At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey

    • Categories: Canapés / hors d'oeuvre; Indian; Vegan; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: pappadams
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Notes about this book

  • EskieF on October 03, 2022

    This book was published in the UK as 'Curry Easy' by Madhur Jaffrey

  • jaelsne on January 01, 2014

    This has been my "go-to" cookbook lately. The recipes are simple, authentic, and reliable. I have other Indian cookbooks, but I seem to reach for this one more than any of the others.

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Chicken mulligatawny soup

    • jaelsne on March 07, 2013

      This is a very simple recipe that is good on a cold evening. The soup was fragrant and delicious. It did not have any vegetables, unlike some other mulligatawny soups. I added a serving of brown rice to the bowl, as Madhur Jaffrey suggested. My husband rated this recipe as a nine out of 10!

    • thekitchenchronicles on November 24, 2013

      Truly a delicious soup! Very warming for a cold day. Extremely flavorful and comes together very easily.

    • bob.mack on March 16, 2023

      Very good recipe to tweak to your preferences. As it is, the flavors are great but it seems like it is missing something to fill it out. The obvious thing to do is to add some vegetables. Cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, etc... all seem like they would be great. Some cilantro at the end is an addition I liked. Maybe include a little rice during the cooking process like Madhur did in her mulligatawny recipe in "An Invitation to Indian Cooking", or just serve a bowl of rice to the side as she suggested in this recipe and let people add rice as they are going. I may bump up the amount of chicken next time. You get the point - this is a great recipe to use to make it your own.

    • pattyatbryce on January 13, 2022

      So easy! Perfect for a light dinner, though I might add some veggies to it.

  • Okra-Swiss chard soup

    • pastaplease on April 22, 2021

      Not great - added juice of lemon to brighten up (plus some ground coriander). I think it's the okra that makes this a little off ... slimy. Easy to imagine a similar soup, maybe add spinach or another vegetable in place of okra and tinker with the spices.

  • Spinach and ginger soup perfumed with cloves

    • pastaplease on February 19, 2021

      This is super easy to throw together (no pre-sauteeing, etc. so one pot, just chopping a few vegetables). The flavor is on the bland side, though (despite the promise of ginger and being "perfumed with cloves." Still, it's a satisfying, healthy soup and the flavor grows on you. To liven it up I increased (after starting off following the recipe) the ginger, lemon juice, pepper, and added an extra clove. Then added a fair amount of ground coriander. Garlic might be a nice addition (isn't it always?).

  • Grilled masala salmon

    • Stephenn31 on February 28, 2023

      Excellent and easy

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      P. 46. I don't bother with skinning the salmon. Parsley can be substituted for cilantro. Excellent and easy.

    • GaryCooks on March 06, 2024

      This was fine. I made as stated, but doubled the amount of all seasonings except cayenne - left at 1/4 tsp - and used 1 tsp dried parsley since I didn’t have cilantro. I probably wouldn’t make it again - not because it was bad, but, although having a pleasant mustard/lemon-tinged flavor, it didn’t have a distinct flavor of the cumin/coriander seasoning I was hoping for. Maybe it was just subtle under the mustard/lemon predominant flavor. We enjoyed it though. I liked having it under the toaster oven broiler for 4 minutes for the little crispness. After the 4 minutes, I lowered the temp to 350, put the oven on Bake, and baked it for 7 minutes. Came out well done, but moist, probably due to the oil.

  • Delicious pan-grilled halibut

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      p. 47. This also works well with salmon.

  • Masala fish steaks

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      P. 48. Very nice with salmon. I use less oil.

  • Fish fillets with spicy green undercoat

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      P. 49. Use lime rather than lemon juice, and we prefer it without flouring the fillets.

  • Fish and peas in a fennel-fenugreek sauce

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      P. 50. Very good and easy. Don't let the yoghurt cook down too much and coagulate. Spices need to be increased. Canned tomatoes work well instead of fresh.

