Fresh Flavours of India [Paperback]

Das Sreedharan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 12, 2007

Here is Indian food as you have never seen it before: fresh healthy ingredients, vibrant flavours and easy recipes. Das Sreedharan, who co-owns Rasa restaurants, is at the forefront of contemporary Asian food and on a mission to introduce the world to the light, home-style cooking of his native Kerala. Ingredients such as chilis, cashew nuts, mangoes, ginger, tamarind and cumin - all readily available in supermarkets - are combined to delicious effect in this stunning collection of recipes. There are crisp snacks to serve with piquant chutneys, curries made creamy with yogurt and coconut milk, an abundance of colourful vegetables and tropical fruits, hearty rice dishes, moreish breads, cooling drinks, rich, unctuous desserts and refreshing ices. Whether you want a quick, simple dish to prepare after work or new ideas for a dinner party, whether you are planning a special curry evening for friends or simply love Asian food, "Fresh Flavours of India" will inspire and excite you.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The bloke's a complete genius and such a nice guy. It looks great, reads well, the explanations are fantastic. I've taken people to his restaurant on about ten occasions now, just to show off.' Jamie Oliver 'I've eaten delicious meals at Das's restaurants many times, and I truly adore the food. Now that I have this book though, I'll be able to cook and eat my favourite dishes at home as well. The recipes are straightforward and they work.' Peter Gordon 'Shockingly good Keralan food. The culinary flair and attention to detail is thrillingly apparent. Indisputably outstanding in all respects.' Time Out

About the Author

Das Sreedharan opened the first Rasa restaurant in London in 1994; it has won many commendations including an Evening Standard Eros Award, twice won the Time Out Best Vegetarian Restaurant Award and is highly rated in the Zagat survey. There are now four restaurants with many fans including Fay Maschler and Jamie Oliver. Das has featured in numerous magazines including The Sunday Times, Food Illustrated and BBC Vegetarian Good Food. David Loftus is one of Britain's most exciting and sought-after food, interiors and garden photographers. His work appears in many top international magazines including Elle, Food & Wine, Vogue Entertaining & Travel, Cond Nast Traveller, Red and New York Magazine. In 1998 David won the acclaimed Garden Photographer of the Year award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group; Revised edition (April 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840914904
• ISBN-13: 978-1840914900
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,004,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars refreshingly authentic, December 29, 2006

By 

synchrony (USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fresh Flavours of India (Paperback)

is is a wonderful introduction to kerala cuisine and has a nice cross-section of recipes in various categories that represent keralite cooking. keralite cooking is quite diverse and this book emphasises the vegetarian nair style, though there are a selection of non-vegetarian recipes with the mappla (muslim) and syrian christian influences.

the book does contain some glaring typos, though. the rasam recipe calls for 4 oz (100 gm) of tamarind. i considered it odd, but stuck to the recipe, and found it too sour to be palatable. i reduced it to 1.5 ounces, and it produced an outstanding rasam.

for those interested in south indian food, esp. food from kerala, this book is a must-have.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, March 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Fresh Flavours of India (Hardcover)

I have not yet got the book, but about 7 years ago I visited the first Rasa Restaurant, and it was the best Indian food with out a shadow of a doubt I have eaten in or outside of India.
I had a long chat with the author also, and he was a very interesting man. If the recipes are like the restaurant I must give it the highest recommendation

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book is Better..., November 17, 2005

By 

Leila lu - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fresh Flavours of India (Paperback)

...than the restaurant!!! I know, this may be hard to believe, but once you make these delicious, mouth-watering recipes at home, you will understand. I have tried almost all of them, and we can't get enough! It has become the standard cookbook for our home.

Try especially the Beet Pachadi (also in the restuarant) or the Broccoli Curry. The vadais are great, but the samosas need a bit more spice (Madhur Jaffery's are a lot better). The mango lassis at Rasa (the reastaunt)and in the cookbook are extra special because they add a dash of cardamom.

I find the directions in this book very good, although sometimes the measurements for an American cook are not exact--how much is 2 oz of dessicated coconut? It doesn't really matter, though. Just toss some in! As in any Indian cookbook, beware of their suggested amount of chili powder!

I only started cooking Indian food about 2 months ago, and out of all the Indian cookbooks I have read, this is by far, the best in all cetegories - flavour and tastiness of each dish, ease of use, beauty of layout, and even a short blurb about each recipe. The recipes are so fast and easy, I can whip up up two or three in an hour, and they are even suitable for company!

Whatever you do, order this book and let your senses delight!