I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I am so happy that I was able to read this and have a feeling that I will be purchasing a physical copy to refer back to in the future. As someone who loves Indian foods and spices this book was just perfect. There are only 55 pages of text before we get to the recipes but Sarasin managed to pack those pages with so much information and half of that is focused on Indian food and cuisine so there is more to digest than just the author's story which I have noticed in a few other cookbooks I’ve used. I also appreciated the glossary at the front and index at the back which makes it easy to be able to find what you want regardless of where you open the book. There are so many different recipes included in this book that there’s something for everyone especially with ‘Breads and Beyond’ and ‘Deserts & Beverages’ being included as separate chapters. I also appreciated the chapter on Masalas, Chutneys and Sauces as it means I can make masalas at home rather than trying to find a store that carries them all which I haven’t managed to find yet.

This book had my stomach grumbling. I wish i coukd magically whip up all of these delicious recipes. This cookbook had a good beginning explaining the Chef’s story, spices, terminology and Indian cuisine before diving into the recipes. The recipes are easy to follow and have gorgeous photos accompanying them. We certainly eat with our eyes and both the chef and photographer did an amazing job making it come alive.

4 Stars - this is an incredibly useful cookbook, filled with dozens of indian recipes. As someone whose knowledge of Indian food is limited to the basics, I found this book to be filled with recipes that I had never heard of. As someone who deals with texture issues in foods, there were some recipes that I had to pass on trying; that being said, I absolutely loved such as the Dry Roast Pork, Masala French Toast, Kheer, Tandoori Masala, and all of the various Lassi and Chai recipes.

As a westerner, the one thing I do wish this book included more of is a description as to what the dishes are, their origins and their significance to different regions. I view cookbooks as not only a guide for recipes but a source of knowledge and history of the food. Unfortunately, this second part was lacking.

Overall, if you are looking for indian dishes and drinks to try, I highly recommend picking up this book.