    • jbny on November 19, 2020

      Very good. Don't overdo the cayenne! Next time I'll try mixing the yogurt with a little chickpea flour to keep it from coagulating.

  • Salmon in a Bengali mustard sauce

    • sosayi on February 06, 2018

      Really quick weeknight dish with loads of flavor and one I was able to make from pantry goods. I needed to tweak it slightly: I added a splash of lemon juice and a pinch of sugar to balance the sauce, but that could also be because my mustard oil fell into the pan too quickly and I ended up with more than called for. I also subbed paprika for cayenne (because toddlers). Definite repeat. Served with carrot raita, roasted broccoli w/cumin and mustard seeds, and brown rice.

  • Salmon in a tomato-cream sauce

    • Stephenn31 on August 31, 2023

      Delicious and delightful recipe and comes together quickly

    • runoutofshelves on December 09, 2020

      A lovely simple recipe. We had it with the recommended rice with almonds, papadams and a green. The gently cooked salmon flakes into the spicy creamy sauce. We polished it all off.

    • thekitchenchronicles on November 03, 2014

      http://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2014/03/01/salmon-in-a-tomato-cream-sauce/

  • Spicy shrimp stir-fry (Bhuni jhinga)

    • jbny on October 01, 2021

      ok -- use more garlic and spices

  • Goan shrimp curry

    • thekitchenchronicles on November 04, 2014

      http://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2014/09/29/goan-shrimp-curry/

  • Indian scrambled eggs

    • micheleK on July 02, 2011

      Daughter wanted to replicate dish she tried at an Indian friend's house. We didn't have asafetida, cumin seeds, fresh Ginger or green chili, but substituted with curry powered, ground cumin, ground Ginger and a few dashes of Tabasco. The result was a very fragrant and tasty dish.

  • Chicken karhai with mint

    • wcassity on December 16, 2013

      One of my favorites from this book so far. Easy weeknight dish. The mint adds a lot. We ate this with salad and naan.

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      P. 78. Good.

  • Stir-fried chicken breast with black pepper and green chilies

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      P. 80. Use Serrano pepper. Increase garlic, ginger and lemon. Excellent.

    • hughb on August 29, 2012

      Absolutely delicious. I added an extra clove of garlic and put it through the garlic press. Otherwise made exactly as called for. Robust flavor and pretty easy overall.

    • dzant on November 08, 2020

      This was fine. good, fast for weeknight but not special at all.

  • Chicken with okra

    • Avocet on July 25, 2019

      P. 83. This is good, but the spices need to be markedly increased and garlic added. We also like more okra. Frozen sliced okra works well if somewhat thawed before frying.

  • Tandoori-style chicken with mint

    • Stephenn31 on September 15, 2023

      Turned out OK. I was hoping the mint would be more prominent or tandoori flavour more prominent.

  • Chicken roasted with ginger and cilantro

    • Avocet on July 25, 2019

      We like it with skinned legs and thighs and use more yoghurt.

    • LaPomme on April 26, 2011

      Page 85

  • Chicken with spinach

  • Baked chicken curry

    • micheleK on July 30, 2011

      Have to start this one the day before, as marination is required. Nice spicy flavour - is not a "hot" curry though. Used breasts only and baked for 40 mins.

    • RandyP on August 02, 2011

      (5 of 5) Not often I receive a 5. This made a very flavorful sweet, not hot chicken curry. Next time: - Add the raisins as suggested - Make extra sauce, the favor was there, but I missed a sauce. Serving Suggestions: Moroccan Roasted Vegetables (Moosewood Restaurant)

  • Bangladeshi white chicken korma

    • Avocet on July 25, 2019

      p. 90. We liked this. I used Indian bay leaves which are milder than Turkish or California bay leaves. I think either of those would be overpowering.

