Summers Under the Tamarind Tree

This is an absolutely beautiful book. Clear, easy to follow instructions for classic and modern Pakistan cuisine. I very much appreciate the design and gorgeous photographs of many of the dishes.

The author begins with a short description of traditional Pakistani cooking processes that help food taste such as tarka or bhagar (tempering), dum (steaming), dhuni (smoking) and galavat (tenderizing). Then she provides an interesting note on spicing and gives the reader several family masala blend recipes, These early notes set the stage for the reader to move into the recipes themselves. I was very pleased with the recipe writing--as an experienced cook who is not particularly knowledgable about the cooking of this particular region, I felt that the recipes were perfectly pitched: clear and detailed enough without getting into the weeds. The author assumes general competence, but not expertise.

I knew that this was going to be the right fit for me when I began flagging pages of interest. When a book has over twenty flags, I know that I am going to be using the cookbook a great deal, and that it will be well worth purchasing a hard copy of the book.

I began cooking with the recipe for salted lemon preserves, which is similar to another Persian recipe that I use often. This version, however, adds chopped green chiles to the preserved lemons, which creates an entirely new flavor base. I also loved the recipe for Attock chana rijai (chickpea and umin pulao with brown rice).

There are many recipes that I plan to make--the next in the queue will be: Attock chapli kebab (Minced beef flat kebab with pomegranate chutney) as the pomegranate chutney looks delicious; a really lovely nutty saffron rice dish that calls for raisins and pistachios; and sweet potato and squash parathas, which look different from any that I have tried before. I'm also eager to try the apple pakoras spiced with chaat masala. Finally, I think I just might cook through the entire chapter on chutneys and pickles.

Let's just say that I expect to be digging into this book many times over the summer.

My thanks to the publisher, Quarto, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy.

"Summers Under the Tamarind Tree" really brings forth a feeling of summers in the Indian subcontinent, where I spent many a year. Some of the recipes invoke nostalgia, although there is a little difference in the exact recipes between those cooked in Northern India and Pakistan.

This book is full of wonderful recipes for masalas, breads, street snacks, meats and sweets.A particular favourite of mine is the Afghani lamb pulao, which was among the recipes I tried. It was really easy to make and has amazing flavours. Another flavoursome but easy to make recipe is karhai ginger chicken, with bursts with the sharpness of ginger and tastes amazing with a naan.

A must buy if you love South-East Asian cuisine!

Beautifully written and accompanied by stunning photographs. I'm especially looking forward to trying the Hyderabadi-style samosas and Karhai ginger chicken.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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Summers Under the Tamarind Tree is a contemporary Pakistani cookbook celebrating the varied, exciting and often-overlooked cuisine of a beautiful country.

Winner 'Best First Book' - Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2016

Former lawyer-turned-food writer and cookery teacher Sumayya Usmani captures the rich and aromatic pleasure of Pakistani cooking through more than 100 recipes as she celebrates the heritage and traditions of her home country and looks back on a happy childhood spent in the kitchen with her grandmother and mother. While remaining uniquely its own, Pakistani food is influenced by some of the world's greatest cuisines. With a rich coastline, it enjoys spiced seafood and amazing fish dishes; while its borders with Iran, Afghanistan, India and China ensure strong Arabic, Persian and varied Asian flavours.

Experience the wonderful flavours of Pakistan with:
Aloo ki bhujia (spicy potatoes with nigella seeds and fenugreek)
Hyderabadi-style samosas, filled with red onion, mint and green chilli
Sweet potato and squash parathas
Attock chapli kebab (mince beef flat kebab with pomegranate chutney)
Cardamom and coconut mattha lassi, and many more sensational recipes.

Learn to cook some of the rich, varied and delicious Pakistani dishes with this beautiful showcase of the exotic yet achievable recipes of Pakistan.
It appears that this book is a re-release of an award-winning book first published in 2016- and what a lovely book. Hubby never wants to go out for Pakistani (or Indian or anything from South Asia!) food as he is convinced that he would hate it: this is a way for me to make it at home and surprise him. (He has eaten a curry given to him by his former co-worker and liked it, but trying to explain that “a curry” could mean about a billion different dishes depending upon the country, region, religion of the cook, etc. etc. etc.)

I can see this book flying off the shelves as most of the new restaurants where I live are South Asian and the smell coming off the kitchen when in the parking lot is enough to entice someone to come indoors…we have one right across the street from our home that calls to me daily.
Great recipes, great instructions: I can see why this won that award and I will highly recommend it to friends, family, patrons and food lovers alike.