American Masala: 125 New Classics from My Home Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up my copy of "American Masala" last night so this review is a first impressions sort of look at chef Suvir Saran's latest cookbook. First of all, the photography and the graphic elements that make up this book are vividly colorful. As you can see from the cover, the colors are rich and intense - almost a visual foretaste of the equally vivid flavors and unique layering of spices you will experience when you try these recipes. Building on "Indian Home Cooking," this second book provides even more background to the recipes - the stories of people and experiences that have inspired Saran's collection of "125 new classics" are a pure pleasure to read. In fact, when I got home last night, I sat in bed reading Saran's book as I would a novel, getting lost in the textures and rhythms of anecdotes from Delhi, New York and other places around the world.
Today I decided to try Suvir's recipe for vegetarian enchiladas with roasted pepper sauce. As I looked through the recipe to make my shopping list, I discovered that I would be actually making three recipies: the roasted pepper sauce, the stir-fried carrot salad, and the enchiladas themselves. Now enchiladas, like many of the foods you will see in this cookbook, may seem a peculiar offering from one of the leading authorities in this country on Indian cooking. But as the title suggests, this book reflects Saran's own experience in America (where, as he states early on, he has lived almost as long as he had lived in India). Many of these recipes will no doubt seem familiar to you as you thumb through the book, but if you look at the ingredients, you will notice how Suvir subtly recreates them with new flavors and spices.
I have just finished making the roasted pepper sauce (fantastic!), the carrot salad (deeply warm and spicy with a lovely tang of lime) and have assembled the enchiladas. I'll be putting them in the oven in a few minutes and cannot wait to try them.
Get this book, it's a wonderful reflection of a gifted chef.

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Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)For those of us old enough to remember when parental warnings were placed on certain music, you remember how those became the `must have' CDs and records for your collection. Vineet Bhatia starts his recently released Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen with "This book is probably not for the novice cook." Such sweeter warnings are rarely uttered.
Vineet Bhatia is the owner and chef of Rasoi in London, and the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star, an accomplishment he has twice received. Stars have been awarded by Michelin since 1926 which only magnifies the feat (or highlights a lapse on the part of Michelin).
His honest introduction of personal restaurant failures paired with his dreams to elevate his beloved cuisine is endearing, and when the pages turn to show the most beautiful Indian food that I've seen, it is clear that his training and failures have made him a chef deserving of his stars. Matthew Fort of The Guardian exclaimed, "Better to judge Bhatia's cooking against that of Gordon Ramsay and Tom Aikens than against that of conventional Indian restaurants. By the standards of those masters, he must be seen to be at least their equal."
Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen starts with forwards from Marco Pierre-White ("What he has done for Indian cooking is not so different from what Fernand Point did for French gastronomy in the 1940s and 1950s") and Fay Maschler of the London Evening Standard. This current edition follows the UK edition which was released in the fall of 2009.
The heart of the book includes a section on spices (with American translations and equivalents in the rear of the book), mise en place recipes (those recipes within recipes), chutneys, pre-starters and soups, starters, main courses, accompaniments, pre-desserts, desserts and petits fours. 150 recipes in all.
Indian cooking is notorious for its vast list of pantry essentials. And so Bahtia's precursory warning should be heeded for a less experienced cook. However, if the thought of making your own chutney or masala isn't intimidating, then this book is within reach for any experienced home cook. And if you've already assembled a nice pantry of spices, then it may only be a few specialty spices to get you on your way.
But that's only half the battle.
Advanced planning is required. This is one of those cookbooks that include ingredients in the recipe that required another recipe to be performed earlier, and in some cases those had recipes that needed to be done previously. But none of the recipes are technically overtaxing. While I have some experience with Indian cooking, my repertoire is limited to palak paneer, aloo gobi and tomato chutney. The recipes read cleanly, although a bit sparse in basic instructions. Just read the recipes ahead of time (days, not minutes) to ensure that you're ready to go.
Within a week of having the book I integrated four different recipes into my restaurant menu, all of which became immense hits that will be hard to remove any time soon. The crispy rice and masala cheese dumplings with spicy chilli garlic dip is a fantastic combination of flavors and textures along with its striking visual appeal. Lobster recharde, chilli and coconut panna cotta, tandoori lobster in a spicy marinade is not something you'll find in your neighborhood Indian buffet. 24-carat black spice chicken, tomato chutney, chilli-coriander khichdi, yellow lentils, mooli relish is worthy of its regal title. And the inclusion of desserts that aren't some form of sugar soaked cheese is triumphant - cheese ice cream, crushed cardamom biscuits, fresh fruit. Every recipe I have made has been a hit.
I most appreciated Bhatia's explanation of selecting and using spices in Indian cooking. In fact, his explanation, while brief, was more illuminating to me than the half dozen other Indian cookbooks, all of which are much thicker and much less attractive.
And this is an attractive book. With 272 pages, about half of the pages are filled with pictures from Lisa Barber, and each pops off the page and makes you want a spice-saturated bite. The hard cover is wrapped with a velvety patterned cloth, which may scare you from bringing it into the kitchen. My boards have already warped slightly even though I'm in a very dry environment, so there may be a question of the production quality.
My greatest disappointment, and my warning to purchasers - the sticker on the back cover is NOT intended to be removed! The front cover comes with a removable sticker, and the back sticker is not of a quality that fits the beautiful fabric. The result is that you may think that you're supposed to remove the back sticker only to find out that it was meant to stay on. Now I have a ripped sticker on the back of my book which is unfixable. Disappointing.
But that is my only disappointment. This book has new ideas, new ingredients and new presentations of many classic dishes, and it will be one that keeps me busy for many meals to come.

