The saffron yellow and pink peacock cover is a hint of what’s to come: inside, India comes alive with a riot of colours, landscapes and vibrant street scenes juxtaposed with food markets and mouthwatering dishes.
Flavours and scents literally leap off the pages as Christine’s evocative journal of her extensive travels in India brings together the food influences in every region she visits.
Author of five other cookbooks including Fire: A World of Flavours, which was previously reviewed in TASTE, Christine's books are loved for her writing – so it’s quite possible to choose a recipe for dinner but be distracted or seduced by the story she tells about the dish.
Her dishes are varied in their difficulty but some are so easy that you’ll find yourself bringing a taste of India into your everyday meals with ease.
Super quick are the deepfried mashed potato patties filled with a spiced dal (with Kashmiri garam masala, chilli and turmeric) served with a mint chutney. And deliciously satisfying is the lamb and pumpkin tarkari, a Nepalese-style curry, but the Keralan beetroot curry is one of the prettiest vegetarian dishes.
There’s a whole selection of Ayurvedic recipes too – just one of the many specialities of this gastronomic paradise reflected over 500 beautiful pages. (Lantern/Penguin, R480)
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