Prashad – Cooking with Indian Masters

Prashad – Cooking with Indian Masters
By J. Kalra and Gupta Singh

Binding:  Hardcover with dust jacket
Type of Cookbook:  Indian
Photography:  Limited color food photography and b/w photographs of the authors
Level of Cooking Skills required:  A range of basic to intermediate skills required
Contents:  212 pages of recipes broken down into several categories and also by local regions
Pros:  Authentic and intricate curries fill the pages.  Spice laden recipes lead to incredibly rich dishes.  And, the complex spice blends give each dish many layers of flavor that blend harmoniously.
Cons:  The binding and printing quality is a bit rustic with imperfections seen in both.  There is no index.   The table of contents lists all the recipes by their Indian names with only three chutneys and the appendices giving an English translation. 

This cookbook certainly has a few flaws.  But, the real test of any cookbook is the quality of the recipes.  And, by that standard, this is one book that shines brightly above all the rest.  While, I don’t doubt that there are better Indian cookbooks written in their native language.  For those of us needing an English translation, this is one book that gets added to a very short list of cookbooks that give us a hint of the true Indian cuisine we all hope to duplicate in our own kitchen.  My only real complaint for this book is the short length.  A country the size of India and with its culinary diversity, the authors could easily fill a cookbook twice this size.  We’re left wanting more… and hoping for a sequel!

Verdict:  This cookbook is a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in producing high quality Indian cuisine.