1) The Madhur Jaffrey Cookbook - over 650 Indian, Vegetarian and Eastern Recipes. Author: Madhur Jaffrey. Published in 1992 by Tiger Books International. Originally published as two separate volumes: Eastern Vegetarian Cooking (1981), and An Invitation to Indian Cooking (1976).

This is a huge volume, over 800 pages long. In it are over 500 vegetarian recipes from all over Asia, as well as meaty and meatless Indian recipes. This is a great reference book for me as I know I can find most of the standard Indian recipes here. The cucumber raita for example, is a simple, delicious recipe which I’ve used many times.

Some other classic recipes include samosas, kheema (ground meat curry which is a staple in my children’s diet), koftas (Indian meatballs), lamb korma, butter chicken, basmati rice, pullao, dals, naan, and tamarind chutney. My mouth is watering already.

There are no photographs, and few drawings. But Madhur makes up for that by including lots of written suggestions, instructions, menus, and information about ingredients. She’s a knowledgeable, informative, and entertaining writer. Her cookbook is well suited for nighttime reading and daytime cooking!

2) The Best of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine - Favorite Recipes from the Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking. Author: Yamuna Devi. Published in 1991 by Plume. The recipes in this paperback have been selected from the original hardcover edition of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine - the Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, first published in 1987.

This is the cookbook I turn to when I’m getting bored with my veggies. Or, when I look in the fridge and see some cauliflower and tomatoes, and I want them to taste magnificent. Yamuna never disappoints. The recipes in this book are deceivingly simple, yet yield incredibly delicious results.

A few of my faves are “Spicy Cauliflower with Braised Tomato,” “Curried Cauliflower and Potatoes,” and “Spiced Green Beans.”

An inspiring cookbook.

3) The Complete Book of Indian Cooking - the ultimate Indian cookery collection, with over 170 delicious and authentic recipes. Authors: Shehzad Husain and Rafi Fernandez. Published in 1995 by Ultimate Editions.

I love this cookbook. It has beautiful full color photos for every recipe, and also includes step by step instructions with photos. This is a great book for the beginning Indian chef, or for anyone who loves to look at pictures of food.

One of the highlights of the book for me, is that it includes lots of recipes in the “Balti” style. The authors describe it as follows: “The essence of Balti cuisine is the speed of cooking - it’s almost as fast as Chinese stir-frying.” It’s made in a wok-type frying pan and the food draws on influences from many different countries such as Iran, Afghanistan and now the West.

I love both the flavours and the speed of Balti cooking. I can whip up a delicious curry in fairly short order - as opposed to the traditional Indian curries which may require hours of slow cooking.

Some of my go-to recipes in this book include “Balti Butter Chicken,” - so easy and delicious, the “Hot Dry Meat Curry” which is equally yummy with lamb or beef, and my own variation of the beef and carrot curry is a recipe I make over and over again.

I would recommend this cookbook for everyone who loves Indian food.