The culinary art in India has passed from father to son or through an apprentice working for the master for several years. They keep secret their methods of preparation, as if they were practicing alchemy...

{HISTORY}

...and so begins, Mrs. Balbir Singh's Indian Cookery book, first published in 1961.

Cooking instructor, chef, and writer, Mrs. Balbir Singh (1912-1994) is often referred to as the Julia Child of India, breaking down the basics of Indian cooking for a wider audience outside of her home country. Up until the mid-20th century, it was difficult to record the exact techniques, preparations, and ingredient levels of most traditional dishes in India because they varied by location, were unique to the families that passed them down, and were viewed as sacred family heirlooms not to be shared but coveted. 

Mrs. Singh set out to produce a cookbook that condensed and combined regional recipes into a single volume representing the country of India as a whole.  Intended for English-speaking epicureans, her goal was to bring to light the traditional methods and techniques that seemed so mysterious when it came to discussing Indian food and the making of it.

What resulted was a cookbook so concise, so informative and so easy to follow,  it formed the basis for traditional Indian cooking abroad and still informs how Indian food outside of its own country is prepared around the globe today.

Although she did help out in the family kitchen as a girl growing up in British-ruled India, it wasn't until Mrs. Singh's honeymoon when she first truly experienced what bad food tasted like that her interest in the culinary sciences was sparked. A move to England following her marriage encouraged her cooking career as she prepared authentic meals for British friends and Indian ex-pats longing for a taste of home.

She didn't know then that her skills would eventually lead her to become an authority on Indian cooking, nor that as a cooking instructor, she would come to teach other newly marrieds the art of cooking as well. But that authentic journey from novice to expert is what made her not only a highly-regarded author and teacher but also a curious culinary adventurer who kept refining and refining her country's recipes until they came to be suitable for all home cooks regardless of skill level. 

This book, now a rare find in this edition, is from the second printing published in 1965. In addition to Mrs. Singh's detailed instructions, some recipes have been augmented with cooking notes from a previous reader, making it a cooking experience refined by two experts in the kitchen. 

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

- Second revised printing published in 1965 by Mills & Boon Limited,  London 

- 207 pages

- Recipe titles include both the traditional Indian name and the American equivalent

- Discussing everything from equipment to use to basic culinary Indian foundation foods (ghee, garam masala, yogurt, spice blends etc.) to Indian culinary terms and measurements in metric, ounces, and American standard) this go-to guide presents a well-rounded understanding of Indian food from the ground up. 

- Recipe titles include both the traditional Indian name and the American equivalent

- Interesting recipes include Whole Chicken Curry (dry), Tandoori Chicken Cooked in Butter and Tomato Sauce, Ginger Pork and Pineapple, Plain Pullao, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Indian Cream Cheese and Pea Curry, Shallow Fried Pancake of Ground Rice and Split Black Beans, Toast for Kings, Grated Carrot Pudding, Pastry Stuffed with Peas and Potatoes, Green Mango Preserve, Mango Marmalade, and Pistachio Nut Toffee 

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition. This book is very clean inside and out. As stated above, there are notations on several recipes from a previous owner. All pages are intact, the spine is tight and the cover boards are clean and unmarked. 

{SIZE}

Measures 8.75" inches (length) x 5.75" inches (width) x .75" inches (thickness) and weighs 13oz.