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Meena Pathak's Complete Indian Cooking
New Holland
ISBN 978-1-84773-159-3
Published August 2008 - Softcover - 224 pages - $19.95

I love Indian food more than I can tell you.  A good curry and sambals sustains me and fills me with absolute joy.  I had no idea Ms. Pathak was part, or should say, Director of Product Development of my all-time favorite cooking sauces company, Patak's.  I have at least five jars of their sauces and pastes and relishes (when I can find them!) which makes my Indian cooking in Colorado so much easier.  In her book we're taken on a brief tour of India and discover where saffron is grown, where basmati rice (superb) is grown, and what dishes come from which area.  India is also famous for its tea, especially Darjeeling tea.  They also have a flourishing seafood industry because of their huge coastline.  Pathak offers information about her home country as well as a breakdown of the popular ingredients like cardamom, fenugreek, garam masala, and tamarind among others.  We're treated to Starters, Snacks & Soups; Fish and Shellfish; Chicken, Eggs and Meat; Vegetable Dishes; Rice, Bread and Accompaniments, and Desserts and Drinks.  Plus, we get Indian Cooking for Family and Friends which includes Quick Fixes; Everyday Family Meals; Easy Entertaining, and Home Comforts and Special Occasions.  I have to try these recipes: Cardamom-flavored Chicken; Prawns in a Coconut Cream Sauce; Vegetable Biryani; Chickpea Curry; Pasta with Curry Sauce (a way to combine my two favorite foods); Monkfish with Mushrooms, and Chicken with Spring Onions.  You don't need a trillion spices, and what you do need, is usually available at stores, and if not, definitely online.  I always say "thank goodness for Patak's" and mean it.  I highly recommend their Korma Curry Cooking Sauce for a shrimp curry — it's absolutely divine.  (E-mail me if you'd like my recipe.)  Visit the Pataks' website at www.pataks.co.uk.
Beautifully illustrated.  No nutritional guides.
Conclusion - Scrumptuous food and something everyone should try.  It could change your life.