Customer Reviews

The Indian Vegetarian

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My husband and I (both Indian) were *really* getting tired of over- or under- spiced Indian dishes that didn't seem to capture the richness of this cuisine. In desperation, I asked my mom to select a good cookbook for us, as the ones in my collection clearly weren't cutting it. I have to say this is by FAR the most authentic, comprehensive, and easy-to-use Indian cookbook I've seen. The food literally tastes like my mom's cooking. Everything I've cooked from this book has turned out *perfectly*. Plus, the recipes don't call for too much oil. I've given this book as a gift to several friends, all whom have been extremely grateful. If you're going to get one Indian cookbook, let this be the one.

Thank you Neelam Batra!

P.S. The chole, vegetarian shammi kebabs, and eggplant bharta are to die for!

This book is one of my favorites in my cookbook collection, though it might be a little intimidating for beginners. From a beginners prespective, I would say that the book could use some changes. For example, people who are just starting out would be expected to cook everything in smaller quantities till they perfect a particular dish. With this in mind, the author could have given measurements in all recipes to serve 2-4 people instead of 8; as a beginner, I found it easier to multiply quantities rather than halving or quartering them. As I got used to cooking however, I found this book invaluable. The time-tested recipes are excellent and every one of them has been a success with me. The use of vegetables like avacados, generally not found in Indian cuisine, is a welcome change, from using the same vegetables everyday. Also, the mentioning of non-vegetarian equivalents, has been an advantage for me since I am a vegetarian and this gives me a chance to cook delicious vegetarian dishes, without the meat. Overall, a good book especially for people who entertain frequently.

Delicious and interesting recipes! There's even a whole chapter on chutneys. Recipe names are in both english and indian which I like. There are some really tasty cauliflower dishes - but I shouldn't single anything out. I've been so pleased with this book. The recipes are pretty srtaightforward, not overly complex(pretty much all one-pagers) and the author gives good tips in each recipe on the benefits of the different foods, how to select the best vegetables for the dish, etc. Its really a greaty resource. Glad I bought it!

If you like to cook Indian food, whether you're a vegetarian or not, this book is an absolute must have. Everything I have cooked from this book has turned out wonderful and my Indian friends are astounded by my authentic cooking. I owe it all to this book. The recipes are easy to follow and I have had no problem finding any of the ingredients at my local Indian grocer and supermarket. This book is simply marvelous!

After owning this book for about two years, I am still a bit ambivalent about this cookbook. Most of the recipes are actually decent, and the major different between this and a traditional book is that this book use less oil in deference to today's health-conscious eaters. However, I have to say I wish the author offered a bit more of a guidance for those just venturing into Indian cuisine. I have had some cooking basics when I first started with this, but not in any type of Indian cooking, and let me just say that the first few times (as in first 3 months) I blotched up horribly anytime I tried anything from this book. It was by the long process of trial-and-error that I finally got my technique down. Also, there are absolutely no pictures in this book, and many times I have to guess when the dish was actually done. It didn't help that everything came in 8-serving sizes that makes cooking even more difficult for beginners.

My other complaint about the book is the way it presents the material. If you're not accustomed to cooking with spice, the long list of spices in a recipe looks intimidating. The author does nothing to dispel such perception. In the two years which I struggled with this book, I never understood how and why spices were used, much less grasping any systematic method to spicing. It was not until I met an Indian friend, who basically taught me the basic spicing principle over the course of 3 days, that I understood spicing was not a random compilation of esoteric plant parts.

The recipes themselves were decent, though I have yet to locate a standout dish that make this book a must have. Usually in my favorite cooking books I always locate a few absolutely delightlful recipes that made me want to keep the book even if I make nothing else from it for a year. So far that hasn't occured with this book.

To sum it up, if you want standard Indian dishes, and a few dishes that has been adapted toward the American living habit, and have some background in Indian cooking, this book will suit your need. If you are like me, who loves trying different foods but not in the 'catered' form, or need very clear directions in a cookbook, I would suggest trying another cookbook first.

After living several years in the UK and falling in love with Indian food, a great Indian meal was the thing I missed most back in my culinarily timid region of the US. This cookbook fixed that. I've opened it almost at random any number of times and made great meals. I love Batra's writing and the personal stories and Indian cultural explanations she includes. Even now that there's a good Indian restaurant in town, I keep cooking from this cookbook because it's such a pleasure and it never disappoints. Thank you Neelam!

This is one of my favorite Indian cookbooks for homestyle Indian cooking. None of the recipes will let you down. There are so many and the layout and reference sections will make you feel like a curry expert. There are recipes with/for legumes, Indian flat breads, chutney, paneer, and vegetables galore.

This book is so valuable as a reference that I have copies everywhere I spend time and I have bought copies for my daughter and other dear friends.There is plenty of really useful information about combinations of pulses and vegetables, apart from unusual suggestions for spice blends. Easy to follow recipes encourage experimentaion and the author is a great believer in low-fat cooking, a relatively new trend in Indian cooking. A joy to use.

i have used this cookbook for years, and i recently bought it for a friend. the recipes are superb, especially when using fresh spices, and the author's explanations, suggestions and adaptations are inspiring. good stuff!

Many years ago and upon a friend's recommendation I bought Jaffrey's well-known Indian cookbook and found it complicated and intimidating. It's gathered dust in my pantry since then, and every time I've noticed it the book has seemed to taunt me for my "inability" to make good Indian cuisine. Thanks to Batra's wonderful book this is no longer true. I'm not sure why one reviewer found this text hard too use. It's as simple as an ordinary recipe out of Cooking Light and the results are astonishing.

While I am still new to the art, and my dishes don't always look like somethiing from a fine Indian restaurant, the taste is remarkable. What they remind me of is the food you find at those unassuming little groceries in London that feature a small hot deli case. That food is made by someone's mother and it is to be treasured. This is food like mom used to make--if Mom was Indian, I suppose.