The Complete Asian Cookbook
by Charmaine Solomon
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Description
This new, updated edition of Charmaine Solomon's iconic The Complete Asian Cookbook honours the classic tome with a stunning contemporary design. Instantly heralded as a classic when it was first published in 1976, The Complete Asian Cookbook covers 800 classic and contemporary dishes from fifteen countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, The Philippines, China, Korea and Japan). Written with the home cook in mind, show more Charmaine's recipes are straightforward, simple to follow and work every time. Recipe and chapter introductions give valuable information about how local dishes are prepared and served, while the comprehensive glossary explains unfamiliar ingredients (which are steadily more commonplace in supermarkets today). The Complete Asian Cookbook is a book that belongs in the kitchens of every household. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
This has been one of my favorite cookbooks for almost 40 years. Unlike so many cookbooks, it has really withstood the test of time.
In my food, cooking, and cookbook-collecting circles, one frequently faces the question of what cookbooks would you take to a desert island, if you could only take ______. (Fill in the blank.) My standard answer is that I would take this book plus James Beard's American Cookery. If limited to only one cookbook, I would take this one. Charmaine Solomon really NAILED the cookery of the countries that are represented in this book. My opinion has not changed over the years, even with the increased availability of Asian ingredients in the interim. It now occurs to me that this could only be the case if Charmaine show more Solomon did not "dumb down" the recipes with that availability in mind. Kudos to her for this formula for a cookbook that is destined to have lasting value. show less
In my food, cooking, and cookbook-collecting circles, one frequently faces the question of what cookbooks would you take to a desert island, if you could only take ______. (Fill in the blank.) My standard answer is that I would take this book plus James Beard's American Cookery. If limited to only one cookbook, I would take this one. Charmaine Solomon really NAILED the cookery of the countries that are represented in this book. My opinion has not changed over the years, even with the increased availability of Asian ingredients in the interim. It now occurs to me that this could only be the case if Charmaine show more Solomon did not "dumb down" the recipes with that availability in mind. Kudos to her for this formula for a cookbook that is destined to have lasting value. show less
Down Australia way this has been the definitive general text since long before I started cooking.
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri show more Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri show more Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Down Australia way this has been the definitive general text since long before I started cooking.
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri show more Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri show more Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Down Australia way this has been the definitive general text since long before I started cooking.
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri show more Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
Like anything that does so much not all of it is going to work. I was disappointed to find the laksa recipe nowhere near as good as my favourite restaurant versions. It's true, it was one of my early sorties into cooking, but still....
Her Sri Lankan section is wonderful - not surprising since she is herself Sri Lankan, though since she moved to Australia in 1959, we may be forgiven for thinking of her as a local.
There are other sections of her book that I don't use, but may be excellent. I simply have enough good specialist books in the area, thinking now of Indian food in particular.
As an example of what she does so well, try this:
Sri show more Lankan chicken curry.
1.5 kg chicken pieces (NOT breasts!!!)
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
sprig of fresh curry leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons paprika (optional)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cardamom pods, bruised
1 stick cinnamon
1 stalk lemon grass
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup thick coconut milk
lime juice (optional)
Directions
Cut chicken into curry pieces. Heat ghee or oil and on low heat fry fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until they start to brown. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry gently until onions are soft and golden. Add turmeric, chilli, coriander, cumin, fennel, salt and vinegar. If the curry isn't quite red enough, add the paprika because while it isn't used in Sri Lanka, using enough chilli to give the required colour would mean a curry too hot for most people. Stir well, add chicken and turn the pieces in the mixture. Add tomatoes, whole spices and lemon grass. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Add coconut milk, cook uncovered for a further few minutes, then remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lime juice if desired. Serve with rice and accompaniments.
Yum. show less
When this classic cookbook was first published in 1976, Charmaine Solomon was widely praised for bringing Asian food to mainstream Australia. Three decades on, her (newly revised and updated) book has fans across the globe, thanks to its range of accessible, authentic recipes from every Asian nation. Simply indispensable!
This book is an excellent overview of Asian cooking, approached on a country-by-country basis. Each chapter focuses on a different country and provides in-depth information about cooking styles, ingredients, and utensils specific to the region. The recipes are easy to follow and pretty authentic. The back of the book contains a wonderful list of suggested substitutions for ingredients not easily found in Western countries.
One of three cookbooks that we would take with us, if we had to move and could only take a few. Wonderful recipes accompanied by photos that help to explain what the dish is supposed to look like.
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Author Information
Charmaine Solomon was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 31, 1930. At the age of 18, she became an assistant to the editor of the women's pages of the Ceylon Daily News. She eventually wrote a food column called Oceans of Notions for the newspaper. She moved to Australia in 1959. In 1964, she won second place in the Woman's Day Butter White show more Wings Bake Off and was invited to join Woman's Day as a food writer. She worked at the magazine for 11 years, including three as food editor, then became cookery editor of Belle magazine followed by food editor of Family Circle magazine. Her first book, The South East Asian Cookbook, was published in 1972. She is the author of 31 cookbooks and the creator of her own brand of spice blends and marinades. Her other books include The Complete Asian Cookbook, Encyclopedia of Asian Food, and The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
All Editions
Some Editions
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1976
- Important places
- Asia
- Dedication
- To Reuben who married me before I learned to cook.
- First words
- PREFACE
Good Cooking is one of the creative arts.....
INTRODUCTION
Just as France has its robust country fare as well as its subtle haute cuisine, so too does Asia have a range of culinary delights that can be si... (show all)mple, complex, delicious, fiery, mild, tantalising - and compulsive!
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- Members
- 570
- Popularity
- 51,535
- Reviews
- 13
- Rating
- (4.29)
- Languages
- Dutch, English, French, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 30
- UPCs
- 2
- ASINs
- 8
