India: The Cookbook

A hefty hardcover that gathers more than a thousand recipes from every region of India into one book. It was written by Pushpesh Pant, a professor and cookbook author who lives and works in Delhi, and the dishes follow the way they are cooked in homes across the country. The white cover carries a sun in red, green and gold, and the pages inside are dense with chapters on everything from snacks and dals to breads, pickles, spice pastes and chutneys.

The recipes have been edited so a cook outside India can follow them, with notes on traditional utensils and ingredients alongside the method. Andy Sewell's photography moves between market stalls, thali spreads and styled plates set on dark wood, so the book reads as much like a travel volume as a manual. Lesser-known dishes sit next to the familiar ones, such as a Goan prawn curry with coconut and tamarind or marinated quail with almonds, chillies and green cardamom.

It belongs on the kitchen counter or the cookbook shelf, within reach of the stove. Cook your way through a regional chapter over a month of weeknights, or open it to a single recipe when a pot of dal is needed. It also suits a friend who has outgrown the takeout menu and wants to learn the dishes behind it.