepared to mark the day? What would one eat to break a fast? In what order should you serve the various dishes that form part of a wedding feast? The answers to these and other questions relating to the preparation and serving of Sindhi food are all here in this comprehensive guide to a distinctive culture.

A treasure-house of recipes and customs that define the Parsi way of life Celebrations, rituals and food inevitably go together. And so it is with the Parsis. From Navroz, the dawn of the Parsi New Year, to Navjote, the initiation ceremony of a young child, lagan or marriage, jashans and ghambhars, there is a variety of food to suit every occasion. In this unique book, Bhicoo J. Manekshaw takes the reader on a journey far beyond the traditional stereotypical dhan sakh recipe. For those who love fish, there is a choice of patrani machchi (fish in banana leaves), masala ni machchi or the famed tarapori patio made with sookha boomla (Bombay duck), amongst many others. The Parsi weakness for eggs, on the other hand, has created a range of mouth-watering dishes from the kera per eeda (eggs cooked on bananas) to the humble scrambled egg. There are also teatime snacks, sweets, and desserts and a chapter on kitchen medicine straight from grandmother’s recipe book. Interlaced with the recipes is the author’s piquant description of the customs, rituals and ceremonies that form the Parsi way of life.

The Chicken Cookbook include Fragrant biryanis, spicy achars, mouthwatering kababs, and many other things you can do with chicken.There are almost as many ways of cooking chicken as there are cooks. This most versatile and undoubtedly the most popular non-vegetarian item on most tables, in India and abroad, can be curried, fried, roasted, grilled, baked or just shredded into salad with the most spectacular results. Here, the author sets down over a hundred recipes some of them well-known and often served at homes and restaurants, some that are special to a region or community, and several others that have been improvised and perfected by the author over the years. The recipes include: Kalmi kabab Tandoori murgh pakora Murgh malai tikka Balti achari murgh Murgh musallam Nargisi murgh kofta curry Sabz murgh Yakhani Kashmiri murgh Kori gashi Sindhi methi murgh.

‘Whether you are cooking daily meals for yourself and your family or an occasional meal for an evening of entertainment, let cooking be a process of discovery and enjoyment,’ say Chef Vikas Khanna. And he means it.
It’s exciting-A new beginning, the new life, a new house, and a brand new kitchen! However, setting up your pantry, buying utensils and equipment, then cooking and entertaining-all can get pretty daunting.
Chef Vikas Khanna understands that. In My First Kitchen he expertly guides you set up your own Kitchen, cook marvelous food in quick, easy steps, throw parties, even barbeque like you were a pro!
He holds your hand through the journey as you pick the best produce, learn to cut, chop and preserve and puree-all the processes that you thought too intimidating.
My First Kitchen is the only book you will need to begin your culinary journey!

The Penguin Essential Cookbooks are a pioneering attempt to keep alive the art of traditional Indian cooking. Each of the books is written by an expert chef who brings together the special recipes of a region or community along with a detailed introduction that describes the rituals and customs related to the eating and serving of food.In the Essential Delhi Cookbook recipes are drawn from the different communities who have made Delhi their home, including the Khatris and Kayasths, in addition to Mughlai and Punjabi dishes. The recipes include: Raan, Bheja, Methi Dal ki Pakori, Muthanjan Pulao, Mathri, Papri, Chaat, Sharbat-e-Ghulab.