Rating: 
Summary: Triple A1
Review: Madhur Jaffrey introduced my family to Indian cooking which taster better than the stuff you can get from the local flock-wallpaper restaurant. Be prepared to spend a bit of the green on spices and a bit of time in the kitchen.One of Ranganathans laws of complicated librarianship is 'to every reader his book'. If you want to cook an Indian meal which is quick and easy then this isn't your book. If you want to learn how to cook Indian meals then this is the book for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Indian cooking in all it's colorful glory
Review: Madhur Jaffrey is passionate about Indian food. She describes the flavors of India, often by region, and attempts to capture their essence by her own research into what would work in a non-Indian kitchen. Since each cook's spice mixtures (masalas) are hand-assembled, hand ground and often roasted in India, it is no easy task to figure out how to capture that "bazaar" taste that Jaffrey often is homesick for. (of course, if you go to India, you won't be tasting Bazaar food as the wise traveler has to be a bit careful. Too bad, it looks tempting.) Jaffrey's enthusiasm for her subject make this book gorgeous reading as well as useful for whipping up a really great dal or curry.
Rating:
Summary: Even my Pakistani mother-in-law liked the food I made!
Review: Madhur Jaffrey's "Indian Cooking" was the second book on Indo/Pak cooking that came into my cookbook library (by virtue of marriage, my Pakistani husband already owned it). The first recipe I made was Ground Lamb and Peas (Kheema Matar), made for our wedding dinner. It was made with my mother in mind. Since she didn't like lamb because it "tasted fuzzy" I thought I'd surprise her with a good lamb dish. We didn't tell her what is was until after the dinner, and she loved it. (bought her this book later as a gift) One dish that is always requested by family and friends is the Hard-boiled Eggs in a Spicy Cream Sauce (Malaidar unday) which is my husband's "signature" dish. Among our favorites the Lamb with Spinach (Dilli ka saag gosht) which we make with beef (yes it's spinach but all the children we've prepared it for actually like it!) Do Paiza (or 2 onions) we also make with beef (I have a hard time with lamb now after the birth of my last child), and Aloo Gosht (a stew). When our paperback copy of the book fell apart do to it's constant use and accidental spills (it looked at though it had been through a war) we bought the new expanded addition. Much to my delight my favorite dish Shahi Korma was now included. This is traditonal Indo/Pak everyday and special meals cooking -- I think the biggest testament to the book is that when I made recipes from it for my hard to please mother-in-law she actually liked them!
Rating:
Summary: My first and favorite
Review: Madhur Jaffrey's "Indian Cooking" is the first Indian cookbook that I ever purchased. My husband is Pakistani and does all of his cooking without the aid of recipes or cookbooks. I wanted to try my hand at some Indian/Pakistani cooking so I picked up this book. And over the years I have used it very frequently and it has become rather worn and splattered. The first several sections of the book contain explanations of the spices and techniques involved in Indian cooking, such as how to make ghee (clarified butter). It also includes descriptions of the spices and how to prepare them for the recipes. There is a list of recommended equipment such as a blender or food processor to make garlic and ginger paste. The book contains several pages of colored pictures of the finished recipes. The recipes include a good selection of meat, chicken, seafood, vegetable, pulse (beans), bread, rice and dessert recipes. Some of my husband and my favorite recipes from the cookbook are: Kheema Matter (ground meat with peas), Kasmiri Kofte (spiced 'meatballs'), Rogan Josh (lamb stew), Aloo Gosht (Lamb & Potato), Masalader Murgh (Spicy Baked Chicken), Masoor Dal (red split lentils) and Masalder Basmati (spiced basmati rice). The recipes are clear and easy to follow and the book as a whole is well organized. For many of the recipes, Jaffrey has listed other dishes that would go well with it. My husband and I love the food that I have prepared by following the recipes in this cookbook. I loved this cookbook so much that I bought several more by Jaffrey!