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Indian Vegetarian Cooking from an American Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)I chose this book among others simply because It has the nutritional information for every recipe . But again , the chutneys and sauces dont have the calorific breakdown.
Moving on to the recipes , being an Indian myself I know how indian food is supposed to taste .. and this book does not reach anywhere near it. Its been COMPLETELY AMERICANIZED .
Also simply adding a pinch of "garam masala" to american soups and italian pasta dont turn the soups into "authentic Indian cuisine "!!!! thats an insult to the readers intelligence.
when I saw the title , I expected a book which would help me cook indian cuisine with the grains and greens available in the US and offer good subsitutions for many vegetables that are not widely available here. and this book completely failed in that respect. Quite a number of the recipes are hashed up new world recipes with a pinch of curry powder thrown in to make them "indian".
If you are looking for a good indian cookbook with AUTHENTIC Indian recipes , this would be a bad investment. If there was a system of negative rating , I would surely give that to this book.
The only book I have liked so far is Julie Sahni's " Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking " and I am still looking for something better.

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Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Spice Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)I absolutely love this cookbook. Recipes are doable for the non-expert cook-- not too simple, but not too complex. All the vegetarian options I tried are really delicious.
Ms. Jaffrey has created a cookbook which makes authentic Indian recipes accessible to Western cooks. Alternatives for traditional ingredients not readily available are supplied. (And recipes for some such ingredients, such as clarified butter, are also provided.)
I am not a great cook, but I love great food. With this book, I was able to create truly memorable, delicious meals. Highly, highly recommended. Also available in paperback.

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Madhur Jaffrey selects fifty recipes, many of them simple to prepare, that highlight twenty-two different spices. She demonstrates how to use spices like roasted cumin seeds, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, tamarind, fresh coriander and hot red chillies. She explains how some spices, like cinnamon, are meant to "heat" the body, while other spices, like cumin, are considered "cooling"; how each spice has dozens of different flavours depending on whether it is cooked in oil, dry-roasted or ground. The reader is guided through the flavours of Indian food with dishes such as lamb in almond sauce, and fish in fresh green chutney.

