This is a highly acclaimed comprehensive beginners' guide to cooking Pakistani and North Indian food, meant for homesick South Asian students living in the West and also anyone else who wishes to learn to cook this kind of food. The recipes in the book are very simple, precise, and basically foolproof. Contains all the information a beginner needs, from what equipment and spices to buy (and links to where one can buy them online), to which cooking oils to use, to basic cooking techniques and tips. Delicious recipes for meats, seafood, vegetables, daals (lentils), a variety of different kinds of rice, soups, chutneys and other accompaniments, as well as desserts are included. And there are high quality photographs with every single recipe so one knows what the finished dish should look like. It is by far the best book for people who wish to learn to cook Pakistani and North Indian food, even if they have never made a cup of tea before in their lives.
From the Introduction by S. Abbas Raza: "During my first weeks in college in America, I made desperate phone calls to my mother begging for recipes and even just wanting to know how to cook plain rice, as you might also have done. Alas, while my mother was an excellent cook, she was no expert in imparting cooking instruction over the phone or even in writing. Trying to follow her directions, I nearly killed myself, not to mention many of my friends.
But I did eventually learn to cook well with the help of family, friends, and much more effective in-person lessons from my mother when she would come to visit. It is easier these days to Google recipes or search on YouTube but for an inexperienced cook it can still be quite confusing and intimidating. So I’ve decided to collect all the information that you will need to start cooking Pakistani and North Indian food in one place, and I have very carefully written down exact recipes that are easy to follow."
"Real food that real people eat. In this book, Abbas Raza presents authentic, home-style food for the novice or experienced cook. His spicing is perfectly balanced. With easy and delicious recipes for family and friends, this cookbook is a jewel!" — Jenna Holst, author of Stews
"This cookbook certainly fulfills its promise of the evocation of home but there is also a delectable unpredictability to some of the recipes. For example, I had never had anything like the Sweet and Sour Green Beans and decided to try and cook this dish. It turned out fantastic! There are many other unexpected and delicious surprises in the book. Also, the photography is amazing!" — Sonia Ahsan
"The recipes are clear without being simplistic and Abbas Raza's tone is friendly and encouraging without condescension. Many books allow you to reconstruct the flavors of South Asia at the cost of days spent grinding spices and muttering incantations in dead languages; others are quick and convenient and bland. This one hits the delightful spot in-between, with quick spice-filled flavors that would satisfy any grandmother from the old country. And they're so easy to cook! I tested several recipes at a dinner party, juggling drunk guests, over-excited dogs and petulant ex-lovers, and they all turned out superbly. We ate so much we had to cancel our post-dinner dancing plans." — Rishidev Chaudhuri
"Abbas Raza's recipes are clear, concise and as close to being foolproof as is possible for a written cooking guide. A great gift for young students living on their own for the first time and also older cooks who have never before attempted to make Pakistani or North Indian food on their own."
— Ruchira Paul
"As a professional chef who's owned a catering company for 30 years, and who's worked with Indian cookbook authors on a number of occasions, I was really impressed by the breadth of the flavor profiles in Abbas Raza's recipes." — Lynn Buono, Chief Culinary Officer of Feast Your Eyes Catering
From the Introduction by S. Abbas Raza: "During my first weeks in college in America, I made desperate phone calls to my mother begging for recipes and even just wanting to know how to cook plain rice, as you might also have done. Alas, while my mother was an excellent cook, she was no expert in imparting cooking instruction over the phone or even in writing. Trying to follow her directions, I nearly killed myself, not to mention many of my friends.
But I did eventually learn to cook well with the help of family, friends, and much more effective in-person lessons from my mother when she would come to visit. It is easier these days to Google recipes or search on YouTube but for an inexperienced cook it can still be quite confusing and intimidating. So I’ve decided to collect all the information that you will need to start cooking Pakistani and North Indian food in one place, and I have very carefully written down exact recipes that are easy to follow."
"Real food that real people eat. In this book, Abbas Raza presents authentic, home-style food for the novice or experienced cook. His spicing is perfectly balanced. With easy and delicious recipes for family and friends, this cookbook is a jewel!" — Jenna Holst, author of Stews
"This cookbook certainly fulfills its promise of the evocation of home but there is also a delectable unpredictability to some of the recipes. For example, I had never had anything like the Sweet and Sour Green Beans and decided to try and cook this dish. It turned out fantastic! There are many other unexpected and delicious surprises in the book. Also, the photography is amazing!" — Sonia Ahsan
"The recipes are clear without being simplistic and Abbas Raza's tone is friendly and encouraging without condescension. Many books allow you to reconstruct the flavors of South Asia at the cost of days spent grinding spices and muttering incantations in dead languages; others are quick and convenient and bland. This one hits the delightful spot in-between, with quick spice-filled flavors that would satisfy any grandmother from the old country. And they're so easy to cook! I tested several recipes at a dinner party, juggling drunk guests, over-excited dogs and petulant ex-lovers, and they all turned out superbly. We ate so much we had to cancel our post-dinner dancing plans." — Rishidev Chaudhuri
"Abbas Raza's recipes are clear, concise and as close to being foolproof as is possible for a written cooking guide. A great gift for young students living on their own for the first time and also older cooks who have never before attempted to make Pakistani or North Indian food on their own."
— Ruchira Paul
"As a professional chef who's owned a catering company for 30 years, and who's worked with Indian cookbook authors on a number of occasions, I was really impressed by the breadth of the flavor profiles in Abbas Raza's recipes." — Lynn Buono, Chief Culinary Officer of Feast Your Eyes Catering
