Dear Madhur,
I am visiting India in Nov 2010 to visit leprosy hospitals as part of my charity work. The Leprosy Mission has worked in India since 1874. During 2011 I want to do some Indian evenings with food to raise funds for the hospitals and wondered if you had any advice/hints/tips for making a good vegetarian curry and a meat curry?
Hope you can be of help
John Roughley.

Hi John, can you give a bit more information on what kind of advice you would like? For good, simple meat and veggie recipes, see the new book, Curry Easy/At Home with Madhur Jaffrey.

I’m glad there’s a website where I can finally say thank you. Your books taught me to cook and they are still the only Indian cook books where the recipes seem completely authentic.
I have given away more copies than I can recall of “A Taste of India”, “An Invitation to Indian Cooking ” and “Seasons of Splendour” (okay, not a cookbook but its charming) to friends both from here and abroad. And right now I am including your memoir in a clutch of food related memoirs that I am recommending/reviewing in next months Readers Digest (India).

We see you’ll be visiting our town (Santa Cruz) on Monday the 25th October, on your book tour, at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Would you care to detach from the routine and meet some locals? We wouldn’t presume to cook you anything from your own cookbooks (!) but we live in a nice old house in the hills outside town and maybe you’d like to visit some musicians and true locals who have admired your work for years. We can even make a local (though non-Indian) restaurant recommendation!

Hello!
We just came back from a trip to India — my husband is from New Delhi and we travel there almost every year to visit his family and travel. We found your book, Robi Dobi: The Marvellous Adventures of an Indian Elephant, in a library there when we visited last year and were unable to find it to purchase. This year when we visited, we borrowed it again. My children absolutely love it and so do I — it is so beautifully written. They were really upset when we had to return in and my 2 year old keeps asking for it. Every time she sees an elephant she calls it Robi — and mice are of course Kabbi Wahabi. Is it possible to purchase a copy of the book? I would love to take it into my son’s school and read it to his class.

Thanks in advance! And Thanks for writing such a lovely book for children.

Warm regards,

Wendy

Dear Madhur

I was wondering if you still cooked recipes from your World Vegetarian Cookbook, and in particular the sweet potato with cinneman. I am cooking it now. In my household we refer to it as the “love dish” as we love it so.

I was also interested to read that you cooked from all over the world. What philosophy do you use to run your kitchen then? I am trying to work out whether or not to dabble around the world, or to focus on a particular region so as to gain skills and reduce complexity.

Thanks very much.
Regards
David

Hi David,

My husband loves the Sweet Potatoes with Sultanas (Golden Raisins) and Cinnamon from World Vegetarian and we cook it very frequently. In America, where we are soon to celebrate Thanksgiving, I will surely have it on my table.

David, today we all live in a very small world where many of us travel far and wide while others just go down a few streets to get Thai, Indian or Lebanese food. I think you should let your palate guide you. Cook what you are most attracted to. If you like Indian food, know that Thai and Malaysian food are not all that different. While some techniques are are quite unusual in different countries, we all share baking, grilling, boiling, roasting, steaming etc. It is best to choose a dish you like and master that. You will find yourself learning new techniques as you go.

Madhur

Hi Wendy,

Which country are you based in?

Madhur

Dear Ms. Jaffery

During the 1960’s and 1970’s I was a officer with the P & O Group
sailing with Bombay crew and Goanese Stewards. There are many dishes I became familiar with but trying to find a recipe for a tradition ‘Bombay chicken curry’ Sunday lunch that matches my memories is impossible. Can You help or point me in the right direction. All those recipes seem to have gone out of fashion.

With thanks

Robert

Dear Ms Jaffrey (I’m too traditional to call you Madhur),

I have heard you speak many times, first at Oxford in 1996, long before I learned to cook properly myself. It was the first time I thought of my culture (I’m a Gujarati Jain born in the US.) as something special to be described and shared. Then at SALTAF on an empty stomach – so painful! When reading your memoir, I made sure to eat right before starting a new chapter.

You are one of the inspirations for my underground restaurant in Washington, DC called Hush Supper Club. I would be overjoyed to host a supper in your honor when you are in DC next weekend. We could have a book signing and reading coupled with a Gujarati meal in my home. I have a max capacity of 22 seats. If that does not work with your schedule, I am happy to host any weekend night that works for you in the coming weeks.

This would be a dream come true for me. I hope we can make it happen.

If there is a way to contact you privately, please do let me know. you can reach me at hushreservations@gmail.com

Please see my website for details: http://www.hushsupperclub.net

Here is the How it Works page explaining my supper club: http://www.hushsupperclub.net/supper-club/how-it-works/

Sincerely,
Geeta

Hi Madhur,

Thought you’d appreciate knowing that I’m spreading the word and sharing the wealth by offering your latest cookbook, At Home With Madhur Jaffrey, as a giveaway on my site, Lettuce Eat Kale.