    • thekitchenchronicles on January 17, 2013

      My least favorite of all I have cooked from this book- found both the consistency and flavor off-putting

  • Kerala-style chicken curry

    • jaelsne on December 19, 2013

      This recipe turned out a fragrant and moist curry. The only change I made was to use reduced-fat coconut milk, and we found it creamy enough. Yet another "keeper" recipe from one of my favorite weeknight cookbooks.

  • Ground turkey with Hyderabadi seasonings

    • apattin on November 14, 2019

      The dish was ruined for me because the ground turkey was very gamey. I discovered the product sold by Publix contains turkey "and natural flavors". I'm going to try again with better protein, because I love most keema dishes.

    • apattin on February 16, 2020

      Second attempt with Plainville ground turkey. MUCH BETTER. I don't think you need all that water, though. Just used 1/4 cup for the whole dish. Did not need 35 minutes to cook, too.

  • Ground lamb with potatoes

    • wcassity on November 03, 2023

      Tasty, basic. Added peas and more cayenne at the end. Served with dal and rice.

    • dc151 on October 22, 2024

      Added diced carrots. Would’ve added peas but didn’t have any. It was good and simple enough for a weeknight.

  • Lamb curry with whole spices

    • micheleK on February 21, 2011

      Not too spicy. Lamb was very tender after baking. Would make again.

  • Anglo-Indian sausage patties

    • Logan92995 on May 09, 2023

      Really good version of sausage patties. Both spicy and flavorful and all of the flavors came together really well. As a forewarning, the recipe calls to let the meat load rest overnight or 3-4 hours after combining the ingredients. Also, when using salt, I'd recommend using non-kosher The crystals didn't break down for me, so I could feel them occasionally while eating which was not enjoyable.

  • Anglo-Indian sausage curry

    • Logan92995 on May 09, 2023

      Pg. 133 Tasty curry. A little on the spicy side considering the 4 jalapenos used, but nothing unbearable. Served with basmati rice.

    • wcassity on July 07, 2018

      Very tasty. I cooked the sausage immediately vs marinating, still great. Didn’t take long. Ate with naan.

  • Karhai broccoli

    • jbny on October 04, 2020

      Also good with stringbeans. Added nigella.

    • sosayi on April 17, 2020

      Good, quick broccoli recipe. We ended up using the seasonings in roasted broccoli (rather than cooking in a wok) and that worked well. Would repeat.

    • Avocet on July 25, 2019

      P. 148. Needs only 1 Tbs. oil, but more cumin and mustard seeds.

  • Carrots with cilantro

    • Avocet on July 25, 2019

      p. 149. Very good. Used 1/4 teas. asafetida and 3/4 teas. cumin seeds.

    • Barb_N on January 22, 2017

      I approximated this as I couldn't actually find the cookbook when it came dinner time. My streamlined version was very tasty and the colors looked beautiful next to chicken korma.

  • Eggplants in a North-South sauce

    • thekitchenchronicles on September 09, 2013

      This recipe was pretty good, it's easy to make and has good flavor. I may make it again but there are more flavorful and exciting South Asian eggplant recipes out there .

  • Spinach with garlic and cumin

    • Lepa on October 04, 2019

      This was okay. Nothing special.

  • Quick sweet-and-sour Gujarati tomato curry

    • Lepa on October 04, 2019

      This dish is easy, quick and outstandingly delicious. It's a bit of a miracle and I will be making it often. We ate it with the Shrimp Biryani, as recommended by MJ. The combination was amazing but I suspect anything would be good with this lovely curry. Be sure to make it before tomatoes disappear from the market

  • Sri Lankan white zucchini curry

    • Thredbende on August 06, 2011

      Made this with a BIG zucchini that weighed 1 1/2 pounds but didn't have woody seeds. I quartered the beast, sliced it as instructed, and made the rest of the recipe exactly as written. It was extremely easy to make and delicious. I used basil leaves and added them as I was about to serve the dish. Make this, it is good! (I added hot pepper flakes to my serving.)

  • Chickpeas in a sauce

    • Stephenn31 on December 04, 2024

      I followed the recommendation in the note to use less liquid (I used extra liquid from cooking the chickpeas), which resulted in a better consistency sauce.

