Customer Reviews

Healthy South Indian Cooking

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have several East Indian Cook books, but Healthy South Indian Cooking has fast become my favorite. The descriptions of the many spices, oils, herbs, and the multilingual glossary are a great help for this westerner when shopping for ingredients. The recipes are easy to follow and the instructions on when to add each spice ensure success and the utmost flavor. As one who loves to cook and make notes about recipes, it is a pleasure to finally have a book that allows space on the pages for just that without skimping on the type size or readability of the recipes. I took the book with me to my local international food store to show the owner, who was so pleased that she is ordering her own copy. Food should be beautiful to look at, fun to make and exciting and healthful to eat. Healthy South Indian Cooking does it all. Thank you to authors' Vairavan and Marquardt for this delightful addition to our joy of eating.

I love to cook and have several shelves full of cookbooks, but this one is something very special: it transforms ordinary vegetables (green beans, spinach, cauliflower, etc.) into addictive, exotic, habit-forming dishes that will amaze you and your guests. One of the great frustrations of some types of `ethnic' cuisines is that it seems impossible to recapture the exotic flavors that can be enjoyed in a good restaurant. I used to think Indian food fit into this category; with Healthy South Indian Cooking, that's no longer the case. In fact, one dinner guest, expressing his surprise that my husband and I actually cooked the food we set before him, commented that we served far better food than any of the Indian restaurants in town! Not only is the food great, the recipes are easy to follow, and are straightforward to prepare. Once you have a few spices on hand, more or less any vegetable (or chicken or other meat) that catches your eye in the grocery store can be turned into something truly memorable with a minimum of fuss, bother, and time.

I can't really add much more to the positive reviews here, other than to echo them: The recipes in this book are all really wonderful (at least those I've tried). I find it odd that she doesn't include recipes for her own spice blends, but that's not a huge importance to me. Lots of hurried home Indian cooks use prepared spices, too.

The only real beef I have with the book is the idea that the recipes are in some way healthier than the average southern Indian cookbook's. Indian cooking has more vegetables, legumes and other plant foods than many other cuisines, but even southern cooking has tremendous amounts of fat. This book's recipes are no different.

Unfortunately, authentic Indian cooking is somewhat akin to the traditional recipes of the American south. You CAN make healthier versions of breaded chicken, sweet potato casserole and pork chops ... but they won't be the classics that people grew up with.

I really wish someone would write a good, comprehensive Indian cookbook devoted to decreasing the fat. With all the stews, soups and yogurt-based dishes in the cuisine, there seems ample opportunity for someone to take on the task of adapting some of the classics.

This book introduces the readers to the marvelous cuisine
and cooking of South India. Most people in the west are
not familiar with the exquisite array of vegetarian and
non-vegetarian dishes from Southern India. One reason for
this is that most of the Indian restaurants in the West
serve North Indian foods (which are also delicious, but
are different.) Another reason is that most of the Indian
cookbooks present North Indian foods. This new book by
the authors has the potential to change this.

The recipes are clearly presented with useful nutritional
analysis for each dish. Every dish I tried turned out very
well and was delicious. The authors have presented a great
deal of introductory material that readers unfamilar with
Indian cooking wil find very useful. I believe a main
strength of the book is that it is oriented towards modern
day cooks in a western kitchen while mostly maintaining the
authenticity of the cuisine. Another positive feature of
the book is its success in demonstrating the richness of
the variety of the vegetarian dishes in the South Indian
cuisine. I have found that even people who dislike certain
vegetables, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts or spinach,
may be in for a pleasant surprise when they try the recipes
discussed in this book!

I love this cookbook! The instructions are simple and straightforward and a very helpful ingredient glossary at the beginning of the book makes it easy to shop for the needed spices and dals.

The Brussels Sprouts Masala Poriyal recipe alone is worth the cost of the book. Seriously. You have never had brussel sprouts like this.

I highly recommend this cookbook.

I HAVE BEEN COOKING INDIAN FOOD FOR 40 YEARS.BUT THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK I HAVE FOUND THAT HAS TRULY TASTY VEGETABLES THAT ARE EASY AND FAST TO PREPARE. A FEW BASIC INDIAN SPICES ARE NEEDED WHICH ARE EASY TO OBTAIN THESE DAYS AND THE REST IS SIMPLE. THIS IS ALSO THE FIRST INDIAN COOK BOOK THAT GIVES THE NUTRITIONAL VALUES FOR EACH DISH, WHICH WE ARE ALL INTERESTED IN THESE DAYS. I ONLY RECENTLY PURCHASED THE BOOK, BUT HAVE ALREADY TRIED SEVERAL RECIPES. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO A BEGINNING COOK OR ADVANCED COOK LOOKING FOR UNUSUAL FLAVORS USING PRODUCE FOUND IN ANY GROCERY STORE.

I just purchased Healthy Indian Cooking from amazon.com and already I'm impressed. I live in the city of Philadelphia where there are many wonderful Indian restaurants. I have several Indian cookbooks but this one has quickly become my favorite. The recipes I have tried so far are easy and just plain delicious. Even though I did not have some of the ingredients on hand, I took the advice of Alamelu and Patricia and started having fun in the kitchen. I've made the lemon rice, masoor dal supreme, eggplant masala and chickpea and bell pepper poriyal. I found each dish to be fresh tasting and perfectly spiced. I can't wait cook my way through this book! Many thanks to Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt for writing such a wonderful cookbook.

A word ahead; I used to live on reheated chili, fatty pizza and store-bought muffins, in the dark ages. But it is never too late for conversion. "Healthy South Indian Cooking" is a perfect introduction to South Indian cuisine. Who would have imagined that familiar vegetables could be ennobled and transformed into irresistible dishes like this! The recipes are described step-by-step and easy to follow, and lend themselves to new variations and combinations. "Healthy South Indian Cooking" turns you loose and sets free your inner Indian. While various coffee table volumes on Indian cooking remain untouched on the shelf, my copy of "Healthy South Indian Cooking" is decorated with colorful stains, blots and other traces of repeated feast preparation. And all this extravagance remains budget-friendly; a starter kit of spices and dhals is all that is needed to turn apparently mundane ingredients into delicacies --- not by magic, but by the mere act of South Indian cooking. Very highly recommended.

I've had an interest in Indian cooking and have bought several books but had a hard time getting started. This book got me in gear! It includes a list upfront of what spices and ingredients are needed and suggestions for combining recipes and sample menus in the back. With the spices on hand, I have been able to quickly make delicious foods. The recipes are easy to follow and voila we have delicious meals in 20-30 minutes.
Because I'm a registered dietitian I have wanted to know how to make Indian cooking in a lower fat, healthy manner. This book does that too by using tricks like using powdered coconut powder instead of higher fat coconut milk. The recipes also include a nutritional analysis. Don't let this put you off because there has been no sacrifice in taste to accomplish the healthy aspect of these recipes. The flavors are subtle and wonderful. I attended a cooking class with Alamelu and her love of cooking and good food are woven throughout this cookbook. Enjoy!

I couldn't believe my mom made such a delicious meal; it tasted just like my favorite Indian restaurant. She also made cabbage with coconut poriyal to go along with the chicken kulambu. My friend and I were both blown away. Bravo!