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Indian Food Made Easy
by Anjum Anand

Synopsis
In her new "BBC2" series, Anjum Anand travels around the UK creating delicious Indian food that is light and healthy and bursting with flavour. Beginning with easy finger food and light grills, perfect for TV snacks, Anjum then goes onto visit a country fair in Dorset where she cooks Indian street food, creates a tasty lamb curry for some hungry firemen, and cooks up a seafood feast on the beach for a group of Cornish surfers. All the recipes from the TV series are included with chapters on Light snacks, Seafood, Meat and Poultry, Vegetables, Lentils and Beans, Rice and Breads, Chutneys and Raitas, and Desserts and Drinks. Anjum is passionate about using fresh, local and seasonal produce with all the ingredients readily available in supermarkets. Throughout the book, there are tips and techniques as well as expert secrets from some of the country's top Indian chefs.

Amazon.co.uk
One of the reasons for the great success of the television series Indian Food Made Easy is Anjum Anand’s clear and straightforward presentation, rendering these recipes manageable (or least convincing us that they are within our own particular range). There is also a commendable avoidance of gimmicks -- particularly welcome in an era when TV chefs feel obliged to adopt unusual or eccentric personae to grab attention. And it's particularly pleasing to note that all of these qualities are in evidence in this book of the series: straightforward, concise recipes (illustrated only with tempting pictures of the food itself, rather than the presenter striking various telegenic poses -- she is to be seen on the cover only, admittedly looking Nigella Lawson-like). And given that Indian food is noted more for its delicious taste than its healthy properties, Anjum Anand takes on the negative reputation that the cuisine has in this regard, and comes up with alternatives to the standard high-fat ingredients (that's not to say that she doesn't unashamedly tackle such things where necessary -- taste is definitely the overriding consideration in this book). And with such recipes as Mangalorean chicken (with its mouth-watering combination of coconut, coriander and large fat red chillies) and wild mushroom and pilaff -- all presented in the most accessible and uncomplicated fashion -- this book is likely to accelerate the already considerable acceptance of Indian cookery for non-Indian aspirants. - Barry Forshaw

Buy it! (August 2007)
Reviewer: Muz Ali "Muz"

I've had this book 2 weeks now and it is quite simply brilliant. Anjum Anand marinates many of her curries overnight - brilliant for those of us who work, prep for 5-10minutes the night before and you have a delectable meal with minimal work the day after. I have never made naan before but have made it 3 times following her recipe - brilliant. I do feel she overdoses on the garam masala and I tend to cut down on this. The only thing I would say puts this book down a little is her advice on salt which is 'to taste'. Most novice cooks have a problem with adding the correct amount so i think she would be better off (like madhur jaffery does) being more specific about the amount.

Recipes I have tried include sweet bengal gram - mouthwatering (I added a tidge of tamarind paste), and curried meatballs again lovely - however Idid reduce the garam masala.

Healthier Indian Cooking Made Simple (August 2007)
Reviewer: Binka

I love curries and have bought 2 or 3 curry recipe books already in my quest to be able to recreate a good take away curry in my own kitchen.

I've bought this book and tried 2 recipes already and have to say they're very close to the real thing. The recipes are simple to follow and use ingredients that you should be able to get in your supermarket. You don't need to be an expert cook to follow the recipes. The main bonus for me is that you know whats going in your meal and the recipes are healthier than what I suspect goes in a takeaway curry.

It isn't all curry though, plenty of starters, side dishes and other dishes. There are chapters on snacks, seafood, poultry, meat, vegetables, lentils and beans, rice and breads, chutney, desserts and drinks. I'd thoroughly recommend this book.

Indian Food Made easy (August 2007)
Reviewer: Ember Dog

I bought this book after being inspired from the fantastic cookery programme and thankfully I have not yet been disappointed.It is a great book that has so many brilliant and easy recipes. They do take some time in preparing the ingredients such as the spices but once you have this mastered the recipes are quick and simple. I cooked several of the recipes for a dinner party of 12 including children and everyone both commented on how lovely the food was AND took some of the recipes home with them. One of the people who took the recipe NEVER cooks home made food so I figured it must have been good! I would thoroughly recommend this book as it is truelly inspiring. I have never cooked Indian food but I can honestly say that I enjoyed the experience immensly. Fantastic! Will be buying her other publication asap.

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