The Complete Asian Cookbook which has been published in the 1970s has been in use for 25 years now and has been a very valuable addition to the kitchens all over the world. Here, the best loved recipes in Asia have been published in an easy to read format, with recipes from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, and a lot more. This book was written by Charmaine Solomon and has sold at least a million copies internationally.
Well loved Sri Lankan recipes are found in The Complete Asian Cookbook. Some of the recipes are but not limited to: Sri Lankan Mas Paan or in layman’s terms meat buns, Chicken Mulligatawny which of course has one of the most commonly used spices in Sri Lanka: the turmeric, a special rice in Sri Lanka called the Yellow Rice (Kaha Bath) that goes extremely well with the Sri Lankan Chicken Curry that also has a recipe in the book.
The readers of The Complete Asian Cookbook will notice that most of the recipes use curry milk and even curry leaves as that is very much Sri Lankan. In the book, there are some recipes wherein the curry leaves are first ground before being sprinkled to the cooking dish. One of these recipes is the Vataka Curry or the Yellow Pumpkin Curry. In Sri Lanka, not only fish and chicken are used as the major ingredients in curried meals. Vegetables and fruits are also made as curried meals.
Recipes are written comprehensively and with such clarity, with the list of ingredients are discussed such as the quantity, substitute ingredient, storage and of course their availability. The Complete Asian Cookbook is the best kitchen resource that has captured the hearts of many and will continue to capture the hearts and the palates of the future generations.