Rating: 
Summary: A good book, worth collecting.
Review: Camilla Punjabi adds a knowledgeable flavor to the world of Indian cookbooks. Her introduction to Indian Spices in the early section of the book is very good, however it could be more comprehensive. Her curries are excellent and very authentic. Experiences from the world of large hotels and their management, give Ms Punjabi a flair for presentation. The book reads very well. We hope she writes more.
Rating: 
Summary: A must for Indian food fanatics!
Review: I am of Indian descent and it is finally in Ms. Panjabi's book that I have been able to discover the detailed information on spices that usually passes from an Indian mother to her daughter. The recipies are marvellous and you can effortlessly reproduce some of the most popular curries in India. But the best part of the book for me was the explanation of the different flavors and colors that one can achieve from combinations of spices and even from different techniques of preparing the same spice. For someone totally flabbergasted by the different results american spices give in Indian recipies this book is a godsend! Another welcome plus to the book is the list of wines that can go with each curry. If you love Indian food this book is a must!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent presentation..
Review: I collect Indian cookbooks and this is one of the jewels of my collection. Camellia brings a delicious flair to the recipes in her presentation. Well chosen curries and fairly good ingredient measurements allow novices to fare well, But If you're from an Indian origin or well-versed in the tastes of the curries, You'd do well to experiment with the ingredient measurements.( Some dishes are made all over India with the same curry base, but varying amount of ingredients and regional produce give the dishes different flavours.)
Rating:
Summary: Great recipes but copyediting needs improvement
Review: I echo all the preceeding raves about this fantastic cookbook but some of the recipes were sloppily edited. I found several instances where an ingredient is listed and then never mentioned again or the cooking time is wildly off because of a typo (5 mins when it should have been 15 or maybe 50). Also, sometimes she specifies a certain type of chili pepper but never mentions it in the section about chilis. And for some reason she uses the Indian name for cumin powder ("jeera powder") in one recipe with no translation. I hope future editions will be corrected.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Background and Explanations (CORRECTED)
Review: I have a correction to report for my 23-Sept-1999 review: I discovered that my copy of the book was indeed a misprint - an entire section was missing from the back of my copy (it contained, among other things, the missing info on Dhals, some excellent vegetarian curries, and the wine matching section whose lack I complained about). I have since replaced my copy with a complete one, and I've upgraded my rating of this book from 4 stars to 5.
Rating:
Summary: Great recipes but copyediting needs improvement
Review: I've cooked many dishes out of this fine book, and not a single one has failed to excite my palate. Allthough the comments on the ingredients and techniques are sparse, I find it refreshing not to have 2 pages of instructions and techniques...or how to find "exotic" ingredients or how to substitute ingredients (like so many well-intentioned, but lackluster "ethnic" cookbooks.) Albuquerque isn't exactly "little India", but I have no trouble finding what I need. "Great Curries" is not "Indian Cooking for Dummies", thank god!
Rating:
Summary: An Asian cookbook that's not for beginners.
Review: I've cooked many dishes out of this fine book, and not a single one has failed to excite my palate. Allthough the comments on the ingredients and techniques are sparse, I find it refreshing not to have 2 pages of instructions and techniques...or how to find "exotic" ingredients or how to substitute ingredients (like so many well-intentioned, but lackluster "ethnic" cookbooks.) Albuquerque isn't exactly "little India", but I have no trouble finding what I need. "Great Curries" is not "Indian Cooking for Dummies", thank god!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent background and explanations
Review: Successes: This book really helps novice cooks understand how typical curry recipes are constructed, from the ground up. Too many authors on the subject are lazily content to simply fob off long lists of exotic ingredients on the reader without explaining the purpose, technique, and timing of each component. This author goes to reasonable lengths to help a typical reader understand not only how to use a particular ingredient, but WHY it's used. Also, there are plenty of pictures which not only help the reader 'window shop' for recipes to try, but also help the reader to understand what the dish is supposed to look like when prepared properly. Minor Nits: (1) The biggest weakness is this - the author only discusses only one classic Masala blend (Garam), yet there are NUMEROUS other Masala blends (ex: Sambar) that can & should have been covered in a book specializing in curry. The reader is left to scavenge other Indian books for recipes that use such masalas. (2) I wish the book were longer - it focuses heavily on lamb, whereas chicken, pork, fish and vegetable/dhal curries are covered in increasingly less detail ... and curried soups are barely covered at all. (3) There are minor errors and omissions scattered throughout (a few examples: the English names {colors} of the various Indian Dhals, and lack of the wine-pairing information hinted at in the acknowledgements), indicating some less-than exemplary editing, but most casual cooks won't notice. Bottom Line: An excellent book, despite the minor flaws and omissions.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent background and explanations
Review: Successes: This book really helps novice cooks understand how typical curry recipes are constructed, from the ground up. Too many authors on the subject are lazily content to simply fob off long lists of exotic ingredients on the reader without explaining the purpose, technique, and timing of each component. This author goes to reasonable lengths to help a typical reader understand not only how to use a particular ingredient, but WHY it's used. Also, there are plenty of pictures which not only help the reader 'window shop' for recipes to try, but also help the reader to understand what the dish is supposed to look like when prepared properly. Minor Nits: (1) The biggest weakness is this - the author only discusses only one classic Masala blend (Garam), yet there are NUMEROUS other Masala blends (ex: Sambar) that can & should have been covered in a book specializing in curry. The reader is left to scavenge other Indian books for recipes that use such masalas. (2) I wish the book were longer - it focuses heavily on lamb, whereas chicken, pork, fish and vegetable/dhal curries are covered in increasingly less detail ... and curried soups are barely covered at all. (3) There are minor errors and omissions scattered throughout (a few examples: the English names {colors} of the various Indian Dhals, and lack of the wine-pairing information hinted at in the acknowledgements), indicating some less-than exemplary editing, but most casual cooks won't notice. Bottom Line: An excellent book, despite the minor flaws and omissions.
Rating:
Summary: Well presented information on ingredients
Review: The background information presented on ingredients is invaluable.The author even photographed the most important ingredients as an introduction to the recipe collection. This is very helpful because descriptive terms for spices, peppers and chillis vary so much from region to region. With a photograph you can be sure that you have identified the correct ingredient. The Chicken with Pistachio sauce is divine, worth the price of the book.
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