Hardeep Singh Kohli

Anirudh Arora, head chef at Moti Mahal in London's West End, and Hardeep Singh Kohli, writer and radio and television presenter, have collaborated to produce this very colourful book. Taking a journey from Bengal through Pakistan and on to Afghanistan following the Grand Trunk Road, they present a selection of recipes based on those found on the road, along with an illustrated history of the ancient road itself. The book is divided into sections relating to the various stages of the journey, each section with an opening discussion of the region and followed by a number of recipes there from.

This is a large format, generally well produced book using heavy stock. The recipes are well presented and clearly explained, each occupying a page and often with a colour photograph of the finished dish on the facing page, but not always.

However I have one or two reservations about the book. While the initial impression of the production is quite favourable on closer examination there are a few shortcomings. The colour pictures, of which there are many, are almost all very bright in colour and heavy in contrast so that they have large areas of dense shadows, they become rather overpowering after having viewed a few. There are many pictures taken along the Grand Trunk Road, but none is captioned, so it is anyone's guess as to where or what they are. The individual recipes have no additional comments, so other than deducing from the ingredients there is little to indicate what the dish is all about. Some of them are mentioned in the preceding opening section, but it seems only a few, while there are many others mentioned in the same but for which there are no recipes. There is an index, but it relates only to the recipes, so finding any mention of recipes in the text is not easy.

The recipes certainly look interesting, even enticing, and there are plenty of them, They do not give any indication of the preparation time, but I often find when such is given it bears little relation reality. The book also includes a glossary which helps explain some of the ingredients. But the lack of description or information about each individual recipe is a real draw back, I really do want to have inkling of how the dish taste if I am going to prepare it.… (altro)

04 Jul 2009 - from the Canongate stand at the Unconvention

I've liked Hardeep Singh Kohli when I've seen him on the TV and had been looking out for this memoir about travelling round India cooking British food. This is a sweet and engaging ramble through his earlier years, stories of his family, and the endearing attempt to source and cook British-style ingredients in India. He visits different people, relatives or contacts, and tries to learn something about himself and his identity. Fully aware of the irony of going (back) to India to find himself, and the fact that he looks more like a Sikh in the UK than he does in India, the book is funny, self-deprecating and filled with a love of his extended family and his countries of origin. Very good stuff.… (altro)