The Healing Cuisine: India's Art of Ayurvedic Cooking (Healing Arts Press) [Paperback]

Harish Johari (Author)

Book Description

Series: Healing Arts Press | Publication Date: September 1994

This collection of vegetarian recipes is based upon Ayurvedic principles of healing, and includes more than 100 recipes, seasonal menus and nutritional guidelines. The book explains the healing qualities of various foods and spices according to their subtle energies, indicating which recipes are appropriate for specific conditions of body and mind.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ayurveda's renaissance man... -- Yoga Journal

About the Author

Harish Johari is also the author of Leela: The Game of Self-Knowledge, Tools for Tantra, Chakras, The Healing Power of Gemstones, Breath, Mind, and Consciousness, and Numerology. His audiocassettes include Sounds of Tantra, Sounds of the Chakras, and Attunements for Dawn and Dusk. He makes his home in India, but lectures worldwide, preparing sumptuous feasts wherever he goes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Healing Art Press; First Thus edition (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892813822
• ISBN-13: 978-0892813827
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #578,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book... *and* vegan-friendly, December 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Healing Cuisine: India's Art of Ayurvedic Cooking (Healing Arts Press) (Paperback)

I could write a very long and thorough critique of this book, but i won't. i just want to make a few points. First & foremost is that this is the only book of its kind (that i'm aware of); that is, it's a vegetarian indian cookbook based directly on ayurvedic science, with a complete introduction to ayurvedic theory & application... and it's vegan-friendly... (there's a small section of the recipes devoted to paneer cottage cheese and yogurt, and some of the other main recipes call for yogurt or cream, but these are few comparatively, and of course soy could be substituted).... As an introductory guide to ayurveda, it is pretty good (the organization isn't the best, compared to "Ayurveda" by Dr. Vasant Lad, which is the *only* definitive modern introductory guide to ayurveda that is clear, concise, thorough, complete with practical application).... Johari covers food and spice qualities and combinations and how to apply all of this to best suit your constitution... this is really good stuff & easy to grasp... his recipes are *superb* & come from his intuition.... (keeping it short): my only "complaint" is that there is no verbage to go along with the recipes; that is, which constitution the recipe is best for; what it will aggrevate or subdue; how the individual spices & veggies are working together in the recipe... example: at the beginning of the recipes, i'd like to see something like "This will subdue vata & kapha & aggrevate pitta; such & such spice prevents gas formation; such & such spices are digestive tonics; tonic for such & such conditions; good winter dish"..... In sum, vegetarian indian cookbooks are indeed rare (why is this?).... this is the *BEST* i've ever come across.... ("Classic Indian Vegatarian & Grain Cooking" is not all that great)

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some information about the author would be appreciated, December 13, 1999

By 

Shelina Gorai (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healing Cuisine: India's Art of Ayurvedic Cooking (Healing Arts Press) (Paperback)

I found the best part of the book to be the theory sections including the sections about ingredients which includes summaries on the qualities & health benefits of different foods.. Even so it is not an exhaustive list of foods.. For example, the author doesn't mention avocado, asparagus, celery, mushrooms, jackfruit or broccoli even though there are recipes that call for them... There is information about other ingredients however, like tomatoes, grapefruits, turnips, carrots, lemons, potatoes etc.. & particularly interesting the information about spices.

The recipes are interesting in that some use vegetables like celery & broccoli which are readily available in a western grocery yet previously uncommon to indian cooking. Also the recipes are health conscious with greater use of ghee rather than oil, and jaggery in sweets instead of refined sugar. Many recipes are run of the mill home-style north indian cookery which is good for the newcomer to north indian cooking but less interesting for the regular north indian cook.

Finally i would like to know something about the author. Most books especially those offering advice on health include some information about the author's training, history & professional background. I would like to know where he learned about ayurveda? Is he self-taught? If the author is a world renowned scholar, as is claimed on the book cover, i think the reader has the right to know about his credentials in order to afford greater credibility to his book.