Amazon.co.uk Review
Madhur Jaffrey presumably doesn't mean to give offence with the title of Foolproof Indian Cookery, but she and her publishers must reckon that there are a lot of people who enjoy eating Indian food but haven't the first idea how to prepare it. Fair enough. This addition to the BBC's Foolproof series sets out to provide exactly that guidance and does so with Jaffrey's customary expertise, perfect taste and lack of condescension, with copious clear illustrations of both the cooking processes and the finished results.

The recipes cover soups, starters, meat, fish, poultry and eggs, and accompaniments (no desserts, calculating, perhaps, that the very sweet Indian varieties are not to everyone's taste), and include pretty much everything one would expect to find, including the infamous Chicken Tikka Masala. In a concluding helpful gesture, sample menus pull the dishes together into different categories of balanced, well-structured meal. The Elegant Dinner Party, for example, comprises Moghlai Lamb with Sultanas, Green Lentils with Lemon Slices, Plain Basmati Rice, Moghlai Spinach with Browned Shallots and Tomato and Onion Cachumbar (a salad). The Family Meal, by contrast, consists of the simple but extremely satisfying combination of Rogan Josh, Potatoes with Cumin, accompanied by Flaky Flatbreads with Cumin Seeds. Delicious food, presented in a straightforward, uncomplicated manner. --Robin Davidson

Available on-line in the UK from Amazon.co.uk