Ayub - Perfectly easy Indian food: an essential guide to cooking traditional Indian favorites

Shahnaaz Ayub

Perfectly Easy
Indian Food

An Essential Guide to Cooking
Traditonal Indian Favorites

Published by Clink Street Publishing

Copyright 2014 Shahnaaz Ayub

First edition.

The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified
as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or
by any means without the prior consent of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than
that which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN: 978-909477-04-9
Ebook: 978-1-909477-05-6

Photographer: James Collier (Flickr:jamesvancollier)
Makeup artist and hairstylist: Rudina Belba
Also special thanks to Jacqueline Burke for her assistance

Indian food is loved by millions of people who have never visited the sub-continent but have been enticed by the smells and tastes of its wonderful cuisine. Being born and brought up in the United Kingdom, I have witnessed the evolution in British eclectic palates to the extent that today, Indian food is regarded as being the countrys most popular cuisine. Think of all the succulent and aromatic dishes you have relished in your favourite Indian restaurant. Now think of the joy of serving up these ever popular recipes at your own dinner table.

The curry houses serve the generic curries that we have all come to love and I have tried to provide an interesting cross-section of recipes to include the well known favourites and others that may be less familiar but equally evocative and delicious.

The fear that most people have about cooking Indian food is borne from their thinking that it involves numerous spices and is time consuming. This is a myth. In reality, cooking Indian food uses a very basic technique and the proportion of spices should be added to suit your individual taste. A quick trip every so often to the Asian stores scattered in little Indias nationally, or even on-line from Indian spice companies, should be enough to equip you with your spices many of which can be blended in one ingredient known as garam masala, leaving the others to be stored away but ready to use when needed.

This book contains a glossary of spices, with explanations of their origin, so it makes it easier for you to tailor-make your dish to suit your taste buds. The dishes I have included in this book are easy and often quick to put together and are full of flavour.

We all have a preconception of food from different countries which, in the main, has been influenced by how the cuisine is presented in our own country. This is either mostly restaurant-led or a sauce in a jar in the supermarket. Once you have experienced the ease with which my dishes can be made, your days of curry from a jar will be over. This book is equally suitable for beginners and experienced Indian cooks. It is ideal for gourmet dinner parties, but handy for snacks, salads and barbecues too. Eating proper Indian food will be a revelation and you will often find that dishes are much lighter than expected, with a lot of importance placed on freshness, aroma and colour, as well as being balanced and nutritious.

Being a working mother of three young children I realise the importance of being able to cook dishes for their simplicity but equally they have to be full of flavour and pleasure. Sometimes, time is short and with this in mind I have included flavoursome dishes that can be cooked in minutes. Others are more indulgent dishes that take time but can add that real wow factor to your dinner party and really impress your guests. So whether you want an easy but tasty dish for a mid-week family supper or something special for when you are entertaining guests, you are sure to find exactly the right recipe here.

I have read and possess a library of books on Indian cuisine and I have only found a handful of dishes from each book appealing. In this book I have sought to include the favourite dishes I get asked about all the time, but I have also taken into account regional foods as, over time, people have acquired the taste for the more authentic food. I love Indian food and this book has been a real culinary journey for me, as I hope it will be for you.

Its very easy to become completely daunted by the many spices used in Indian foods. Many of them can now be found in major supermarkets. I often watch very cautious shoppers in the Asian food aisles of supermarkets picking up packets of spices, examining them, smelling them, squeezing them and then nervously putting them back on the shelves and opting instead for the jarred version of the curry sauce they wanted to make. I feel my heart fall to my stomach each time and I have to resist the urge to give them reassurance in case they call Security. The truth is, its really like anything in life you wont know how simple something can be unless you have tried it first, and anything complicated can always be mastered after a few attempts. So dont lose heart if you get yourself into a pickle. It happens to the best of us. Just remember to persevere!

I am amazed by the selection of Indian spices Isee in major supermarkets nowadays. What a sign of the times and proof of the fact that more people are experimenting and developing the eclectic palate with world cuisine. Generally the supermarkets will sell cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, fresh ginger and garlic, paprika and cayenne pepper. Other ingredients have to be searched out from Indian or Pakistani delicatessens, which can be found in all major cities and small towns as well. Yes, were everywhere!