Rating:
Summary: My first and favorite
Review: Madhur Jaffrey's "Indian Cooking" is the first Indian cookbook that I ever purchased. My husband is Pakistani and does all of his cooking without the aid of recipes or cookbooks. I wanted to try my hand at some Indian/Pakistani cooking so I picked up this book. And over the years I have used it very frequently and it has become rather worn and splattered. The first several sections of the book contain explanations of the spices and techniques involved in Indian cooking, such as how to make ghee (clarified butter). It also includes descriptions of the spices and how to prepare them for the recipes. There is a list of recommended equipment such as a blender or food processor to make garlic and ginger paste. The book contains several pages of colored pictures of the finished recipes. The recipes include a good selection of meat, chicken, seafood, vegetable, pulse (beans), bread, rice and dessert recipes. Some of my husband and my favorite recipes from the cookbook are: Kheema Matter (ground meat with peas), Kasmiri Kofte (spiced 'meatballs'), Rogan Josh (lamb stew), Aloo Gosht (Lamb & Potato), Masalader Murgh (Spicy Baked Chicken), Masoor Dal (red split lentils) and Masalder Basmati (spiced basmati rice). The recipes are clear and easy to follow and the book as a whole is well organized. For many of the recipes, Jaffrey has listed other dishes that would go well with it. My husband and I love the food that I have prepared by following the recipes in this cookbook. I loved this cookbook so much that I bought several more by Jaffrey!
Rating:
Summary: Even my Pakistani mother-in-law liked the food I made!
Review: Madhur Jaffrey's "Indian Cooking" was the second book on Indo/Pak cooking that came into my cookbook library (by virtue of marriage, my Pakistani husband already owned it). The first recipe I made was Ground Lamb and Peas (Kheema Matar), made for our wedding dinner. It was made with my mother in mind. Since she didn't like lamb because it "tasted fuzzy" I thought I'd surprise her with a good lamb dish. We didn't tell her what is was until after the dinner, and she loved it. (bought her this book later as a gift) One dish that is always requested by family and friends is the Hard-boiled Eggs in a Spicy Cream Sauce (Malaidar unday) which is my husband's "signature" dish. Among our favorites the Lamb with Spinach (Dilli ka saag gosht) which we make with beef (yes it's spinach but all the children we've prepared it for actually like it!) Do Paiza (or 2 onions) we also make with beef (I have a hard time with lamb now after the birth of my last child), and Aloo Gosht (a stew). When our paperback copy of the book fell apart do to it's constant use and accidental spills (it looked at though it had been through a war) we bought the new expanded addition. Much to my delight my favorite dish Shahi Korma was now included. This is traditonal Indo/Pak everyday and special meals cooking -- I think the biggest testament to the book is that when I made recipes from it for my hard to please mother-in-law she actually liked them!
Rating:
Summary: Authentic doesn't have to be complicated
Review: Madhur Jaffrey's book has been a delight to explore. I lived in South Asia and loved the food, but found it difficult then to hover in the kitchens to discover how the heavenly flavors came about. Ms Jaffrey has demystified the process and I now have rediscovered the tastes I once enjoyed. In addition, as I still travel quite extensively, I can find fresh ingredients and spices virtually everywhere in the world. "Indian Cooking", of course, travels with me.
Rating: 
Summary: Not my favourite Indian cookbook.
Review: Ms Jaffrey does take the time to explain concepts, spices, and procedures. Unfortunately, not all the recipes seem to turn out perfectly, and the American publishers failed to edit the book well. It was originally published in the UK, and if you're not familiar with British terms and the weight system of measurement (e.g. grams of flour) you'll find it confusing.
Rating:
Summary: my seasoned bible of indian cooking
Review: so i've owned a copy of this book since i went away to college. the pages are ripped, splattered, stained and folded, so briefly: this is a great cookbook. sometimes i just like reading jaffrey's writing for fun because its clear she loves indian food. her instructions are clear, concise and imaginative. i couldnt even pick out a favourite recipe because over the years i;ve tried them all. if you've never tried indian food, this book will get you going. even if you fancy yourself an expert, it never hurts to have Ms Jaffrey in your court.
Rating:
Summary: Easily the best cookbook I have ever owned
Review: There is no question that I have got my money's worth out of this book. All the recipes are wonderful (especially the red pepper curry), and not difficult to make. They can be a little time consuming in preparation and cooking, but I like to make dinners from scratch, and this is the way Ms. Jaffrey would have it. Don't be fooled by some reviewers that state that the dinners cost alot to make. There are usually 5-8 spices needed for most of the dishes, but these spices can usually be purchased cheaply in bulk at a Whole Foods or Henry's type of grocery store. I would guess that most of my dinners are prepared for an average of a few dollers.
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