Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie Sahni – Great Cookbook
Posted in Amazons Hot Daily Deals on Sep 21st, 2009
Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie Sahni – Save 34% Today!
Why Buy A Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking by Julie Sahni?
Julie Sahnis remarkable ability to make authentic Indian cooking accessible to American cooks continues to make her first book, Classic Indian Cooking, the definitive work of its kind.
This is her long-awaited second book. To prepare it, Julie Sahni traveled extensively throughout the regions of her native India, to assemble a splendid second volume of Indian culinary delights. Whereas her first book explored the riches of Moghul cuisine, this totally new collection systematically reveals the never-before-described treasures of Indias vegetarian and grain cooking.
The book begins with a simple explanation of the ingredients and techniques characteristic of this cuisine. For the first time anywhere, Julie describes every classical blend of curry in the Indian tradition, with accompanying recipes on how to use them. From this book alone you will become master both of Indias wonderful curries and of the many new varieties you will now know how to create for yourself.
In addition to a thorough going mastery of cooking with curry, this book provides a complete experience of Indias incredibly varied vegetarian and grain dishes. Try the heavenly spread of yogurt cheese flavored, with fresh herbs, a favorite of the Gujarati Jains. Be adventurous: make Steamed Rice and Bean Dumplings in Spicy Lentil and Radish Sauce, traditionally served as tiffin one of the great classics of Indian vegetarian cooking.Vegetarians, the super health-conscious, and meat eaters who want to vary their menu with exciting new dishes, all will want to sample the vegetarian masterpiecesvirtual one-dish feasts-that are the very heart of this book: Malabar Coconut and Yogurt-Braised Vegetables; Hearty Blue Mountain Cabbage and Tomato Stew; Baked Zucchini Stuffed with Vegetarian Keema and BuIgur; Madras Fiery Eggplant, Lentil, and Chili Stew; and so many many others. To accompany these dishes, Julie provides an abundance of chutneys, pickles, breads, rice dishes, dals, vegetable side dishes, yogurt salads, and volcanically hot condiments.
Any time of the day you can snack or nibble on tasty foods that will contribute to your health but not your waistline: refreshing chats (salads without oil), a succulent array of fritters, kaftas, and kababs all ingeniously created from fresh vegetables, and a wide selection of crunchy savories from plantain chips to the irresistible giant papad (lentil wafer).
Your sweet tooth is not neglected by Indias vegetarian and grain cooking. Lotus Seed Pudding, kulfi (Indias delicious ice cream), coconut dumplings, and Quick Glazed Carrot Halwa are only the beginning of the unbelievable assortment of desserts and sweets Julie Sahnis Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking makes available to you. Plus divine recipes for lassi (yogurt drink), refreshing teas, and classic South Indian coffee.This invaluable and instructive book places Indias ancient tradition of delicious vegetarian and grain dishes directly into your hands.
Over 36 Five Star Customer Reviews On Amazon!
great cookbook.
It is a great book for Indian cooking in general but great for vegetarian recipes. It would be a first choice.
great for vegans
What a fantastic book — I’m finally able to master the cuisine I could formerly only dine on in restaurants, and this way I can control things like spiciness and amount of oil.With the exception of some of the desserts (I don’t know what milk fudge is or how I can whip up a vegan equivalent), I have not come across a single recipe that I was not able to make vegan. I was even able to enjoy saag paneer for the first time by using tofu in lieu of cheese. Ghee, milk, and cream can be replaced with vegetable oil or soy/rice milk.
Almost every recipe I’ve tried has been a winner. There are several that I’ve made again and again, such as the saag paneer, roti, the black-lentil dal, the Tanjore three-bean salad, and the five-jewel creamed lentils. As a consequence the binding is starting to fall apart — another reviewer mentioned poor-quality binding and that has been my experience as well.
One warning: If you don’t have an Indian market in your town, the ingredients for many of these recipes might be difficult to track down.
I’m Not a Vegetarian
I can imagine becoming a vegetarian for reasons of social conscience, but it hasn’t happened yet. I do, however, have vegetarian friends who tolerate my lack of enlightenment, and I do sometimes cook for them. On such occasions, if I feel like challenging myself, this is the cookbook to which I turn for inspiration.Julie Sahni offers clear enough descriptions of the tasks involved in classic Indian cooking so that anyone who’s a halfway good cook in any other style can easily produce something delicious from her recipes. I never follow recipes exactly except when I use this book; I’ve learned from trial and error that whatever Julie says is right. The lessons she offers in nutrition – balancing grains with lentils and other pulses; using spices to AID digestion; conserving nutrients in the cooking process – are invariably worth learning.
The cookbook begins with eighty pages of descriptions of the basic ingredients of Indian vegetarian cooking, especially the spices and spice blends. Julie tells us which spices can be ground or purchased ground in advance without sacrificing flavor, and which cannot. Lots of recipes in the newspapers, for instance, call for “garam masala” as if there were only one blend of spices under that name. Julie offers five quite different blends of aromatic and piquant spices, all regional garam masalas, and tells us when each is appropriate.
Some of the best recipes in the book are for pilafs and hearty stews. Then there are clear instrutions for making two dozen sorts of Indian breads and dumplings. Home-made chutneys, I can tell you, are way tastier than gunk from jars. Cauliflower stuffed with nuts and greens is one of my favorite showy dishes for company. How about ‘tiny new potatoes smothered in fenugreek leaves?’ She includes instructions for growing a pot of fenugreek from seeds. Cardamom ice cream and rose petal rice pudding are always show-stopper desserts. There are also ideas for whole menus – combinations of dishes both for aesthetic and nutritioal balance.
I have half a dozen Indian cookbooks – gifts from friends mostly – but Julie Sahni’s is the only one that’s speckled with food stains and oil smudges. Honorable decorations for a cookbook, indicating frequent use.
CLASSIC INDIAN VEGETARIAN AND GRAIN COOKERY
Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking
I have so far cooked 9 recipes out of this book. Eight were superb & the other was quite good. (I feel that I can amend the quite good to make it superb, too.)Here are the names of the superb recipes:
Sprouted Beans (how to make Indian-style)
Hearty Blue Mountain Cabbage & Tomato Stew
Jain Coriander-Scented Millet & Mung Bean Pilaf
Bengali Green Beans & Potatoes Smothered in Mustard Oil
Spicy Mushrooms with Ginger & Chilies
Yellow Mung Beans Laced with Herbs
Cabbage Salad Laced with Mustard & Coconut — if you are only going to try one recipe from this book, this coconut cole slaw is the one to try!
White Gram Beans (Urad Dal) Laced with Onion Butter
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