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The Spice Merchant's Daughter: Recipes and Simple Spice Blends for the American Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)If you notice the other reviews I think they all know the author personally or have taken her cooking classes at some point. Most of them have only written one review for Amazon and that being this book. A couple of them have written 2 so that leads me to believe that the other reviews while well meaning aren't necessarily unbiased. I would like to offer that review as I do not know the author, have never taken a cooking class nor have been paid by her to review the book.
This is it.
I enjoyed reading the book. While it is a cookbook it is also almost a diary. I enjoyed the first chapter where the author describes her childhood and growing enchantment with spices. I too have a similar memory but in rural Kentucky our smells were fat back and chitlins. Everyone remembers their own sweet smells from childhood. Ms. Arokiasamy does a wonderful job of leading us to hers.
One of my pet peeves is people describing most asian cooking as Thai cooking when in fact it is not. And the author knows that and shows us the differences between broad southeast asian cooking and its traditions. The author suggests introducing these spices slowly so that your family will become accustomed to their taste. I think I've heard you need to expose a child 10 times to a new food before they can truly decide if they like it or not.
She as many recipes for making your own spice blends and suggests adding the spice at the beginning of the cooking process if you want it milder in flavor and at the end if you want it strong. Helpful information to know about any spices.
There are recipes for curry powder, garam masala, fiery curry powder, lemon pepper rub, steak and chop rub. The steak and chop rub was delish. I used it over t-bones and the whole family loved it, even the kids. It was not too harsh and added a different flair. I made mine with Worcestershire but you could use soy as well.
The official review by Amazon included words like luscious photography...that is not so. The book is printed on recycled paper so the pictures look like they've been printed on recycled matte paper. They are not beautiful and not really appealing. There are only a few pictures anyway so it doesn't really add anything.
I would have liked more white space in the book to add my own notes and my own takes on the different spice combinations. But I can still do that if I want.
I hope this provided an unbiased review of the book if you were considering getting it I would suggest you do so. And if I'm ever in the Pacific Northwest I'll have to make a point of meeting Ms. Arokiasamy and taking one of her cooking classes.


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It was the aroma. The exotic scent of spices: rich, alluring, and almost magical. A scent that would sometimes overpower the freshness in the air and sometimes subtly mingle with it to create a tantalizing bouquet. A scent that would always bring me back to my childhood.Growing up enveloped in the aromas of her mother's spice stall in Kuala Lumpur, Christina Arokiasamy developed an artist's sense of how to combine and use spices in traditional and innovative ways. In The Spice Merchant's Daughter, she shares her family's spice secrets, expertly guiding and enticing home cooks to enliven their repertoires.Christina weaves evocative stories of cooking at her mother's side with real-world practical advice gleaned not only from working in professional kitchens but also from tackling the nightly task of getting a home-cooked dinner on the table for her family of four using American ingredients. She shows how easy it is to build layers of complex flavor to create 100 tempting Southeast Asian–inspired recipes, including Lemon Pepper Wings, Spicy Beef Salad, Steamed Snapper with Tamarind-Ginger Sauce, Cardamom Butter Rice with Sultanas, and Coconut Flan Infused with Star Anise. She unlocks the transformative power of homemade spice rubs, curry pastes, and sauces, as well as chutneys and pickles, enabling home cooks to bring new depth and dimension to their favorite dishes. With lush photography and a chapter identifying and defining key pantry ingredients and aromatics, The Spice Merchant's Daughter both inspires and empowers, awakening the senses and unlocking the alluring world of spices.

