A feast for the eyes as well as the mind, this is a comprehensive encyclopaedia of the mouth-watering ingredients used in Indian cooking. Monisha Bharadwaj shares the secrets of Indian cuisine and celebrates variety and ingenuity. From asafoetida to walnuts, each of the 100 ingredients is explored giving useful advice about its appearance and taste, how it grows, how to store it and, of course, its culinary uses, complemented with over 200 classic Indian dishes. Every ingredient is a vivid insight into India's great and colourful traditions, from the earthy, creamy lentil dishes and yogurt-based marinades in North Indian cooking to the rice, coconut and curry leaves that are the famous staples of the South. Including tips on how to balance hot, sweet and sour flavours, how to cook spices so that they achieve their full-bodied, almost nutty-tasting flavour and explanations for why it is so essential to brown onions to a deep russet colour, The Indian Kitchen will bring rich and heady flavours into the heart of every home.