Magical spice powders, sizzling dried whole spices, noisy popping saucepans, aromatic smells, colourful foods... this is what sums up great home-cooked Indian food. In this book, Nitisha walks
you through a myriad of spices to understand how each one adds flavour, as well as how they complement each other for different dishes. Most traditional Indian dishes incorporate the use of
various different purées, pastes and spice blends. They all contribute to different functions of a dish whether that be aroma, flavour, taste, texture, mouth feel or appearance, and so she
begins by setting out the basic pastes, purees, masalas and toppings that can be used throughout the book. The excitement, freshness and snack-friendly appeal of street food leads to an
explosive mixture of flavours in recipes for Fish Pakoras, Smokin’ Fiery Chicken Wings, Batata Vadas (deep-fried spiced potato), Samosa Chaat and Dhokla Muffins. The beauty of curry is that
nothing defines what makes a good curry – recipes vary meaning that the possibilities are endless. Nitisha’s recipes for curry include Keralan King Prawn Curry, Uncle Rambo’s Goat Curry, Paneer
Kaghai and Gosht Aloo Saag Masala. Celebratory dishes are also here, with Masala Grilled Lobster, Tandoori Spatchcock Poussin and Hariyali Salmon. While vegetarian dishes are great as sides and
main meals: try a variety of dhals, Channa Masala, and Pili Pili Chips. And if all that wasn’t feast enough, finish up with some sweet treats, such as Pistachio and Rose Water Ice Cream, and
Mango and Mint Kulfi.