It’s part of my big end-of-year book offering:
http://lettuceeatkale.com/2010/bumper-cookbook-giveaway/

As you’ll see, lots of folks share my enthusiasm for your recipes.

I enjoyed seeing you at a screening of Today’s Special in Portland at the IACP conference earlier this year.

All best,
Sarah

Madhur
I am sure you must get a lot of fan mail but I wanted to write and tell you how much we enjoyed our first meal out of curry easy (in Aus). We cooked green lamb curry and it was AMAZING. The best curry we have ever eaten. My girlfriend couldn’t stop talking about it and neither could our guest. We had the mushroom curry as well as suggested and it was a big hit, along with your Saalad. I think we will be cooking our way through your book and it will have a big impact on our diet.
Regards
David

Like Sheila Sivanand has already said, I’m so glad there’s somewhere that I can finally thank you for your books. As a fresh faced 18 year old I went off to university, armed with a copy of “Indian Cookery”. 27 years later, that same book (slightly more dog eared and spice stained) is always the one I go to whenever I want to cook curry.

Hi Madhur, I’ve been meaning to write for a while. I just wanted to say thank you for your Curry Bible. My wife bought it as a gift for me in 2003. I’d been wanting to make and recreate authentic curries for ages and I can’t believe that you managed to collate so many recipes in book. It must have been an unbelievable amount of work; you really went the extra mile to make an exhaustive work. The book is now covered in turmeric stains and it’s been used countless times. There are notes in the margins (I hope you don’t mind) and it will be given to my first son who was born last year. He’s 14 months old and loves curry already, and the book will stand him in good stead when he starts to cook. Your book even made it to the Caribbean last year where we went for 3 months, I just couldn’t be without it. It’s amazing how different the same recipes can be with the same ingredients from a different country. There are double quantities of both thai green and mussaman paste in the freezer as we speak. My favourite recipe is your Kenyan green curry which always lifts my spirits and makes me happy. In short, thank you so much, you’re a true legend.

Dear Madhur,

I’ve been making my way through the wonderful recipe selection in your classic The Madhur Jaffrey Cookbook, but stumbled last night. In fact, I failed spectacularly.
I made Cabbage with Yogurt (p. 28) and it turned out incredibly pungent and bitter. I’m wondering if it was a misprint and should have been 3 tsp mustard seeds rather than 3 tbsp?
Still, I’m looking forward to trying out another recipe again next week. Thank you for putting so much of your knowledge and expertise into print for us to discover.
Yours sincerely,
Kirsten Bergen

Dear Madhur
I am making a stew tonight from Curry Easy (lamb and potato). You say to lightly brown the onion. Not to appear a fool but do you see an onion going brown after it goes golden or do you consider golden to be brown? When cooking Marcella Hazan’s food she says lightly golden, golden, or golden turning brown (about 5 minutes on medium high) to describe onion phases.
I would very much appreciate it if you could clarify for me.
Regards and thanks
David

Dear Madhur
The stew did very well! I worked the onion out.
Regards
David

Dear Ms. Jaffrey:

My children (ages 7 and 10) and I have enjoyed trying your recipes from “Quick & Easy Indian Cooking.” This is all new for us! Here in Little Rock we have a wonderful Indian market, where employees have helped us locate pantry items and more. I’m working up the courage to buy a pressure cooker; I don’t know why they scare me so much. Thank you for your work.

Warmest regards,
The Sanders

Dear Madhur
Last night we cooked up the green coriander lamb, pea and mushroom, chicken with spices, lamb vindaloo, capsicum chutney and yoghurt and cumin dip. From three of your books. We fed eight.
Thanks
David

Dear Madhur,

I am a huge fan of your books. This is a long-shot off- the -wall question. I just returned from my first trip to India and wish to go back to volunteer and/or work. I have a 30 year career as a magazine art director in NY-though I would love to switch gears and work either at a boarding school or as someone’s personal assistant. I am outgoing, smart, fun, hard-working, and have great taste. If you have any leads I promise to love you and your cooking even more!

I can send you a resume.

Thank you and kind regards,
Tina

Dear Madhur

First, thank you for the huge inspiration you and your books are in the kitchen. I have used the Ultimate Curry Bible for many years with fantastic results.
One brief comment: Last night I for the firs time made the Muligatawny soup in that book, and delicious as it was, I missed something from the taste from my younger days in London (I now live in Cape Town). This morning I went and got some cocnut milk and added half a can – the taste exploded! I can really recommend it.
Thank you.

Hi Madhur

I am a HUGE fan of your work. I too am a food writer, my new book “Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific” ( Random House, New Zealand 2010) just won the BEST COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD 2010 at the Gourmand Awards in Paris- and we have a common friend in Lauraine Jacobs, New Zealand’s best food writer.

I have just been approached by an event company putting a food festival together in Fiji in 2012 and would like to chat to you about it. The Pacific would love you!

Best regards

Robert

Hi Madhur

I am a HUGE fan of your work. I too am a food writer, my new book “Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific” ( Random House, New Zealand 2010) just won the BEST COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD 2010 at the Gourmand Awards in Paris- and we have a common friend in Lauraine Jacobs, New Zealand’s best food writer.

