I know that Indian foods from all its different regions will thrill your palates. They may, if your play your cards right, even uplift your soul." Madhur Jaffrey

{HISTORY}

Long before Madhur Jaffrey became a culinary icon, she was a wife and a mom and an actress living in New York City. A lusty sense of nostalgia and a desire to share some of her heritage foods with her American friends led Madhur to communicate with her mom via letters about the recipes she missed most from her homeland of India. That 15-year communication via mail with her mom led to Madhur's first cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking published in 1973. 

Next, she was off on a seven-year East Asian culinary adventure visiting Japan. Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea, and her own homeland of India to collect and record authentic vegetarian recipes from those cultures. The result of all that travel was a second cookbook published in 1981, Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking.

By the time A Taste of India, her fifth cookbook was published in 1986, Madhur's culinary reputation for outstanding authentic Indian cuisine was firmly established.  Exploring India's diverse food customs and heritage, complete with a plethora of travel photographs, A Taste of India reads as much like a visitor's guide as it does a recipe book, giving home cooks the chance to fully immerse themselves in the history and culture of fourteen distinct regions throughout India. 

Interwoven with family stories, atmospheric memories from Madhur's childhood and historical context surrounding each recipe, this cookbook is packed with fascinating information about what, how and why Indians eat the way they do and how home cooks can capture the essence of authentic Indian cuisine in their own American kitchens.  This specific cookbook was also hand-signed by Madhur herself, adding another layer of intimacy and personality to the overall presentation.

Exploring a vast array of different culinary foods each prepared according to the customs and traditions found in a myriad of diverse topographical locations around the country from mountains to deserts to tropical lowlands and coastal areas, A Taste of India highlights Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kashmir, Bengal, Hyderabad, Tamil, Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. 

Interesting recipes include Potatoes Cooked with Ginger, Chickpea Flour Stew with Dumplings, Steamed Savoury Cakes, Walnut Chutney, Kashmiri Spinach, Chicken with Fresh Green Coriander, Fish in Bengali Sauce, Shrimp Cooked with Coconut Milk, Vegetables Cooked with Split Peas, Eggplants with Apple, Rice with Tomatoes and Spinach, Punjabi Black-Eyed Peas and Rice Cooked in Aromatic Broth.

{SPECIAL FEATURES}

• 1986 First American edition
• Signed by Madhur Jaffrey on front endpaper
• 255 pages
• Includes cooking/ingredient glossary 
• Illustrated throughout with color photographs 
• Contains original dust jacket

{CONDITION}

In lovely vintage condition, this cookbook is clean and bright throughout with no cooking spots, stains or notations. The dust jacket is entirely intact and has been reinforced on the interior side at the spine with archival paper at top and bottom. The spine is tight and all pages are intact.

{SIZE}

Measures 10.75" inches 9length) x 7.5' inches (width) x 1" inch (thickness) and weighs 2.10 lbs