    • jaelsne on August 10, 2014

      I noticed that the reviewer of a different chickpea recipe from this book has the same criticism that I did. There is too much liquid for the amount of spice added to the beans. Next time I'll reduce the liquid by 1/4 cup.

  • Spicy chickpeas with potatoes

    • LaPomme on August 09, 2011

      I think the 1 1/2 c. of chickpea liquid was too much. It dilluted the spiciness. I'll use less liquid next time to keep the sauce thicker and more flavorful.

  • Red lentils with ginger

    • kater on January 31, 2012

      Love this recipe. It's very flavorful, healthy, inexpensive (if you own turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and coriander) and relatively quick. If you use a mini-prep machine for the onion and garlic there's about 5 minutes of prep time. You can make a double batch in about the same amount of time and freeze it.

    • chawkins on May 09, 2013

      Very good. This is the first time I cooked lentils in a non-soup recipe. Very easy, takes a little more cooking time than rice but not by much. No more Madras lentils from Costco for me.

    • jaelsne on May 01, 2013

      My dream recipe. Easy and very authentic. This will surely be a regular dish at our house!

    • Avocet on July 24, 2019

      p. 194. Excellent, and very easy. I more than doubled the onions, and somewhat increased the spices, since we generally find the recipes in this book of Madhur's under spiced. we served it with rice.

    • RandyP on August 01, 2011

      4 Star - first time cooking lentils, nice flavor, hint of spice, but not over powering.

    • Stephenn31 on August 22, 2024

      Really flavourful for very little work. I cooked in the Instant Pot (after the tomatoes were added/cooked) for 14 min with quick release, with a bit less than the full amount of water in the recipe, and it was perfect.

  • Bangladeshi red lentils

    • Stephenn31 on January 07, 2025

      Easy to make and delicious. Great for a weeknight dinner with some rice, a raita, and maybe some other veg/ simple curry.

    • cedarmakesthings on August 25, 2015

      This was delicious, easy and savory. Everyone in my family enjoyed it.

    • jaelsne on February 26, 2014

      Dream weeknight recipe because of its simple ingredient list and easy prep. Delicious!

  • Goan-style dal curry

    • jaelsne on December 17, 2013

      Another winning recipe from an exceptional cookbook. I served this with rice and fish (as suggested), with broccolini for color. Great meal.

    • LaPomme on August 09, 2011

      Excellent flavor, even without the curry leaves (which I was unable to find).

  • My everyday moong dal

    • cedarmakesthings on February 20, 2016

      This is my favorite dal recipe to date, I make a double batch once, sometimes twice a week. It makes for incredible leftovers on its own or alongside other Indian dishes.

  • Roasted moong dal with mustard greens (Bhaja moong dal)

    • msbeehaven on June 05, 2023

      I didn't have nigella seeds on hand so made this dal without them. I think they would add interest, and I look forward to trying it again with them; perhaps experimenting with some other spice and aromatic additions too. I used Harukei turnip greens and really liked the addition as I sampled while it cooked, Their flavor was quite diminished after 20 minutes of simmering, so I would add them later next time. I was not confident about what the texture of this dal is supposed to be; following the cooking times in the recipe, I ended up with plumped lentils and a bit of watery liquid. I used a masher just lightly to give it a little body while retaining mostly the same texture. This was a simple recipe, pretty tasty but also felt like it was missing something (besides the nigella seeds). I'll probably experiment with the leftovers.

  • Rice pilaf with almonds and raisins

    • sosayi on January 07, 2019

      This was a fine rice side dish. It may have been the cooking method (my mother's instapot), but we found it a bit dense and stodgy. Fine, but may not repeat.

    • hillsboroks on May 13, 2015

      Lovely pilaf to serve with lamb. Did not have basmati rice so I substituted long grain brown rice and adjusted the cooking time accordingly. The final dish was delightful and my husband declared that this is his new favorite rice dish.

