Buy used: $21.06

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Tuesday, April 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 11 hrs 9 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by Shakespeare Book House

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Follow the author

Madhur Jaffrey

Follow

An Invitation to Indian Cooking Paperback – April 19, 2011

by Madhur Jaffrey (Author)

554

See all formats and editions

The classic guide to the foods of India from the “queen of Indian cooking” (Saveur)—a James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame inductee—and author of Madhur Jaffrey's Instantly Indian Cookbook and Vegetarian India.

The book that introduced the rich and fascinating cuisine of India to America and a landmark work of culinary literature, An Invitation to Indian Cooking makes clear just how extraordinarily subtle, varied, and delicious the food of the subcontinent can be. From formal recipes for parties to the leisurely making of dals, pickles, and relishes, Jaffrey’s “invitation” has proved irresistible for generations of American home cooks.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Knopf
Publication date

April 19, 2011
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

9780375712111
ISBN-13

978-0375712111
See all details

Monisha Bharadwaj
1,612
Hardcover
39 offers from $20.65
Meera Sodha
2,808
Hardcover
65 offers from $14.39
Shamil Thakrar
8,128
Hardcover
in Indian Cooking, Food & Wine
62 offers from $14.90
Madhur Jaffrey
394
Hardcover
58 offers from $18.00
Maneet Chauhan
732
Hardcover
in General India Travel Guides
66 offers from $13.95
Maya Kaimal
76
Hardcover
62 offers from $13.99

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The final word on the subject.... Perhaps the best Indian cookbook available in English.” —The New York Times

“A volume that had much to do with so many Indian dinner parties and countless curries being prepared in American and British kitchens. Something about [Jaffrey’s] recipes and writing style makes the cuisine seem exotic and enchanting while still entirely doable.” —Serious Eats

“Jaffrey’s graceful writing and fascinating content led me to trust her.... [An Invitation to Indian Cooking] invited and seduced me.” —Gourmet

About the Author

MADHUR JAFFREY is the author of many previous cookbooks—seven of which have won James Beard Awards—and was named to the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation. She is the recipient of an honorary CBE from Queen Elizabeth II for her services to drama and promoting the appreciation of Indian food and culture. She is also an award-winning actress, having won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, with numerous major motion pictures to her credit. She lives in New York City.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Sweet Tomato Chutney
Makes 2 1/2 cups

I make this chutney with canned tomatoes. You could, if you like, use fresh tomatoes when they are in season and really tasty. To peel them, you will need to drop them in boiling vinegar. When the skin crinkles, life them out and peel. Then proceed with the recipe. When cooked, this chutney is sweet and sour, thick and garlicky.
1 whole head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of fresh ginger, about 2 inches long, 1 inch thick, and 1 inch wide, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups wine vinegar
1-pound 12-ounce can whole tomatoes (or 2 pounds fresh tomatoes prepared as suggested above)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds

Put the chopped garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup of the vinegar into the container of an electric blender and blend at high speed until smooth. In a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot with nonmetallic finish, place the tomatoes and juice from the can, the rest of the vinegar, the sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper (or, if you prefer, add the cayenne at the end, a little at a time, stirring and tasting as you do so). Bring to a boil. Add purée from the blender. Lower heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until chutney becomes thick. (A film should cling to a spoon dipped in it.) Stir occasionally at first, and more frequently later as it thickens. You may need to lower the heat as the liquid diminishes. You should end up with about 2 1/2 cups of chutney, and it should be at least as thick as honey after it cools. If the canned tomatoes you use have a lot of liquid in them, a longer cooking time may be required, resulting in a little less chutney.
Add the almonds and raisins. Simmer, stirring, another 5 minutes. Turn heat off and allow to cool. Bottle. Keep refriderated.
To serve: Since this is one of my favorite sweet chutneys, I always spoon out a small bowl of it for all my dinner parties. It goes with almost all foods and is very popular. Store, bottled, in the refrigerator. It keeps for months.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0375712119
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Knopf; unknown edition (April 19, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780375712111
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375712111
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #643,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #239 in Indian Cooking, Food & Wine
- #280 in Gourmet Cooking (Books)
- #1,972 in Celebrity & TV Show Cookbooks

Customer Reviews:
554

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Madhur Jaffrey

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Madhur Jaffrey is a cookbook author, TV chef, illustrator, and award-winning actress originally from Delhi, India. She's won the Burt Greene Award for Food Journalism and lives in New York City.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

554 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all photos

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

elle bee

2nd purchase to replace one I wore out.

