When I received this book as a Christmas present from my aunt in 2007, I was equal parts thrilled and sceptical. Andrew and I love Indian food (it’s the national cuisine of Britain, after all) but I found the idea of actually cooking it somewhat intimidating. The long lists of ingredients, the hard-to-find and hard-to-pronounce items, the confusing techniques. Aside from the odd curry of dubious authenticity, I hadn’t ventured much into this territory at all.

On first impression, however, I felt that I could handle cooking from this book. Reassuringly simple ingredient lists, beautiful photography and straightforward instructions convinced me that this was good, modern Indian food. I was surprised, then, when my Mum told me that this very book had in fact been sitting in her kitchen for about a decade. Originally published in 1996, Quick & Easy Indian Cooking is simply a clever re-print.

But what a re-print! Colourful, beautifully photographed and enhanced with evocative Indian-style graphics, this book is a real looker. Softcover and with a landscape layout, it feels much more modern, accessible and digestible than my Mum’s battered old copy.

Of course, anyone who’s been at all interested in food writing in the past 30 years or so will know that Madhur Jaffrey is the word in Indian cooking. Her books introduced a generation of North Americans to this vibrant cuisine, and is still the first person many people think of when they think of Indian food. To the modern cookbook-addict, however, Madhur’s prose takes some getting used to. Once I’d read the book through for the first time, I remember telling my Mum that while I loved recipes, I had trouble warming to their author. She just didn’t seem like a real person to me. To which Mum replied “Oh, well; Madhur came along before food writers were expected to be personalities as well as cooks.” Huh? But it’s true- the slightly more distant tone of writers past can be a bit of a shock to those of us who imagine we’re on a first-name basis with our favourite authors. (Yup, that’s me.)

As for the recipes- everything I’ve made out of this book comes with rave reviews. Stir-Fried Shrimp in an Aromatic Tomato-Cream Sauce (pg. 73) was a great place to start; the flavours felt Western enough to ease me into Indian cooking gently, yet Eastern enough to feel like I’d achieved something. At my parents’ urging we then tried the delicious Garlicky Mushroom Masala Omelette (pg. 44) which has since become a house favourite. Curried Tuna (pg. 76) is incredible in sandwiches, and Whole Green Lentils with Cilantro and Mint (pg. 86) is a wonderfully fresh, summery curry. In the future, I’m looking forward to trying the Carrot and Green Bean Pickle (pg. 117) and even tackling some of the desserts- Minty Lassi (pg. 122) and Banana Halva (pg. 128) look especially good.

There are things here that I won’t be trying, of course. The book has a slightly meaty slant, and obviously I won’t be tucking into Lamb Vindaloo (pg. 34) anytime soon. The omnivores among you will love it, though: the meat recipes all look delicious. Even the photo of “Hamburger” Kebabs (pg. 25) is enough to make me consider throwing my vegetarianism to the wind; if I read the description, I’m in trouble. While there are many vegetarian options in the Legumes and Vegetables chapter, most of them read like sides, and a couple more vegetarian mains wouldn’t have gone amiss here.

All in all, Quick & Easy Indian Cooking is a great introduction to Indian cooking, featuring recipes that are simple to prepare yet impressively authentic. My confidence has improved to the point where I’m ready to branch out and try other Indian cookbooks, which of course is the point of an introductory book like this. For anyone looking to try their hand at the flavours of India, I would definitely recommend this book.