It was the small tea and oil town of Moran in upper Assam that author Jyoti Das candidly confesses to be the place where she got the chance to interact with people from different spheres, motivating her interest in cooking and the kitchen culture of the land. And it is more befitting to the book Ambrosia...From the Assamese Kitchen, Das’ latest work on Assamese culinary in English, after her hugely successful Assamese recipe books Aponar Akhalot Chinese Byanjan and Manshar Vividh Byanjan, that it has another Moran connection — a foreword by celebrated film actor Victor Banerjee, who spent his childhood in this small town and for whom Assam is his ‘private wonderland’ with its resplendent Nature, the quiet charm of simple people and the clean taste of Assamese food.

Indeed it is simplicity and clean taste that makes Assamese cuisine unique and this comprehensive cookbook gives one the glimpse of an array of delectable dishes that truly reflect the variegated hues of the culture of Assam. The more-than-hundred recipes, incorporated in the book, have been featured in segments such as snacks (pithas), rice specialities, fritters, alkali items, chutneys, dails, vegetable dishes, fish and meat/poultry delicacies, and various desserts. Then there is a section that features some select favourite recipes of the author. From snacks like til pitha, ghila pitha, etc to rice specialities like chunga chaul to alkali items like amitar khar to various chutneys like pani tenga, kharisa, etc to vegetable dishes like dhekia baked in a banana leaf to non-veg delicacies like chicken with bamboo shoot, pork with rice powder, outengar maachor tenga, fish curry with spinach, one will find recipes to suit varied tastes.

What makes this book unique is its simple language that unfolds before the reader the step-by-step methods on how to prepare these Assamese culinary delights. And adding to the advantage of food-lovers is a glossary of ingredients used in Assamese dishes with their English names, as also the serving tips of these special cuisines, be it for lunch, dinner or any other occasion. The addition of some more photographs surely would have enhanced the beauty of the book.

Mridumoloy