While working from home, having or acquiring the ability to make easy, healthy and scrumptious food is high on our to-do-lists. So what if you haven’t even boiled an egg before? These five beautiful and accessible cookery books will help you transform from a novice to the head chef in your kitchen in no time!
1. Dishoom by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar and Naved Nasir
“The cookbook we’ve been waiting for” – Women’s Health
At long last, Dishoom share the secrets to their much sought-after Bombay comfort food: the Bacon Naan Roll, Black Daal, Okra Fries, Jackfruit Biryani, Chicken Ruby and Lamb Raan, along with Masala Chai, coolers and cocktails.
As you learn to cook the comforting Dishoom menu at home, you will also be taken on a day-long tour of south Bombay, peppered with much eating and drinking. You’ll discover the simple joy of early chai and omelette at Kyani and Co., of dawdling in Horniman Circle on a lazy morning, of eating your fill on Mohammed Ali Road, of strolling on the sands at Chowpatty at sunset or taking the air at Nariman Point at night.
This beautiful cookery book and its equally beautiful photography will transport you to Dishoom’s most treasured corners of an eccentric and charming Bombay. Read it, and you will find yourself replete with recipes and stories to share with all who come to your table.
2. Masala: Indian Cooking for Modern Living by Mallika Basu
Wholesome recipes, bold flavours and easy cheats to create a true taste of India in a modern kitchen
Food writer Mallika Basu grew up enjoying exotic flavours from across India in an unconventional, bustling home in Kolkata – and then spent years recreating them in a London kitchen. Now she shares those recipes, techniques and shortcuts so you too can cook wholesome, real Indian food simply.
Embrace weekday dinners with lightly spiced fish curry, wok-friendly Goan chilli beef fry or silken kofta curry made with packs of ready-rolled meatballs. For leisurely weekends, tuck into a feast of Vindaloo pulled pork; give your Sunday roast a sumptuous twist with spicy marinades, or enjoy a whole roasted cauliflower encrusted with nut butter. And that’s before you even think about swirling dosa and more for a full-on Indian brunch.
Mallika’s recipes respect the past and celebrate the present in an easy and informal way that will broaden your understanding of Indian cooking, and inspire you to return to these simple recipes time and time again.
3. Lose Weight & Get Fit by Tom Kerridge
Following on from the No.1 bestseller Lose Weight for Good, top chef Tom Kerridge shows you how to shed the pounds and kick-start a more active lifestyle with ALL of the maximum-taste, lower-calorie recipes from his upcoming BBC2 TV series.
Having lost more than 12 stone in the last five years, Tom knows from experience how important it is to motivate yourself to start dieting and exercising – and to stay on track.
“When I first set out to lose weight, I concentrated mainly on what I was eating,” he says. “But now I know that it’s to do with fitness as well: the two working together is the winning formula for getting maximum results and maintaining those results long term. And the number one rule when it comes to eating well on a diet is to keep food interesting! Every recipe in this book not only sustains you through the day, but provides fantastic tastes and textures with each mouthful.”
With light bites and veggie feasts, meal-prep to see you through the week and tasty sweet treats, Tom has got it covered. The focus is on BOLD FLAVOURS and BIG PORTION SIZES, so you’ll never go hungry, and you’ll always feel satisfied. Recipes include Quick black dhal; Steak tacos with burnt corn salsa; Charred mackerel and potato salad; Lamb bhuna; blueberry meringue sundaes, and many more.
At the back of the book, you’ll find a fantastic bonus chapter with a cardio workout and strength exercises that you can do from home with minimal equipment. It’s all about taking control of your life in a positive way, so get ready to EAT better, DO more and LOSE WEIGHT with Tom Kerridge!
4. Shaker Sutra: The Tulleeho Book of Cocktails by Vikram Achanta
The people behind hundreds of cocktail workshops involving over 10,000 Indians and a one-of-a-kind drinks website, tulleeho.com have put together all the advice you need to turn a corner of your home into what you’ve seen only in starry hotels.
The first cocktail book of its kind with a uniquely Indian focus, Shaker Sutra – The Tulleeho Book of Cocktails provides you with information about the techniques and different styles of mixing drinks, including easy-to-follow cocktail recipes with accessible desi ingredients. Peppering the recipes are delightful trivia, anecdotes and facts, making the reading priceless for the home bartending enthusiast or even the most serious social drinker.
5. Caperberry by Abhijit Saha
The Caperberry story should appeal to a wide and varied audience for several reasons. When Chef Abhijit Saha wanted to venture out as an entrepreneur after 18 long years of passionate work and learning in the kitchen, he wanted to create a restaurant that was special. Caperberry has been a trend-setter, not only with its avant garde European cuisine in India, but also in the way it was created and is managed and nurtured. This makes the story engaging for everyone who is interested in modern cooking and understanding the nuances of operating a fine dining restaurant with its highs and lows.
Which of these bestselling books are you going to take with you in the kitchen and which recipe will you be trying out first? Let us know in the comments section below. Stay indoors and #ReadwithBloomsbury.