East will show you how to whip up a swede laksa and a chard potato and coconut curry; how to make Kimchi pancakes or silken tofu with pine nuts. It’s the sort of cookbook that has you inadvertently saying ‘ooh, that looks good’ or ‘I need that in my life’ with every turn of a page. Using a large spatula, fold the egg whites into the yolks, being careful not to knock out too much air.

One more spoonful and she’s six months old and learning to eat; she doesn’t wrinkle her nose at a simple kheer made with apples. There's an alternative contents table which makes suggestions under categories such as breakfast, quick lunch, picnics and seasonal food. If you have any cooking capability you will be able to navigate that and also any substitutions - some are already mentioned. In Thailand, I had memorised every twist in the creation of som tam salad and counted down the minutes until my next pad thai. Most recipes use ingredients I could source from the local supermarket, I appreciated there were substitute suggestions for more hard to find ingredients such as using dry sherry in place of saki.Readers advisory note: this is probably a really good cookbook for someone who is looking for vegetarian recipes with limited access to ingredients. Recipes like the chilli tofu are fiery and lovely, whilst meals like the pho are fragrant and satisfying. There are noodles, curries, rice dishes, salads and bakes, all surprisingly easy to make and bursting with exciting flavours.

I had been soothed by my first congee in Hong Kong and had my taste buds electrified in London’s Chinatown by a bowl of dan dan noodles. Dit is mijn favoriete kookboek op dit moment, ik heb het gekregen voor kerst en sindsdien bijna 20% van de gerechten al gemaakt. When the pan is very hot, pour in a ladleful of batter, swirling the pan quickly and carefully so that the batter reaches the edge. This meant that elaborate dishes, or those that required too much time to prepare or cook, were left out.

When the rice is tender (ie there is no chalkiness in the centre), take it off the heat and spoon into a serving bowl. Just before serving, grind the remaining tablespoon of sugar, the pistachios and the edible flowers as finely as you can, using a mortar and pestle or an electric spice grinder. To my untrained palate, the recipes in East by Meera Sodha have an authentic taste and feel and her approach makes it easy to produce dishes that you may otherwise have veered away from. The photo was the lure for me – cubes of fried cheese nestled in a creamy coconut sauce – as well as the fact that I already had most of the ingredients in my cupboard.

Her first book, Made In India, was named a book of the year by the Times and the Financial Times and was the runner up in Food52's The Piglet cookbook competition.Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the onion and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown and is soft. Bring to the boil – but watch it doesn’t boil over – then turn the heat down to a whisper and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring fairly frequently to make sure the rice doesn’t stick and burn. I like to use soba noodles made from buckwheat and wheat, as they are easier to handle, but you could use 100% buckwheat soba if you prefer. Whilst there are some vegetarian recipes in this meat-free cookbook, they can generally be easily veganised (swapping tofu for paneer for example).