Book Review: Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian
Madhur Jaffrey

Published by Clarkson N. Potter (1999)
758 pages

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This is a vast collection of unusual and exotic recipes. As its title suggests, the dishes on offer come from around the world, with Cyprus, Tunisia, Italy, Mexico and the Middle East being particularly well represented. But it is Ms Jaffrey's native India that is the main source of inspiration here - probably because of that country's strong vegetarian traditions. Lentils and other pulses form the basis of many of the dishes, although nuts, grains and dairy products are also extensively covered.

Many of the recipes are easy to prepare, but without sacrificing taste or quality. The Spanish grilled courgettes (zucchini) and the Italian lentils with pasta are two good examples. Others - such as the Japanese buckwheat noodles and fritters - are more elaborate. But every recipe I've tried so far has been successful (although I've only attempted a small fraction of the hundreds of dishes available).

My only complaint is that the organization of the recipes needs improvement. The recipes are arranged in six fairly arbitrary sections (vegetables; dried beans, peas, lentils and nuts; grains; dairy foods; added flavoring; and salads, soups and drinks). Within each section, dishes are listed in the order of the principle ingredient. So all dishes based on tomatoes come together, and several exotic Indian dishes that happen to contain eggs are grouped with scrambled eggs and plain omelets. I would rather see the recipes organized by type of dish (appetizers, main courses, etc.) or national or ethnic origin.

Apart from that quibble, this is a very impressive collection of recipes. The book also has a lot of useful information on the ingredients used, including tips on how to buy and store them. Madhur Jaffrey obviously enjoys good food, and her enthusiasm comes across loud and clear to the reader.

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