I’m not sure what I liked most about this book—the gorgeous photography, the recipes, or the story behind it all.  Huma Siddiqui creates a magical blend of Pakistani culture, traditions, and cuisine in JASMINE IN HER HAIR, a tribute to the author’s mother.  In a nutshell, this book has earned its place in my kitchen. 

I adore Indian food—curry is my all-time favorite meal.  After opening the first page of JASMINE IN HER HAIR, I realized I was opening a treasure trove of all my favorite recipes in one beautiful collection.  I’d never realized that Pakistani and Indian cuisines were similar.  The book is broken up into sections:  Appetizers, Meat Dishes, Vegetable Dishes, Desserts, Rice & Bread Dishes, and Sauces & Drinks.  Inside you’ll find easy-to-follow, tasty recipes for favorites such as Samosas (curried vegetable turnovers), Chicken Tikka (yogurt marinated chicken), Palak Dal (lentils & spinach in a perfectly spiced sauce), and Mango Lassi (a yogurt & mango drink).  Colored photographs of both the culture and the foods grace many pages within this keeper.  If the pictures are any representation, I'd love to have Huma Siddiqui come borrow my kitchen for a day, week, or possibly a lifetime!

 I think Huma Siddiqui’s daughter sums it up best – “I believe that not only is it filled with the recipes that I grew up with, but it is filled with my mother’s spirit of cooking.”  I agree!  There is more to this book than just the recipes; JASMINE IN HER HAIR is infused with Huma Siddiqui’s life as well.