I have just been approached by an event company putting a food festival together in Fiji in 2012 and would like to chat to you about it. The Pacific would love you!

Best regards

Robert

Dear Mudhur
12 years of following the recipes in my much used “Flavours of India” have produced some excellent weekly curry evenings. But I now have the “Ultimate Curry Bible” and the results are incredible – we already have three recipes scored at 12/10 because they were even better than those already awarded 10/10! Where will it stop?. We have even bought a second copy to stop our daughter borrowing ours. Thankyou for two great cook books.

You make no mention in either book of preserving chillies by freezing. We grow our own and we find they freeze very well and the following method applies to shop-bought chillies as well.

Wash and thoroughly dry the fruit so they are ready to use. Cover a plate or small tray with baking paper and spread out the chillies on the paper making sure they are not touching each other. Small varieties leave whole, larger ones are best cut lengthways into halves. Place in freezer for 4 hours. Then slide them off the paper into a plastic ziplock bag and put back in the freezer. They never stick together and we use them straight from frozen with no defrosting.There is no apparent loss of flavour or heat even after 12 months. Have you tried this?

Kind regards

John

Dear Ms Jaffrey,

Firstly I would like to say thank you for writing your fantastic books! I use “Indian Cookery” more than any other book in my kitchen.

I have a question which I cannot find an answer to anywhere! I live near Bradford in the U.K., which has many asian restaurants – a few Indian, many Pakistani and Bangladeshi. In all these restaurants, okra (bhindi) is only ever cooked on its own or with lamb. We once asked the waiter if we could have it with cheese (paneer) and the staff were very amused, as if we had asked for something strange. They made us the dish though and it was delicious.

So my questions is, is there a reason that bhindi is not cooked with other vegetables, pulses or paneer?

Thank you!

Best wishes,
Kate

Dear Ms. Jaffrey,

Just a quick note to say I just saw “Autobiography of a Princess” on TCM — and I thought you were magnificent.

Perhaps I was drawn to that film by more personal connections — but whatever the case — you had a challenging role and I was moved by your performance. You were flawlessly believable — and while seeing your portrayal I was again in my childhood visiting distant relatives who were themselves among the final witnesses of that age — “The Raj.”

Very best regards,
Andrew Gupta

I prepared the Royal Chicken Cooked in Yogurt and it was delicious. It is not clear from the recipe if I should be using skinless chicken pieces. I used pieces with the skin on and it was very rich and I spent a very long time trying to get the sauce to reduce. Please let me know. Thanks.

Dear Madhur
Sorry to bother you, but when you say “crushed garlic” in Curry Easy do you mean crushed to a paste or just lightly crushed and still on one piece? I am making the Bangladeshi White Chicken Korma.

Regards
david

Hello Madhur,
First I would like to thank you for all the wonderful recipes and cooking techniques you have provided me over the years through your great cookbooks. I randomly picked up one of your books 20 or more years ago, and that was the beginning of my cooking Indian food. My husband and I (and our friends and family) love it when I cook for them. I have one question for you. I have never seen a recipe for nimbu pani, which I always wondered how to make. It must be something more than just lemonade. Perhaps with some Indian spice? If you could provide this information, I would be forever grateful. Best wishes to you.

Dear Madhur,
I am a grower of 100% Organic certified agri-produce. i am looking for some tie-ups / recommendations / guidance from you.
kindly advise.
Thankyou

Dear Madhur,
I have young cheffie son who graduates this year,Im compiling a book of wishes from the people he loves and it would be a great motivation for him on a dull day to read it,I would be much obliged if you could send him a wish to my mail id I have sent.Thank you.I dont know any other way to contact you

Madhur,
I am a farmer and love using your recipes to cook up our produce. I would also love to give copies of recipes out at the farmer’s market and post on our website for our CSA members, citing your books, of course. Would either be okay?
Thanks,
Dana

Hi Madhur – I love your recipe for Rogan josh from the book ‘Simple Indian Cookery’ but I like my curries a little hotter!

You replace Kashmiri chillis with paprika (1.5 tblsp) and cayenne (1tsp). What I would like to know is; how much/many Kashmiri chillis would I need to put in to replace the paprika and cayenne?

Can I say I’ve been using your books for 20 years and still love the recipes!

Eddie

I am trying to loose weight and incorporate more vegetables into my diet and would love to know which of your books you feel would be a good starting point. I love spice and flavor, but need to learn how to better use spices and herbs.

Thank you for your time.
Angelia

Hi Madhur,

I’m really pleased to hear you have a new cookery TV series starting later this year in the UK – you have been off our screens for far too long!

Can’t wait to see the new series, and I’m sure it will be as good as all the previous ones. You have always been an inspiration for me in the kitchen, and I think I have a copy of every cookery book you have written and seen every one of your TV series.

Hope it all goes well!

Terry.