Indian food, like Indian life, is filled with colour, says the author – and anyone with even an nth of exploratory energy in their soul will want to pack their bags and fly off to this exotic faraway land IMMEDIATELY once you absorb the colourful characters and street scenes that introduce this book. Torie True grew up in rural Sussex in the UK but her husband was born in Kolkata and when she met his family, and was immersed in their culinary world, she wanted to learn. Here she shares her knowledge, built up slowly like an oil painting, using spices and fresh herbs, which she describes in detail, as her palette. Kaleidoscopic images introduce the chapters – from breakfasts through snacks, dals, vegetables, seafood and meat, to breads, chutneys and sweet treats. There are familiar dishes (think Lamb Rogan Josh, Kachumber Salad and Naan Bread) mixed in with modernised ones (Unripe Jackfruit Curry or Tropical Pavlova with Cardamom Cream). Most of the 106 recipes are not overly complex – the Cherry Tomato Masoor Dal went straight on my easy winter-lunch list – and there’s plenty to tempt the vegan and vegetarian palate (79 recipes to be exact). There’s also a section on crafting spice mixes to speed up the process, and a guide at the end for grouping dishes together for all sorts of gatherings – from family meals to guests for tea, dinner parties and, my personal favourite, late-night munchies. If you can’t take an instant trip to India to partake of this rich culinary culture, experimenting in your own kitchen could be the next best thing. Claire McCall
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