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

We have loved and used this book for many years. Some great and delicious recipes in here. This is a classic!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

JoAnne Pagliasotti

Excellent cookbook!

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023

Verified Purchase

I'm looking forward to trying many of these recipes.

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

Cookbook was great, as described

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2023

Verified Purchase

Madhur Jaffrey is my favorite cookbook author, and I own the original of this book. I was pleased to see that her classic "Indian Cooking" had a new 50th Anniversary Edition and ordered it as a Christmas gift for a friend who wants to learn how to make Indian food. I am very disappointed to see that this new edition is missing all of the colored photos of the prepared dishes that were in the original. Photos are a helpful guideline to someone who is new at cooking a cuisine. And I didn't expect a 50th Anniversary Edition to be lesser in quality than the original.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Lynn

Great gift

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2023

Verified Purchase

I bought this book as a housewarming gift for friends. It was very well received.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

S. Ball

What a great cookbook!

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2014

Verified Purchase

I love this cookbook! I have many favorite dishes from this cookbook that I cook again and again. I bought this copy for my son, because he loves the recipes also. The directions are written for people not familiar with Indian cuisine. The amounts are precise, and given in U.S. and metric measurements. The stages of cooking are given approximate times, and for most of the recipes I find the times are reasonably accurate for my stovetop. There are often suggestions for tweaking the dishes to make them hotter, cooler, sweeter, etc. There are suggestions for substitutions if you can't find one of the ingredients. There are also suggestions for pairing main courses with side dishes. One of the best sections is on how to cook rice, using various methods. This is how I finally learned to make great rice! The photos of the dishes make my mouth water!

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

BoiseBoyce

Excellent Indian Food

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2011

Verified Purchase

I ordered this used book after borrowing a copy from a friend. The book lacks pictures but the recipes and stories seem authentic. The recipes are very well explained. It helps that the book lists alternative ingredients for certain vegetables or spices not available in regular American grocery stores. I've tried several of the recipes and they have been a huge hit with my family and guests. I love that the recipes are not shortened or over simplified "American" versions. The recipes do take time and really have that true exotic flavor I was seeking. I'm tired of 30 minute quickie American meals. I really appreciate the authentic flavors I'm finding in this cookbook. It was also a huge help that many of the recipes recommend other recipes or sides dishes in the book which will compliment the main dish. I also like the stories or serving customs in the book which can be retold to my family as I'm offering the new dish. I will definitely look for other cookbooks from this author.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Alisturk MacNanty

GREAT RECIPE BOOK FOR LOVERS OF INDIAN QUISINE!

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2023

Verified Purchase

This book was recommended to me by a friend as one that is considered the "must-have" for those who love to cook and love Indian cuisine. A "Must Have" in your recipe book library!!!

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Shaukat A. Husain

The best book of Indian cooking.

Reviewed in Canada on September 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

This is a book I used when I was a student and have given to my sons and friends who are interested in cooking Indian / Pakistani food.
There are many other books but this is all you need.

3 people found this helpful

Amazon Kunde

cookbook

Reviewed in Germany on February 13, 2024

Verified Purchase

nice to read

One person found this helpful

Jorge Queiroga

Muy bueno

Reviewed in Spain on November 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

Este livro contém receitas muito saborosas

Translate review to English

Scotlanda

One of Madhur’s Best!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 14, 2022

Verified Purchase

I like Madhur Jaffrey’s writing style and I love her recipes. This cookbook is an oldie, but a goodie. It is her first cookery book and contains more background information and a seemingly larger selection of recipes than The better-known Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery. My own copy of that particular title is a large hardcover with beautiful photographs. It was that cookery book that introduced Indian food cooked at home through the accompanying BBC TV series in the 1980s.
I have had nothing but success when cooking anything from An Invitation to Indian Cooking.
All recipes are detailed and explained very well. There are no pictures in this book, and because it is clearly an old skool edition it’s packed full of information, tips, anecdotes and history of each recipe , I didn’t feel that glossy photographs were needed. All the recipes you could ever want are here in this book. I have about a dozen of Madhur’s books - some are more modern, incorporating shortcuts or using less oil in a dish. This one however is one of my most used and favourite cookery books and in my opinion a must for anyone who appreciates traditional Indian recipes from a legend.

5 people found this helpful