Madhur Jaffrey Goan-style Chicken with Coconut (Chicken Curry)

About Madhur Jaffrey

Indian actress, food writer, and cookbook author credited with introducing Indian home cooking to Western audiences

Madhur Jaffrey is an Indian-born actress, food writer, and television presenter who has spent decades explaining the regional cooking of India to audiences outside it. Her book 'An Invitation to Indian Cooking' and BBC series 'Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery' were instrumental in bringing authentic Indian home cooking, as distinct from restaurant curry house food, into British and American kitchens.

Her recipes draw on the diverse regional cuisines of India, from Goan coconut-based curries to Punjabi dals and Madras-style meat curries, built on layered spicing: whole spices bloomed in oil, ground masalas, ginger, garlic, and chilli balanced with sour and aromatic notes like tamarind or yoghurt. She writes with an emphasis on technique and precision, explaining why a step matters rather than just listing it, and her recipes range from quick weeknight dals to slower-cooked, deeply spiced meat dishes.

Seven Indian recipes on Mello, imported from thehappyfoodie.co.uk.