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Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)First, I must admit that the author is a friend, and that I worked with her on this book. But please don't let that make you think that any praise I give the book is unearned. Believe me, if this book had fallen out of the sky into my kitchen I would also love it.
Why?
Reason #1: The recipes WORK. I'm lucky enough to know that Monica tests her recipes, and has people with all different levels of cooking skill test them, too. And she won't let a recipe go until everyone can make it. So even if you are a novice cook, you *can* make these dishes. And if you are already skilled in Indian cooking, you just might find a simpler way to make something you love. Case in point: the recipe for Cream of Wheat and Paneer Pancakes (page 200). When I read it, I recognized it immediately as idli. But where is grinding the grains for it? Where is letting the batter sit overnight (or longer) to ferment? Gone! But what you get is a delicious pancake that works as a side, as a bread, as the basis for a meal.
Reason #2: She is there to guide you through things that might be new to you. It might be a bit much to call this a "Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking," but there is very helpful information about ingredients and techniques that might be unfamiliar. And again, even if you think you know all about them, you just might learn something.
Reason #3: This really is a book for *modern* cooks. Who has time to grind spices, and make complicated multi-day recipes? Very few of us. But even the simplest, quickest recipes are so full of flavor, you'll almost feel guilty at how easy they are. There is no such thing as a recipe that is too simple, as far as I'm concerned, not if the people I serve it to eat up every last bit! When I told the wife of one of my cousins about this -- she's an engineer who was born in the United States to parents from India who live now in North Carolina -- she exclaimed, "I would love that. And my mom would LOVE it, too!"
Reason #4: This is more than "just" a cookbook. Monica writes beautiful essays that may touch your soul, or remind you to call a friend you haven't spoken to in too long, or make you forgive your spouse for a silly argument, or let you marvel at how wonderful simple cooking can be. Even if you never cook anything from this -- although I can't imagine not wanting to -- you can sit with it and have a glass of wine or a cup of tea and lose yourself in her writing.

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Secrets from an Indian Kitchen (Secrets from a Kitchen Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)I checked this book out from the local Library, as I'm a fan of Indian food and wanted to try my hand at cooking it at home. I came to Amazon to see if I can find a copy to purchase, as I didn't want to return it! The recipes are well-explained, the reasons for procedures are given so you're not flying blind. I loved the variety of dishes, each with its own introductory tale. I've improved my repertoire of Indian dishes, and have this book to thank. Luckily I have many ethnic markets easily accessible, as many ingredients are not to be found in supermarkets, though this has been improving as well.

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'Secrets from an Indian Kitchen' is part of an exciting series of cookery books which will now be released at incredible value in paperback. The books reveal the tried and tested secrets passed down from generation to generation through families. These tips and techniques are the key to successful cooking. In this book Mridula Baljekar explores the subtle flavours of Indian cuisine in over 100 recipes, through techniques such as dim (steaming), korma (braising) and talana (deep-frying). The selection of exquisite recipes includes Pulao Rice and Chappaties, Chicken Korma with Whole Spices and the more exotic Quails Poached in Coconut Milk. Mridula's highly readable text also reveals the secrets that create the delicate aromas that distinguish Indian dishes, and one of her tips is to fry curry leaves in coconut oil to create a delicious aroma. The book is divided into chapters by cooking method and each section opens with an introduction about the method in which Mridula draws on her Indian background and the secrets passed on to her from earlier generations.

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Madhur Jaffrey's Spice Kitchen: Fifty Recipes Introducing Indian Spices and Aromatic Seeds Review

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(More customer reviews)I received this book in a East Indian spice kit almost 8 yrs. ago. Since then, I have accumulated 6 more books on Indian cuisine...my favorite still continues to be 'M.J.'s the Spice Kitchen'. The recipes take longer that the average american cook likes to spend but these are mouth watering...and remember this is the way cooking is done in India (I've tryed the shortcuts with the pressure cooker,etc. results shift to just good) I beleive the spice interplays need the long cook time...there is just no comparison using the faster cooking methods. Also Madhur Jaffrey is sensitive to the american palatte regarding heat. But do be aware that any recipe that uses raw chilis and cayenne will be hot! A good recipe from the book is the Lamb in Tomato sauce as the heat comes mostly from the black pepper and is added at the end. Enjoy!

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A taste-tempting introduction to Indian cookery presents a selection of recipes for soups, appetizers, main and side dishes, garnishes, drinks, and desserts that use a variety of different Indian spices. 12,500 first printing.

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Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen: Simple, Healthful Recipes from India's Great Vegetarian Tradition Review

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(More customer reviews)I had always been intimidated by the ingredients lists in many Indian cookbooks then I took a class with the author. WOW! This book is incredible. Instruction is easy and clear with wonderful serving suggestions. The ingredients are easy to find in my grocery store. My favorite recipe is homemade paneer cheese (p. 165). It is super easy to prepare and always looks elegant in any dish. The paratha (Calcutta Plain Flakybread - p.82) is also very easy and tastes wonderful! This is an outstanding book for vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike.

