INDIAN CULINARY MAGIC
Is Indian cooking as difficult as it looks? I guess that rather depends on who you talk to but Sereena, Alexa, and Priya Kaul, authors of The Three Sisters Quick & Easy Indian Cookbook, are on a mission to debunk the myths and bring the recipes of their childhood to the masses. Like its predecessor The Three Sisters Indian Cookbook, the follow up comes with an attractive, colourful layout and easy to follow instructions.
The sisters were born in India but grew up in Britain and learned their culinary skills from their mother. She taught them well and inspires them to this day with her innovative recipes and unstoppable energy, regardless of where in the world her daughters happen to be! For the record Priya lives in America, Serena in Bombay, while Alexa resides in the United Kingdom.
Every page of this book is bursting with delicious mouth-watering snacks, main courses, and desserts. I would even go so far as to describe it as an enormous temptation since every time I looked at the pictures I felt as if I was piling on the calories.
The key to cooking a good meal is in the preparation and there are plenty of useful hints worth taking on board (chopped coriander leaves mixed with oil last longer if they’re frozen in ice cube trays: knives keep their sharpness when they’re hung up or stored in a wooden casket), along with a list of the basic ingredients every cook should keep in their cupboard (basmati rice, mung dal beans and coconut milk, to name but a few).
The 60 plus recipes may look challenging but according to the authors they’re quick to make, a claim I decided to put to the test. I’ll admit to feeling a bit wary when I tried my hand at Naryal-Kaju Murgh (Cashew and Coconut Chicken), although by the time I started on the Lagan Nu Custard (Celebration Custard), I was beginning to feel like a pro. Admittedly I didn’t time myself, although I did hit my seven o’clock deadline a couple of hours after I started and even though the dishes lacked the visual slickness of the photographs, my dinner guests did raise their thumbs in appreciation.
This is a great book for lovers of Indian food who fancy an alternative to a takeaway, or if you buy into the PR blurb:
“The Three Sisters Quick and Easy Indian Cookbook is perfect for busy people who love cooking and do not want to compromise on authentic Indian flavours.”
The dishes are simple, fast, and a confidence booster for those of us with a horrendous record of kitchen disasters. If you can’t face the thought of trawling the supermarket shelves for spices, then fear not because the sisters have created a spice box. It can be bought online and comes with tins, a selection of authentic Indian spices, and a special measuring spoon. So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and get cooking!
Reviewed by Juliette Foster
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