Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels through the Great Subcontinent.

by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Random House Canada
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
ISBN: 157965252

Many of us became devotees of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid after reading, or "experiencing" their previous book, Hot Sour Salty Sweet which explored the cuisines and lands of southeast Asia. The latest installment of the couples "oeuvre" is Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels through the Great Subcontinent.

In the same way that its predecessor approached China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, Mangoes & Curry Leaves takes on Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The authors excel in expressing the uniqueness of the countries they visit: Pakistan, with its varied climate that inspires a diversity of regional cuisine; isolated Nepal whose cooks work so creatively with basics such as millet and lentils; the equally remote Bhutan, where meats, green root vegetables and fresh cheese often find their way into spiced stews; Bangladesh, whose food is served in courses, unlike in other parts of the subcontinent; and Sri Lanka, with its wealth of subtropical fruits and vegetables. No matter what they are sharing, from the technique for tempering flavor to the death of a mother, the authors bring their discreet, personal and always moving voices to the page.

On the practical side, they take the exotic and show how easy it can be. Take Fresh Coriander-Peanut Chutney and drizzle it on grilled fish and you’ve brought the flavors of India’s Gujurat state to your house. Gather up cucumber, shallots, chile, sea salt, ground black pepper, rice vinegar and coconut milk, and you have everything you need for a Sri Lankan Village Salad. The many dals, like Easy Karnataka Chana with Chickpeas and salads like Nepali Green Bean-Sesame Salad are simple and terrific. Entrees are often spicy and always authentic, like Goan Pork Vindaloo, made by rubbing a vinegar-spice paste into the meat. A chapter on street foods is full of promising tidbits, including the suggestion that readers make fried foods such as Mushroom Pakoras with Fresh Herb Chutney. You'll even feel confident taking on Slow-Cooked Wheat Berries and Lamb with Fresh Mint. And for dessert: Sweet Yogurt Sundaes with Pistachios and Saffron.

This tome is much more than a collection of recipes, it is truly a labor of love.. The author's love for the sub continent shines through all the background information, engaging anecdotes and gallery quality photography.

Industry Reviews

Publishers Weekly
With their most recent cookbook, Home Baking, the authors of Seductions of Rice and Hot Sour Salty Sweet strayed slightly from the kind of pungent Asian food that is their strength, but they're back on track with this paean to the subcontinent, which they've been visiting separately and together since the 1970s. Reading Alford and Duguid's chatty text and headnotes is like receiving envy-inducing postcards from a college friend who never gave up backpacking-if you have the sort of friends who would be disposed to build a tandoor oven out of clay and manure or visit Arugam Bay in Sri Lanka based on a tip from a snake-bitten fellow traveler. This is a comprehensive book filled with compelling writing-a worthy addition to the couple's impressive body of work. Color and b&w photos.

Library Journal
Alford and Duguid (Hot Sour Salty Sweet) delight readers once again with their latest culinary travelog, exploring the gastronomic cultures of the Indian subcontinent: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. This beautiful tome contains more than 200 recipes and remembrances of the authors' last 30 years traveling and eating in these countries. Arranged by food type, chapters range from chutneys and breads to dals, meats, street foods, and sweets. Each recipe is introduced with a paragraph or two describing the dish or where the authors first encountered it, such as Simmered Spiced Soybeans from Nepal and Katchhi Village Potato Curry, first eaten in western India in the home of a friend. Interspersed throughout are memories of traveling and culture-visiting the chai shop, wandering through the outdoor food market, and bargaining. The black-and-white and color photographs of the food, people, and landscape, included on nearly every page, transport readers overseas. Highly recommended for all collections