5 Best Indian Cookbooks (Reviews Updated 2022)

The United States is home to over 4 million Indian Americans, and this number continues to grow. As with all nationality groups, enjoying recipes from their homeland is a delight for many nationalized Indians and Indian migrants. If you are of Indian ancestry or you just enjoy Indian food like many non-Indians, it will do you a world of good to get one of the best Indian cookbooks. With a cookbook loaded with tasty Indian recipes, you and your family can continue to enjoy nutritious Indian homecooked meals. You don’t have to visit fancy and expensive Indian restaurants when you can prepare the meals at home.

Now, we understand that you will prefer a cookbook with practical recipes, and that is why we have taken the time to create this detailed review of 5 of the best Indian Cookbooks you can use to brush up your home cooking.

Best Indian Cookbooks

Image	Best Indian Cookbooks	Rating
	1. Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre	99%
	2. The Indian Cooking Course by Monisha Bharadwaj	96%
	3. Dishoom Cookbook by Shamil Thakrar	92%
	4. Made in India by Meera Sodha	89%
	5. At Home with Madhur Jaffrey by Madhur Jaffrey	85%

Want to learn more?

Here are our Best Indian Cookbook Reviews.

1. Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre

The Indian Instant Pot Cookbook is authored by Urvashi Pitre. In this volume, you will be taught how to prepare traditional Indian dishes commonly found among the menu list in international restaurants where Indian cuisine is served. This Cookbook will teach you how to prepare delicious traditional meals that have been part and parcel of Indian cuisine for generations. Preparing traditional meals is easy with the proper guidance, and that is what Urvashi Pitre is offering in this book.

All you need are your ingredients, cookware, and pressure cooker, and you are good to go. From classic to modern recipes, this Cookbook right here has all the information you will ever need to become an Indian recipe expert. You will enjoy reading Indian Instant Pot Cookbook because the author simplifies the cooking process for you. Every step is explained in detail. The book lays out everything from the ingredients required to the type of cookware needed to cook the meals to the cooking times.

This is one of the best Indian Cookbooks to buy because it contains tasty recipes like the Tikka Masala and the Basmati Pulao. You will not regret buying and reading Indian Instant Pot Cookbook.

Why do we like it?

• The recipes are easy to prepare
• It shows you how to stock and preserve your spices and ingredients
• This Cookbook contains 50 amazing Indian recipes
• Excellent cooking tips and tricks

2. The Indian Cooking Course by Monisha Bharadwaj

Are you ready for an Indian cooking course 101? If you are, let Monisha Bharadwaj be your tutor as she takes you from novitiate level to the level of an expert Indian cook. The Indian Cooking Course is no ordinary cookbook, folks; this book is a masterclass for homeowners and chefs looking to learn some new cooking styles from India. The author is a successful cook who runs a cookery school in London where she trains people in culinary art.

In this Cookbook, Ms. Monisha shares reliable insight into different cooking styles, cooking techniques, and ingredient applications. She dishes out simple but effective tips and tricks on how to cook tasty meals the Indian way. All the recipes in her book are popular and classical recipes enjoyed by Indians of all generations. The chapters in this edition are broken down into recipes you can cook with bread, eggs, rice, lentils, beans, and different vegetables.

Who says Indian recipes are hard to cook? With The Indian Cooking Course, your days as an amateur cook will soon be over.

Why do we like it?

• Offers the reader shopping techniques on how to get the best ingredients
• The book contains regional and national recipes
• She inspires the reader to experiment with their own recipes
• Important Ayurveda cooking tips included

3. Dishoom Cookbook by Shamil Thakrar

Dishoom is one of the most popular restaurants, coming from the south of India, and Bombay to be precise. For years, this restaurant has catered to the needs of diners, but to enrich the lives of many more people, Shamil Thakrar decided to write this edition loaded with many recipes served to diners who walk into Dishoom to enjoy a good time. Some of the Dishoom recipes you will learn include the Jack fruit Biryani, Chicken Rub, Lamb Raan, and the Masala Chai.

Chef Shamil doesn’t just stop there. You will also be taught helpful tricks on using less to get more value for your food. The author also gives you a peek into Indian culture and how their traditional recipes impact Indian cultural life. Dishoom Cookbook is not just text, though; it also contains attractive images of the recipes you will learn. The pictures tell stories that texts cannot.

We recommend this Cookbook because it offers the reader real value. The recipes are easy to cook, and the ingredients required to prepare them are accessible and available. Pick up this book and let Shamil Thakrar and his compadres teach you a thing or two about Indian cuisine.

Why do we like it?

• A reliable food manual
• It contains bonus recipes besides the main recipes
• All the recipes are practical and can be cooked at home

4. Made in India by Meera Sodha

One common complaint against many cookbooks is that many of the recipes they contain are impractical. While restaurants will have no issues preparing them, homeowners may find many of the recipes too difficult or expensive. If you have had a similar problem with some of the cookbooks you have bought in the past, we recommend Meera Sodha’s Made in India Cookbook. This is because this book contains recipes ideal for home kitchens.

The recipes are basically meals that can be cooked and enjoyed in the comfort of your home. Every recipe in Meera Sodha’s book is practical. The ingredients to prepare the recipes are largely inexpensive and easy to obtain. Her cooking methods are also very easy to master. Doing little things the right way can greatly improve the quality and taste of your food, and that is what she teaches her readers in this book.

Made in India contains 130 easy to master recipes that you can learn in the comfort of your home. This is one of the best Indian Cookbooks worth your time and money.

Why do we like it?

• Simple and sophisticated recipes
• Cooking steps are well arranged
• Dessert and appetizer recipes included
• Attractive imagery

5. At Home with Madhur Jaffrey by Madhur Jaffrey

In our bid to bring you cookbook options containing recipes that you can cook at home, we dug deep and found this Cookbook by chef and author Madhur Jaffery. The self-titled book, At Home with Madhur Jaffrey, exposes long-lost secrets about Indian cuisine and cooking techniques. The author also goes outside the geographical boundaries of India to include wonderful recipes from India’s neighbors like Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Madhur first introduces traditional snacks you can prepare using normal baking ingredients.  She then goes further to introduce the reader to tasty soups like the ginger and spinach soup and cocktails like coconut milk. Then she offers insight into clever ways to prepare seafood and sauces using everyday cooking ingredients.

This book is the complete package because it showcases more than just recipes. You will learn how to measure ingredients correctly, cooking tips to improve your food’s texture and flavor, and how to utilize substitutes in places of actual ingredients. There is so much to gain in At Home with Madhur Jaffrey.

Why do we like it?

• Contains information about a wide range of dishes and cooking styles
• The cocktail recipes are very easy to prepare
• Recipe suggestions included