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Indian Spice Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)The Indian Spice Kitchen is a lush, full-size Indian Cookbook with over 200 recipes to demonstrate the use of a complex variety of wonderful exotic Indian spices and foods. Each spice or food is headlined by name, displayed in vivid color photos, and amplified by brief categories of information including how it grows, appearance and taste, buying and storing, medicinal and other uses, and culinary uses. This is followed by a couple of easy to prepare recipes to demonstrate the spice, showcased by yet more breathtaking photo compositions of the prepared food. The Indian Spice Kitchen is a treat to the eye with multisensory appeal. You can almost smell the fragrances! All recipe photography is by Julie Dixon, and extensive photographic acknowledgements are given at the end of the book. The text is descriptive, educational and contains just the right amount of anecdote to add pungency to the mix. The recipes themselves are simple and wonderful. Some examples are Bharwan Tamater (Stuffed Tomatoes), Channa Pulao (white chickpeas and rice). Pavta Patties (Lima Bean Patties), Bombay Pudding, Komdi Vindaloo (Spicy Goan Chicken Curry), Mooli Ka Salaad (white radish salad), and Lucknow Murgi Biryani (chicken Biryani Lucknow style). Chapters cover spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits, nuts, breads and cereals, and lentils/legumes as well as occasional treats and miscellaneous ingredients such as pappadams (thin fried bread wafers), jaggery (a sugar cane by-product), and edible silver foil used to garnish Indian treats. From start to finish, The Indian Spice Kitchen is a feast for the senses. Its fragrances waft out, tempting readers to try their hand at this exotic, ancient, rich cuisine.
Nancy Lorraine Reviewer

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The Calcutta Kitchen Review

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(More customer reviews)What I love the most in this book is the photographs.
Pictures of very simple day to day life have been portrayed with artistic skill.
Now coming to the recipes--- The recipes included here are those that all "Calcuttans" would love (specially kathi roll/doi machh etc). Although I did miss some recipes which I was looking for, the book includes quite some recipes of food preferred there in Calcutta during rituals and celebrations.
I have to admit the author spent a lot of time and energy on this book to make it attractive and useful.

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"What you've got to remember about us Bengalis," a good friend once told Simon Parkes, "is that we're only really interested in three things: educating our children, reading books, and food." Bengalis have a passion for good food--its authenticity, its freshness, its part in social occasions, and the pleasure of serving it at the table. The Calcutta Kitchen captures the essence of those pleasures through the evocative narrative of the BBC Food Programme's Simon Parkes, the recipes of renowned chef Udit Sarkhel, and the pictures of award-winning photographer Jason Lowe.Calcuttans know and adore fish, vegetables, and desserts in particular. They have a curiosity about food that never fades, and so they have embraced influences from around the world--most notably the English, Armenians, Jews, Tibetans, Chinese, Burmese, and Portuguese. Calcutta, and this book, has a taste of each of these cuisines.Until recently it was nigh-on impossible to taste Bengali cooking unless you were invited to a private home, yet this is some of the most sophisticated food in India. With its inexhaustible roll-call of fish and vegetables, its pungency derived from the widespread use of mustard (both seeds and oil) and its tempering with a blend of five spices known as panch phoron, it is an evolved yet accessible cuisine.The Calcutta Kitchen brings you recipes from one of the best-known Bengali chefs, Udit Sarkhel, and snapshots of the fish ponds, markets, artisan food producers, restaurants, clubs, cooks, gourmet, and street foods that play a part in the city's rich culinary culture.

