Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

This book does have some ingredients that you may need to go to a special market to buy. And the recipes are somewhat involved, but they're so authentic. The bonus is that once you take the time and make these recipes, they will taste just like they do at the restaurant. Delicious!

In The Asian Vegan Kitchen, Hema Parekh offers readers a virtual International cooking class based on recipes from India, Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Korea. For each country, Parekh offers Soups and Salads, Main Dishes and Rice, Side Dishes and Snacks, and Desserts. With 20 years experience teaching Asian cooking classes, Parekh is a master educator, sharing informative and enlightening morsels before each recipe. In her recipe for Koyadofu Tonkatsu (Fried Tofu Cutlets), for example, we learn that in Japan, Katsu means victory, and fried tofu cutlets are often eaten before sports tournaments, exams, or elections to ensure success. Parekh tells us that Indonesia's Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice) is the color of royalty, and is usually shaped into a cone to represent the mythical Hindu mountain, Meru. She has also included thirty-two pages of mouth-watering color photos, and a five page glossary of lesser-known ingredients and spices.

I've always been a HUGE fan of "Asian" food (a very general term, indeed), from India to Japan and every country in between. This is the only book that satisfies that desire for such a variety of Asian recipes. Ingredients & cooking styles vary dramatically from one country to the next, and I'd never gotten the grasp of Indian cooking till I tried Hema's recipes. I'd say Hema did an amazing job at bringing a variety of recipes from each country together. I've made a great deal of these recipes, and have never been let down. Better said - I've never tried a recipe in this book that I didn't love. Yes, love. I have re-made most of the recipes I've tried, more than twice. Of course, there will be ingredients that you might not have in your pantry - this is expected of "foreign" cooking. Pick the recipes you want to try, buy the ingredients that you don't have one at a time, and try them out. (If you have a Whole Foods, or even a small organic store nearby, it'll be really easy. But even your regular grocery might carry it... you just may never have noticed it before!) You might be surprised at the new tastes you discover and incorporate them into your everyday cooking. I know I have. Of all my regular cookbooks, I refer to this most often (due to my love of Asian food, lol). You might be disappointed to see very few pictures in the book, but don't let that dismay you - the pics in the centerfold are enough to prove these recipes are worth their weight. And yes, everything is 100% Vegan, and totally authentic. :)

I was very happy to find this book in a library and decided I wanted my own copy and a few for gifts. The author gives a reasonable overview of several Asian cuisines, highlighting popular dishes and does a very nice job. Occasionally one wonders how big a half a cauliflower is to an Indian person who lives in Japan, but so far the recipes I have tried have worked for me. I've learned a number of new tricks. Flavors and textures are excellent. You don't have to be vegan to appreciate the recipes. I'm omnivorous; there was never a sense that a dish had anything (like meat or eggs) missing.

Everything I have made from this book has been delicious! But let's be honest. There are a lot of obscure ingredients that require numerous trips to different grocery stores. Ever heard of a salam or pandan leaf? What about fruit salt? Me neither but that's okay because I'm willing to track them down. Even though the ingredients can be a bit of a challenge, the recipes are completely worth the effort.

THE ASIAN VEGAN KITCHEN: AUTHENTIC AND APPETIZING DISHES FROM A CONTINENT OF RICH FLAVORS provides over 200 recipes from soups and side dishes to main dishes and noodle dishes, pairs these with over thirty pages of color photos, and includes highlights of each country's cuisine. Any interested in Asian vegan cuisine needs this: it covers a range of tastes and options in a fine, definitive guide.

I have many vegan cookbooks, most American & most feature MANY MANY Mexican flavours. It is such a change to have such wonderful Asian flavours. The book is divided into countries India, Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia & Korea, each offering starters, mains & desserts. Each dish has a little description & tells you how it is traditionally served. The only down side to the book is that, like most vegan cookbooks, it lacks photos of the dishes.

The recipes I've tried require adaptation. Some of the measurements don't add up, and I'm unable to source the more exotic vegetables locally (lotus root, drumsticks, etc.). Even so, I would recommend this cookbook. Especially if, like me, you're obsessed with spicy, hot rice noodles!

This book is an opportunity to find new ways to use familiar foods and introduces the reader to lots of new ingredients. It's well organized, easy to follow and has great photos of foods.