Madhur Jaffrey: The woman who gave the world Indian food
Ahead of the 50th anniversary edition of actress and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey's groundbreaking book on Indian cuisine, Nobel laureate, co-founder and co-director of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Abhijit Banerjee credits Madhur for his knowledge of Indian cookery. "While I could cook many Western dishes, I did not know how to cook Indian food. My first step was smart – to buy her [cookbook], 'An invitation to Indian cooking,' and follow it with a certain amount of diligence. And that's how I learned to cook Indian food," Abhijit says.
At a spirited 90 years of age, Madhur Jaffrey takes centre stage on the streaming platform MasterClass, her screen presence marked by a shiny bob, smoky-lined eyes, vivid red lips and a trove of lively, endearing anecdotes from her rich life. A true polymath, Madhur is more than a versatile actress whose cinematic impact has spanned several decades, she's a culinary chronicler and food icon. With over 30 cookbooks to her name, spanning the flavours of India, Asia and global vegetarian cuisine, as well as many television cookery shows (including on the BBC), Madhur Jaffrey is a household name for anyone with a taste for South Asian cuisine.
As Indian-born Nobel Laureate and cookbook author Abhijit Banerjee shared during this year's annual HC Mahindra Lecture at Harvard University, "While I could cook many Western dishes, I did not know how to cook Indian food. My first step was smart – to buy her [cookbook], An Invitation to Indian Cooking, and follow it with a certain amount of diligence. And that's how I learned to cook Indian food."
The 50th anniversary edition of Jaffrey's ground-breaking book comes out on 21 November, beautifully illustrated with Jaffrey's drawings and a foreword by chef and fellow cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi.