Rick Stein’s India is the most inspiring cookbook I’ve bought in a very, very long time. I’ve devoured it from cover to cover, savouring every little description and anecdote and even carefully picking through the supplementary lists of stockists and whatnot that you get at the end. Not only are the recipes easy to follow, the blurb that precedes each one is so colourfully written that you can almost taste the dish. It’s an absolute triumph and Rick writes so well, so engagingly, that you could be the most reluctant cook in the world yet still feel the urge to get into the kitchen and bang some pots about.

I’m deeply regretful, now, that I didn’t watch the accompanying TV series. I’m so enamoured with the recipe book, I might just buy the series DVD as well. I know there’s always iPlayer, but I’d quite like to have the episodes to keep. Who watched the series? Would you say it’s worth buying the DVD?

  I bought my book from Amazon for £12 here. The DVD is £10.50.