Rating: 
Summary: oh-my-gawd awesome!
Review: I am once again impressed with Williams-Sonoma. I own several
Williams-Sonoma cookbooks and Savoring India featuring Julie Sahni's recipes are wonderful. Each recipe is not only accurate but delicious as well. My favorite so far are the fish recipes. Ms. Sahni portrays the different regions of India- it's cutoms, practices, religions, and food so thoughtfully. The pictures in the book are vibrant and captivating. I've even passed on some of the recipes to my mother who is a far greater cook than i am.
Rating:
Summary: A must have.
Review: I am once again impressed with Williams-Sonoma. I own several
Williams-Sonoma cookbooks and Savoring India featuring Julie Sahni's recipes are wonderful. Each recipe is not only accurate but delicious as well. My favorite so far are the fish recipes. Ms. Sahni portrays the different regions of India- it's cutoms, practices, religions, and food so thoughtfully. The pictures in the book are vibrant and captivating. I've even passed on some of the recipes to my mother who is a far greater cook than i am.
Rating:
Summary: oh-my-gawd awesome!
Review: I'm one of those pathetic Indians who never learned to cook well before leaving India. This book was such a kick for me. It has beautiful pictures . . .nostalgia central . . .hand me the tissues! The recipes are infallible and instructions clear. Unlike some of the other indian cookbooks (madhur Jaffrey for example who I do adore) it doesnt have an ingredient list a mile long for each dish. And, best of all, it has some of the recipes you never find in an indian cookbook written for people abroad; the food sold in the street vendor stalls, the dozens of different types of dal depending on the state you come from, pickle recipes and lovely chapters of history, culture, etc. There are also little blurbs about indian customs and traditions scattered throughout the book and it ends up being my favorite kind of cookbook, the ones you can read for an hour even if you arent planning to cook.
Rating:
Summary: Serious cookbook for seriously authentic recipies
Review: I've loved indian food for years, and spent some time in Bombay and Delhi. I can vouch that the recipies produce authentic, good food - equivalent to what I had in restaurants over there.The photography is INCREDIBLE, giving you the flavor of the place and the people, why they do spice blends, and how they dress up the table, what meals mean to them, all sorts of background. The book is worth the price for the photography alone, and would make a great travelogue. The recipies are clear, though not easy. I prepared two full menus (4 courses each). It took HOURS, because they have you doing everything from the ground up - and finding all those spices here in the states was quite difficult. One example is: Makhani Murgh. You start with day old chicken tandoori. So you have to make that first. However, with some help from the rest of the family (cooking Indian food has become a family affair, everyone gets involved, does their part, and has fun), having never prepared any Indian food before, we were able to create very authentic and tasty dishes. I highly recomend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Serious cookbook for seriously authentic recipies
Review: I've loved indian food for years, and spent some time in Bombay and Delhi. I can vouch that the recipies produce authentic, good food - equivalent to what I had in restaurants over there. The photography is INCREDIBLE, giving you the flavor of the place and the people, why they do spice blends, and how they dress up the table, what meals mean to them, all sorts of background. The book is worth the price for the photography alone, and would make a great travelogue. The recipies are clear, though not easy. I prepared two full menus (4 courses each). It took HOURS, because they have you doing everything from the ground up - and finding all those spices here in the states was quite difficult. One example is: Makhani Murgh. You start with day old chicken tandoori. So you have to make that first. However, with some help from the rest of the family (cooking Indian food has become a family affair, everyone gets involved, does their part, and has fun), having never prepared any Indian food before, we were able to create very authentic and tasty dishes. I highly recomend this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Jewel in the Crown
Review: Julie Sahni, the doyenne of Indian cooking, has written, to my mind, the best offering in the 'Savoring' series of cookbooks. 'Savoring India' is not only a beautifully photographed journey into every corner of the sub-continent--it is also an in-depth, well written exploration of India's history, landscape, culture, customs, religions and, of course, its food. Ms. Sahni's vast knowledge of every aspect of her subject makes the narrative an enjoyable read. The informative sidebars are chock full of interesting factoids about spices, cooking methods, utensils, Indian holidays and rituals. And the recipes are to die for! Intrigued by the name, the first recipe I tried was 'Richeiado', a Goan spiced rubbed shrimp dish. The recipe was easy to follow and the results were beyond belief. The shrimp were perfectly grilled, spicy and delicious. It's an unusual dish that you won't find on the menu of your local Indian restaurant. Then I tried the 'Aloo Gohbi'. In the hands of Julie Sahni this traditional cauliflower and potato staple becomes a paean to the magical simplicity of Indian home cooking. The vegetables meld perfectly into the subtle flavors of the turmeric, cumin and garam masala. It seems that there is a fabulous recipe for just about every region of India. I'm looking forward to cooking and eating my way through all of them. If you love Indian food, (if you love food!)even if you are new to cooking it, 'Savoring India' is the book to own. It is a real feast for the body, mind and senses.
Rating:
Summary: A great one for vegetarians!!
Review: Not only is this book beautifully photographed, but it has the most luscious recipies! If you are a lover of indian cuisine, this book is a MUST for your collection. Most of the indian cookbooks I have seen I would only consider making 1/2 to 3/4 of the recipies offered. In this book, I would will make most of them. If you're a vegetarian like me, this books offers mostly all vegetarian recipies. Even the meat recipies, which are few can be altered to accomodate tofu or tempeh, which is what I have done. It's really all about those incredible spice mixtures! As a bonus, Savoring India gives insight into the origins of indian spices and folklore. This is one of my favorite cookbooks by far!
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite
Review: Sahni presents a nice (albeit brief) introduction to the complexities of Indian cuisine, clearly one of the most underrated and misunderstood culinary traditions. While you won't be able to find every recipe from your favorite Indian restaurant (my wife was most disappointed to find nothing for Navrattan Korma -- which, not incidentally, is called Navrattan Curry in many Indian restaurants!), the Glossary and sidebar items are worth the price of admission. Consider this only one tool in your arsenal if you intend to cook Indian regularly (and, if you don't, WHY NOT?!?<g>). Indian cooking is very personal, which is why there is such variation from restaurant to restaurant. Don't buck this tradition -- there should be some variation in your dishes, too. Given the number of spices that have been absorbed by the Indian culture, this shouldn't be difficult. As the lovely Indian shopkeeper in my local store told me, "whatever you put in there...is good!"
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Tip-of-the-Indian-Iceberg
Review: Sahni presents a nice (albeit brief) introduction to the complexities of Indian cuisine, clearly one of the most underrated and misunderstood culinary traditions. While you won't be able to find every recipe from your favorite Indian restaurant (my wife was most disappointed to find nothing for Navrattan Korma -- which, not incidentally, is called Navrattan Curry in many Indian restaurants!), the Glossary and sidebar items are worth the price of admission. Consider this only one tool in your arsenal if you intend to cook Indian regularly (and, if you don't, WHY NOT?!?). Indian cooking is very personal, which is why there is such variation from restaurant to restaurant. Don't buck this tradition -- there should be some variation in your dishes, too. Given the number of spices that have been absorbed by the Indian culture, this shouldn't be difficult. As the lovely Indian shopkeeper in my local store told me, "whatever you put in there...is good!"
Rating: 
Summary: Is authenticity defined by use of maple syrup?
Review: The exquisite photographs of featured dishes sold me on this book, even before I tested any of the recipes. The index leave much to be desired. Looking for "lamb vindaloo," that staple of Northern Indian restaurant cuisine? Apparently Jahni is attempting rapprochement with her neighbors to the north: try "pork with hot and sour sauce" and adapt. But make sure you have maple syrup in the pantry. Huh?
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