Fresh India Cookbook: Meera Sodha
I have a love for curries. I much prefer the authentic versions rather than the supper rich oily dishes that most takeaways and restaurants serve. Standard UK restaurant dishes are very samey too and they lack the vibrance that proper curries have.
I have a life long admiration for Madhur Jaffrey. My family had loads of her books and she introduced us to the different types of curries that different countries prepare. Over time, as we cooked more of her recipes, we learned about each spice and basic techniques you need.
Meera Sodha
Meera Sodha is my new Madhur Jaffrey. She grew up in Lincolnshire which is famous for growing huge amounts of veg which her family used in their cooking. She produces beautiful authentic fresh curries with the vegetables you can find in any UK supermarket.
Her first cookbook was called ‘Made in India’ and had a range of vegetable and meat dishes. Her second book ‘Fresh India’ only contains vegetarian and vegan recipes.
Fresh India
I bought this book in hard copy and for my kindle, because I use it so much I need to have access to it at all times!
There are loads of recipes which cover every part of your Indian meal. The sections are; Starters & Snacks, Root vegetables, Green Leafy Vegetables, Aubergines, Salads, Eggs & Cheese, Pulses, Rice, Breads, Pickles & Chutneys, Puddings, Drinks.
My favorite recipes are Sweet Potato Vindaloo, Goan Butternut Squash Cafreal, Keralan Vegetable Istoo, Moong Dal and the Red Lentil Sambhar.
More
Meera writes for the Guardian and shares lots of great recipes there. The Guardian is still free to read online so you get a Meera fix for free there.
You can buy her books from all good book shops and of course Amazon and you can also get a version for your kindle. She released a new book in 2019 called ‘East’. I haven’t tried it yet so if you have it please comment and let us all know what you think.