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My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking Review

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(More customer reviews)I received my order of "My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking - Niloufer Ichaporia King."
I STRONGLY recommend this book. My wife is Parsi, and I enjoy cooking Parsi cuisine (along with many other cuisines, but Parsi cuisine is a favorite) and have a number of books on the subject, so I looked at how she treated some recipies I had already done, Patrel and Dhansak Masala. I've visited where my wife grew up in Bombay on M Karve Road near the Eros theater. There I also enjoyed Goan cuisine (my wife's 'nannys' were Goan and are superb cooks of both Goan and Parsi cuisine). Reading this book made you feel like you were back in Bombay learning a cuisine at the hands of someone who had mastered the cuisine and was gracious and competent enough to be teaching it to you with the clarity and style of a master teacher. Clearly this book is written by a Parsi in America, paying attention to the difficulties of obtaining certain ingredients, noting appropriate substitutions, yet showing the knowledge that could only come from someone who had been a part of the culture in Bombay - maintaining a most authentic result. The book isn't simply a collection of exquisitely presented recipies demonstrating exemplarary versions of those recipies, but the recipies are presented within the cultural context of the Parsi traditions, noting the culinary likes and dislikes of Parsis, what are mainstays of the tradition, etc etc. Delightfully written - a pleasure to read (excellent editing) and a clear presentation of information that I've struggled to get elsewhere.
Dhansak Masala is a complex spice mixture composed of dhana jiru and sambhar masala, each complex mixtures in their own right, with endless variations as numerous as there are cooks. I have searched high and low on the internet for these recipies only to find ones far more mediocre than the excellent verrsion she has presented in this book.
Her explanation of making Patrel would have saved me endless hours trying to find out that Colocasia leaves are actually taro root leaves. She lays out the techniques in a clear style reminiscent of Julia Child of exactly how to assemble this dish. I know that reading each recipe cover to cover will be a treasure trove of information.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that if you have an interest in Parsi or even Indian or Persian cuisine, this is a must have for your collection.
I really couldn't recommend a cookbook more highly. I'm not alone either - she is strongly recommended by Alice Waters, who wrote the forward of this book, famous for her restaurant in Berkeley, Chez Panisse and a major influence to cooks everywhere on the use and incorporation of local fresh ingredients being used in her food preparations. Also Paula Wolfert, who has written an excellent book on Moroccan Cuisine among her many accomplishments, and Dianne Kennedy, whose Mexican cookbook is a classial reference of Mexican cuisine. And other esteemed chefs and editors. I really couldn't be in better company in recommending a book.
Finally, my ultimate critic of my cooking, my wife, has been absolutely delighted by the recipies in this book, partiularly the Parsi scrambled egg recipe.

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The Asian Vegan Kitchen: Authentic and Appetizing Dishes from a Continent of Rich Flavors Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has a lot of great recipes in it and I found it quite inspiring. There a limited photos which are all contained in the middle of the book. My only issue with the book was that despite the fact that I have a very diverse collection of spices and herbs, she seemed to come up with things I did not have. So it is up to you to decide if it is worth the effort to track down some odd ingredient if you want to follow the recipes exact.

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My Indian Kitchen: Preparing Delicious Indian Meals without Fear or Fuss Review

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(More customer reviews)While having lived in America for a few years before I moved back to India, I have often had my colleagues and friends make statements like,"No other cuisine frightens me more in the kitchen than Indian food. Don't get me wrong, I love eating it, but preparing it from scratch is a whole other thing! So, I've been putting off the idea of cooking Indian food at home forever..."
This book is a boon to all similar-thinking novice chefs, the hostess who wants to entertain and impress her guests with exotic Indian food,the busy working mother, the 'supermom' homemakers and anyone else who loves to cook! The recipes in this book are made simple, yet carry the exotic anecdote that is often associated with Indian cooking. Hari Nayak has his own indigenous way of making sure that there is no compromise on taste and flavours, even when he is substituting Indian exotic ingredients with produce locally found in America. This is not an ordinary book, you will see. Not only does the book contain great recipes, it also contains simple techniques and trivial tricks and tips with which conjuring up a delicious Indian menu will be easy as a breeze. It is an exhilarating read which really showcases the diversity of Indian cuisine, various elements and seasons that catalyse certain dishes that we make. The ornamental motives embedded in the layout, and the spectacular food-photography in this book, makes it a visual appeal.
I also like the fact, that each recipe has a small history to it, making it all the more personal and offering you sort of a peek into the chef's mind, while he was probably putting the book together.
The steps in each recipe are comforting, re-assuring and easy-to-follow. Each of them come with recommendations of pairing with complimenting courses, accompaniments and even drinks, making it more convinient for you to plan a full fare.
The book is so comprehensive,that, it probably is, the only Indian cookbook (even though I stay in India!) I'll ever need to stay in "MY Indian Kitchen".


