Indian Recipes for a Healthy Heart: Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol, Low-Sodium Gourmet Dishes [Paperback]

Mrs Lakhani (Preface)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1991

Indian Recipes for a Healthy Heart destroys the myth that a healthful diet is synonymous with deprivation. This unique book, in the context of Indian cuisine, contains modified recipes for well-known Indian (and some non-Indian) dished with their authentic gourment tastes and flavors intact, yet worthy of inclusion in a healthful diet.

Endorsed by health professionals, it offers lovers of good food a whole new repetoire or healthful dishes, and to Indians, a way of meeting dietary guidelines without giving up their favorite cuisine. The book is packed with a wealth of useful and easy-to-understand information in addition to the 140 easy-to-cook recipes with step-by-step instructions which even a beginner to cooking can follow. Illustrated with line drawings, nutrition analysis tables, and indexed for quick reference, it is essential reading for anyone who cares about healthy eating or just good food

Editorial Reviews

Review

"BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR" -- N.A.B.E. Award

"Indian Cookbook Shows Ways To Add Years, Spice To Your Life." -- Headline, LAS CRUCES BULLETIN

....a feast, an opportunity to indulge in wonderful-tasting food without pangs of guilt. -- Barbara Hansen, LOS ANGELES TIMES

...a treasure trove... -- Sally Estes, BOOKLIST

Ah, Indian food. Delicious vegetarian dishes, exotic spices...thick pools of oil. Fatima Lakhani comes to the rescue with more than 140 low-fat recipes that don't sacrifice any of the taste of traditional Indian cooking. -- NUTRITION ACTION HEALTH LETTER Published by Center for Science in the Public Interest

INDIAN FOOD - an ancient system of cooking that is absolutely PERFECT - beautiful, fragrant spices enhancing wonderful vegetables, legumes, fruit, yoghurt - etc. etc. Suddenly, figuring out how to make nutritious meals is not perplexing anymore....Congratulations on your wonderful accomplishments. I hope you'll write even more books! I'll be the first in line to buy them. - A non-Indian reader Spice up your menu....Indian cuisine is based on the ancient medical science, Ayurveda, which teaches that a healthy diet is essential for disease prevention. Lakhani takes the best of healthful Indian cuisine and makes it even better... -- DELICIOUS! Magazine

The book is a masterpiece... -- L.A. INDIA

Those who think heart-healthy diets must be bland, meager, and dull should make their way to this book post-haste....Only the French can compete when it comes to making vegetables delicious, only here India has the health advantage. -- Susan Waggoner, SMALL PRESS MAGAZINE

What makes this book so unique and practical is that each recipe is followed by a nutrient analysis table....Such information is practically nonexistent for Indian recipes. -- Francis Assisi, INDIA WEST

About the Author

Fatima Lakhani is a well-known culinary artist who teaches the art of healthy Indian cooking in the United States, Canada and England. Her recipes have been reprinted in newspapers and magazines throughout the world. Mrs. Lakhani's culinary expertise and her extensive knowledge of nutrition have made her a sought after speaker and lecturer.

Mrs. Lakhani's interest in healthy cooking began as a child growing up in Kenya. Her mother, a firm believer in the healing powers of good nutrition, consistently stressed the importance of a balanced diet.

In 1991, Mrs Lakhani chaired the Culinary Arts Committe of the Los Angeles "Eye of India" Festival, sponsored by the Palos Verdes Arts Center, of which she was a prominant culinary arts instructor.

Mrs. Lakhani is a graduate of the prestigious St. Gordricks School in Hampstead, England. Her education at St. Gordricks included session in France and Switzerland. Mrs. Lakhani's extensive travels and long stay in Europe turned her into a truly international cook.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Fahil Pub. Co.; First Printing edition (December 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963023500
• ISBN-13: 978-0963023506
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #319,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent authentic recipes with nutritional information, August 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Indian Recipes for a Healthy Heart: Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol, Low-Sodium Gourmet Dishes (Paperback)

As an indian I can tell you, these recipes are as close as you can get to authentic indian while staying low fat.

I must admit this cookbook sat on my shelf for a long time because I loved Mathu Jaffrey's time consuming and complexly spiced recipes if I was going to use a cookbook. The cooking we have always done at home used alot of specialty ingredients and took a lot of time, it seemed to me that simple low fat indian couldn't be any good.

BUT I WAS WRONG! The recipes in this book are EXCELLENT. Very close to authentic while using ingredients you can find almost anywhere and VERY HEALTHY. Imagine that!

The recipes in this book are low-fat, low cholesterol and low sodium while being very flavorful and fresh tasting. The nutritional lable at the end each recipe is very complete also. For example, for beef samosa's, she has 2 different ways of cooking them, fried or baked. Then she includes 2 nutrient analysis for each way of cooking it. VERY NICE!

Also each nutrient analysis has a breakdown for sodium with salt included and sodium content without AND a saturated fat versas total fat breakdown.

The last 40 pages have info on :

indian spices and their usages and flavor

American, British, Australian, and Metric conversion

oven temperture conversion : F versas Celcius

explaination of proteins, fats, carbs, and sodium Table of desirable weights for men and women

differences in cholesterol cooked and raw

balanced diet info

and a nutritional breakdown table of "common" foods although it includes items like lentils, bulgar and veal.

The only minus is that this book has diagrams (for somosa wrapping etc.) but no color pictures. :(

Overall I'd say this is a wonderful book for people interested in fitness or dieting and exotic foods! Not a single item in this book is swimming in fat, like most indian cookbooks are.

I would buy this book for cooking for myself daily and a Muthu Jaffrey's (high fat) cookbooks for cooking for special occassions and guests.

Defionately buy this book, it lives up to it name!

Another good cookbook low fat cookbook I would recomend is "Easy Exotic : A Model's Low-Fat Recipes from Around the World" mostly indian, some asian. Very good too!

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy & Healthy Alternative!, January 2, 2000

By 

Tamara A. Harding - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indian Recipes for a Healthy Heart: Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol, Low-Sodium Gourmet Dishes (Paperback)

I was looking for an alternative to the traditional southern black eye peas & greens New Year meal. I found it in Mrs. Lakhani's book. The black eyed pea salad and curried spinach recipes were easy to make and very tasty. As I looked through the book I found many recipes that I can't wait to try. She has a great selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars one of its kind but could be better!, March 10, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Indian Recipes for a Healthy Heart: Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol, Low-Sodium Gourmet Dishes (Paperback)

Having been put on a low sodium diet recently I have been searching high and low for alternative recipes for indian cooking. Mrs Lakhani's book does a decent job of explaining how and why dietary changes must be made. I did find the lack of pictures a little discouraging and a few of the recipes I did try out have not turned out as well as I would like. But then what is food without a little fat and a little salt?? Bleah!!
The book also provides chapters on the scientific side of dietary changes but i'm afraid I found that a little dull :( If you are looking for low fat / low sodium cookbooks (indian) i highly recommend Secrets of fat free cooking by Priya Kulkarni and Anita Ranade. Every recipe I've tried from that book has been wonderful and they have a sizeable segment on non vegetarian cooking!