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Indian, everyday
By Ann | June 25, 2009
I could eat Indian food everyday, and so I was delighted to discover Monica Bhide’s new book, Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, which offers an easy-breezy, 21st-century spin on subcontinental spice. My review of this fresh, piquant book appeared yesterday on the Washingtonian magazine website.
Click here to read my review, and here for my favorite recipe from the book — potato-peanut tikkis (mini pancakes) that are sweet, savory and spicy with a delicate crunch. (Hint: Use a full teaspoon of cayenne pepper for a satisfying kick. And don’t forgo the tamarind chutney — it provides the tang that ties everything together.)
Topics: Cooking the Books | 3 Comments »
June 25th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Maybe I should provide this cookbook to the staff at the DFAC here in Baghdad — they are almost all subcontinental!
June 26th, 2009 at 9:03 am
I’ve been cooking Indian food since my teens, thanks to being exposed to it by my Indian schoolfriends mothers. I ordered this book hoping for an authentic foundation with a modern touch/fusion.
Ann, I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed and so disagree with your review. The dishes appeared to be very Americanized, and so are tepid in flavor when compared to the original concepts. I find this a lot with 1st Generation+ Indian cooking in the US.
Whereas in other countries, especially the UK, tradtional authenticity and full flavors are cherished and carried on, the American Asian seems to give in to the mediocrity of their surrounding gastranomic travesty. I’ve yet to meet an American, outside of Manhattan who knows what Indian food and spices really are.
I really hoped this book would be a different concept. It isn’t. I realize that the title says “inspired Indian flavors,” but having tried four of the recipes and recognizing a few more for being incorrectly described, I am sending my copy back to Amazon, as it is wholly uninspiring.
If I were you, for the real simplicity, yet authentic, stick to someone who knows what spices are, Madhur Jaffrey for example. Sorry.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Andrew, and for leaving your thoughtful comment. I agree that the dishes in MODERN SPICE are probably not authentic… indeed, having never been to India, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted authentic Indian cuisine. But I found many (not all!) of the book’s recipes tasty, fast and healthy — a refreshing change from my normal weekday routine of dishes. For me, this was not a “special occasion” cookbook, but provided recipes to add to my daily repertoire, things to make on weeknights when I’m tired from work and don’t really feel like cooking. Also, I truly found the potato-peanut tikkis outstanding.
Thanks for recommending Madhur Jaffrey — I’ve heard great things about her cookbooks and will have to check her out soon. Do you have a favorite of her books?