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In My Indian Kitchen, author and chef Hari Nayak shares the secrets of his family's style of southern Indian cooking as well as favorite dishes from other parts of the huge Indian subcontinent—secrets that he learned from his mother and aunts, neighbors, local street vendors and countless friends. It is full of hunger-inducing recipes and simple tips that will allow even the novice cook to succeed at unlocking the "hidden magic" of Indian cooking.With the recipes in this book, consistently delicious Indian food at home becomes a reality. From a perfect Mint Chutney with Samosa to a melt-in-the-mouth Chicken Tikka Masala, to Pork Vindaloo, Tandoori Chicken and Sweet Mango Yogurt Lassi, traditional Indian meals without hours and hours of work can be achieved. Having lived in the West for many years, Hari understands the time for meal preparation is limited. To accommodate our busy lifestyle, the recipes in this book have been simplified, without sacrificing any of their authenticity. With Hari's guidance and timesaving tips, the ability to create Indian meals appealing to the individual tastes of the home cook can, finally, be achieved.

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The Indian Vegan Kitchen: More Than 150 Quick and Healthy Homestyle Recipes Review

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(More customer reviews)Since I have Type 2 diabetes and have successfully reversed it by switching first to a lowfat vegetarian diet, and then to a lowfat vegan diet (with even better results), I was thrilled to find a vegan cookbook which highlights my absolute favorite cuisine, the cuisine of India. As I began to read, learn, and cook from the Indian Vegan Kitchen, I realized that I had finally found someone who could explain Indian cooking techniques, ingredients, and recipes in a way that made sense to me as an American. It is clear to me that Madhu Gadia understands the kind of necessary background information and instructions that an ordinary American like me needs in order to transform her own kitchen into a palace of Indian delights. I have made quite a few recipes from the Indian Vegan Kitchen, all with their own distinctive flavors, and all successfully delicious! So far I have made a Kidney Bean dish, Carrots and Turnips, Black-eyed Peas and Potatoes, Zucchini, and Black Gram and Bengal Gram Dahl. I follow her recipes exactly, but have adjusted the ingredients to meet my health needs. Namely, I have reduced the amount of oil and salt. I also reduced the amount of cayenne pepper, since we like spicy, but not really hot food. That said, the recipes themselves have resulted in some very healthy and enjoyable eating at my house, and I can't wait to try the rest of the recipes in this cookbook. Madhu Gadia has included very helpful information on Indian spices, as well as the dals (beans and pulses) used in Indian cooking. She explains the basic techniques of Indian cooking, too. AND she has a website, [...], from which she is able to answer any questions you might have about her recipes or about Indian cooking. Before this cookbook, my husband and I were dependent on Indian restaurants for good Indian cuisine, but now my own house smells as fragrant and enticing as an Indian restaurant! But I enjoy it even more than a restaurant, because I know that all the recipes are vegan. I have already recommended this cookbook to many of my friends, and would recommend it to anyone who loves Indian cooking. I look forward to trying her New Indian Home Cooking cookbook as well. Thank you, Madhia! This is a dream come true for me.

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The author of New Indian Home Cooking presents a fresh take on Indian recipes for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who loves Southeast Asian cuisine. Renowned nutritionist and cooking instructor Madhu Gadia delivers a wonderful new recipe collection that is perfect for vegans looking for fresh ideas, as well as anyone who savors healthy, light recipes that don't compromise on authenticity. Unlike most Indian vegetarian cookbooks, this unique collection avoids dairy and eggs, highlighting vegetables, and making use of soy products and other simple substitutions. It also offers nutritional analyses, as well as notes on serving, history, and variations.

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