Book excerpt: Let Christine Manfield guide you through the deeply fragrant world of Indian home cooking. Mastering the incredible array of spices and techniques applied in the Indian kitchen can seem a daunting task for the casual cook. But in Indian Cooking Class you’ll find easy-to-follow and approachable recipes that will see you making curry pastes and blending flavours with absolute confidence. Spanning history-steeped recipes to home-style favourites, Ayurvedic-influenced dishes and contemporary interpretations, this extensive collection of beautifully photographed recipes guides home cooks from snacks and sides to main dishes, all the way through to dessert. Discover meals found on the humblest thali plate to those served at the most lavish banquets, and find a true appreciation for the many and varied cooking styles, vibrant flavour combinations and textural medleys that make for such an aromatic and sense-enlivening food culture. Equipping novice and curious cooks alike with a repertoire of achievable and impressive Indian classics, be it a simple dal to an intricate biryani, Christine Manfield’s Indian Cooking Class is a handbook of skills to encourage creativity. Join Christine as she shares her knowledge, love and deep respect for the vivacious and piquant dishes at the heart of India’s fascinating culinary heritage. ‘If you have room in your bookshelf for one Indian cookbook, make it this one.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘Manfield brings her extensive travels and deep love of India's complex flavours and culinary history to this extensive collection of recipes that is both creative and approachable.’ Gourmet Traveller