Cookbook Profile: Ajanta -- Regional Feasts of India

Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India

by Lachu Moorjani

There are as many regional flavors and dishes in India as there are languages and dialects, and no one knows this better than Lachu Moorjani, owner of Ajanta Restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area. Widely recognized as the Bay Area's premier restaurant for Indian cuisine, Ajanta sets the standard with its ever-changing menu, offering creative dishes from the many regions of India. Ajanta represents one of the best places in this country to experience a taste of India without getting on an airplane!

Moorjani is proud to present Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India, featuring the specialties of each region in India, and an excellent introduction to the cuisines and flavors of this richly diverse country.

Organized by region, Moorjani has created more than a dozen feasts; each menu includes an appetizer, main dish, side dish, rice dish, bread, and dessert. Moorjani also offers tips on Indian cooking and Indian ingredients, making this cuisine accessible to most any cook. Luscious full-color food photography pairs with step-by-step photos showing how to make everything from pakora to poori bread.

Recipes include Tandoori Portobello Mushrooms, Spinach and Feta Cheese Samosa, Indian Crab cakes, Khumbi Pakora, Chicken Pistachio Korma, Tamil Lamb Curry, Prawn Curry Bengal, Palak Paneer (Spinach and Paneer Cheese in Spices), and Chicken Biriyani, along with unique recipes for Chutneys and Raitas.

About the Author

Lachu Moorjani was born in the state of Sind, India, which later became Pakistan. He grew up in Rajasthan, and later moved to Bombay. Lachu immigrated to the United States in December of 1969. Formally trained in engineering, he left this field in December of 1987 to open a small restaurant in Berkeley, called New Delhi Junction. In 1993, he sold New Delhi Junction and opened Ajanta. Lachu lives with his wife in Berkeley, California.

Buy the Book!

Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India
by Lachu Moorjani
Gibbs-Smith
216 pages; Hardcover; $39.95
ISBN: 1-58685-777-0
Information provided by the publisher.