Crack the Code: Cook Any Indian Meal With Confidence

Crack the Code: Cook Any Indian Meal With Confidence is a pioneering workbook styled cookbook that demystifies the seemingly complex processes involved in creating a well-balanced Indian dish. This book translates practical cooking advice from many generations of chefs from within Nandita’s family into a simple structured approach about how to craft a well seasoned Indian dish. It exposes the fundamental building blocks of the Indian cuisine, provides sample recipes within its content to illustrate the methods, and eliminates any fear associated with cooking Indian food – the single biggest reservation in the true appreciation of a vibrant, flavorful and healthy cuisine.

The two dozen simple practice recipes showcase the role of spices and ingredients and highlights the patterns of balancing and layering flavors. It includes quick notes on health benefits of using specific spices. Most notably, it shows the reader how to build essential taste profiles for an authentic dining experience. Whether it is a comfort meal or feast, a side dish, one-pot-meal or an easy decadent dessert, Crack the Code includes several quintessentially Indian and Indian inspired recipes. The recipes are created with grocery store produce and spices. The choices include a blend of healthy traditional favorites such as Rassam, Chinese Green Beans, Okra, Eggplant Saambar and Sprouted Green Mung Beans with Coconut or Carrot Halwa, alongside recipes adapted for the new urban kitchen such as Creamy Asparagus Soup with Nutmeg and Thyme, Red Radish and Red Potato Salad with Dill, Acorn Squash with Split Yellow Mung Daal, Tomato Fennel Boats with Paneer, Vermicelli with Shrimp & Ginger and Mango-Raspberry Lassi among others. Recipes are chosen from Nandita’s own family kitchen, who keeps family health at the forefront of her cooking as shown in these recipes as well.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
This version is from October 2015. An updated version will be available in March 2016.

Reviews:
Cracking the code to healthy elegant Indian cooking, Linda Kissam, examiner.com
"A quick e-flip through 288 pages will have you smiling as you begin to realize this book is made for those who love great flavor, healthy recipes and quick start-to-finish meals. Yes, I am still talking about cooking Indian food. Think newly discovered suggestions that dish up simple Indian recipes fitting into anyone’s busy life style and level of culinary competency. . . . It is an incredibly unique but simple six-tier system of making sure that each ingredient used has a purpose and a distinct function. More importantly, it teaches you how to make sure no one ingredient overshadows the one that comes before it, or that will come after it."

Indian Cooking for Beginners, Jeanne F, The Jolly Tomato
"Godbole says that Indian food calls for the blending of specific spices that impart a custom flavor to any given dish. “If you use ‘curry powder’ you get the same flavor for every meal,” says Godbole, who tends not to mince words. “That does not constitute a meal, it constitutes prison food.”

Spicy Garlic Chutney, Kelly Page, Tasting Page
" My local Indian take-out could stand to learn a few lessons from her. Both of her cookbooks are chuck full of interesting and unique Indian dishes."

Illuminating Indian cuisine, Faye & Yakir Levy, The Jerusalem Post
"In her presentation, Godbole showed us how a touch of spice can transform ordinary foods into tempting Indian treats."

Try Stuffed Chiles Indian Style, Barbara Hansen, tableconversations.com
"Believe me, you'll want these books. They explore Indian cuisine in ways I haven't seen, although I have a huge library of Indian cookbooks, many from India."

Indian Cuisine Made Easy With Crack The Code, Lisa D, LA Gourmet / essentialwanderings.com
"Soups, salads, snacks, entrees and side dishes from exotic regions in India are easily broken down into bite sized morsels, so even those with relatively little cooking experience can master them.