  • Shrimp biryani

    • Lepa on October 04, 2019

      I don't know why, but this recipe didn't work out so well for me. A rare miss from Madhur Jaffrey. I suspect my chicken broth, which wasn't great, was the culprit. Also, I apparently heeded the instructions to cook the rice over very low heat too well because at the end of twenty-five minutes the rice was still a bit raw (!?!) I had to add more stock (at least another cup) and cook it longer. By itself, this wouldn't be worth making but it was outstanding with the amazing Quick Sweet and Sour Guijarati Tomato Curry. MJ recommends eating them together and that curry would make anything taste good.

  • Coconut rice

    • hughb on February 26, 2013

      This is a go-to recipe in our house. Simple to make yet wonderfully flavorful. We pair it with grilled Indonesian peanut chicken. Always gets raves. And easy to prepare before people come over.

  • Curried brown rice

    • LaPomme on August 09, 2011

      The 2-inches of cinnamon stick splintered throughout the rice. Easy enough to avoid eating, but not pleasant to look at. I will consider skipping the cinnamon the next time around, to allow the flavors of tumeric, cayenne, and cumin to dominate.

  • Salaad

    • Stephenn31 on August 22, 2024

      A simple cooling side salad. Made with the lime. Don't miss the toasted cumin seeds.

  • Cauliflower cachumbar

    • eve_kloepper on November 01, 2011

      a nicely different way to prepare cauliflower; I used only 1/8 t. cayenne and added 1/4 t. Hungarian paprika; dish still had a nice but not overpowering hotness

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Reviews about this book

  • Fine Cooking

    Without eschewing traditions..., she has discovered simpler ways to achieve authentic flavors. Here, she shares her secrets and serves up 190 inviting recipes, many of them truly easy.

    Full review

Reviews about Recipes in this Book

  • ISBN 10 0307594408
  • ISBN 13 9780307594402
  • Published Oct 19 2010
  • Format eBook
  • Page Count 296
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Knopf
  • Imprint Knopf Publishing Group

Publishers Text

For all who love the magical flavors of good Indian cooking and want to reproduce effortlessly some of the delectable dishes from that part of the world, here is a groundbreaking book from the incomparable Madhur Jaffrey that makes it possible. By deconstructing age-old techniques and reducing the number of steps in a recipe, as well as helping us to understand the nature of each spice and seasoning, she enables us to make seemingly exotic Indian dishes part of our everyday cooking.

  • First, she tantalizes us with bite-size delights to snack on with drinks or tea.
  • A silky soup is mellowed with coconut milk; a spinach-and-ginger soup is perfumed with cloves.
  • Fish and seafood are transformed by simple rubs and sauces and new ways of cooking.
  • A lover of eggs and chicken dishes, Jaffrey offers fresh and easy ways to cook them, including her favorite masala omelet and simple poached eggs over vegetables. There’s chicken from western Goa cooked in garlic, onion, and a splash of vinegar; from Bombay, it’s with apricots; from Delhi, it’s stewed with spinach and cardamom; from eastern India, it has yogurt and cinnamon; and from the south, mustard, curry leaves, and coconut.
  • There is a wide range of dishes for lamb, pork, and beef with important tips on what cuts to use for curries, kebabs, and braises.
  • There are vegetable dishes, in a tempting array—from everyday carrots and greens in new dress to intriguing ways with eggplant and okra—served center stage for vegetarians or as accompaniments.
  • At the heart of so many Indian meals are the dals, rice, and grains, as well as the little salads, chutneys, and pickles that add sparkle, and Jaffrey opens up a new world of these simple pleasures.

Throughout, Madhur Jaffrey’s knowledge of and love of these foods is contagious. Here are the dishes she grew up on in India and then shared with her own family and friends in America. And now that she has made them so accessible to us, we can incorporate them confidently into our own kitchen, and enjoy the spice and variety and health-giving properties of this delectable cuisine.



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