Here is a heads-up about a new vegetarian Indian recipe book which is being launched at the McDonald Road Library in Edinburgh on Saturday 12 December at noon.
Written by Edinburgh cook Mridu Shailaj Thanki, Feasts of India focuses on traditional veggie home-cooking as well as featuring a number of recipes for more complex weekend treats and parties.
It covers everything from the herbs, spices and techniques needed to specific recipes for dals, breads, salads, vegetables and rice. Many of the recipes are flanked by short autobiographical tales from Mridu which place the dishes in context.
Interestingly, the book has body-swerved the usual glossy illustrative photos for some rather beautiful hand drawn illustrations which were inspired by traditional Indian folk art. You can read a bit more about the thinking behind the artwork at the blog of Calum Ross who has been closely involved with the look of the book.