Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen: Simple, Healthful Recipes from India's Great Vegetarian Tradition [Paperback]

Laxmi Hiremath (Author), Brooke Scudder (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995

A compendium of more than two hundred easy-to-prepare vegetarian recipes based on the culinary traditions of India features a wide range of unusual dishes, from Vegetable Mulligatawny with Pink Lentils to Nutty Rice with Shredded Mangoes. Original. IP.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With an unassuming but authoritative air, food writer (and lifelong vegetarian) Hiremath, who was born and raised in India, makes meatless Indian cooking both inviting and extremely accessible. Laced with inventive dishes like Mung Bean-Spinach Wholesome Flatbread and Fragrant Spinach Pilaf with Baby Carrots, this collection has some gems for those who are already well-versed in Indian cooking. It is also a comprehensive guide, offering basic information on Indian spices and spice blends and the preparation of such basics like Desi Ghee. An excellent chapter on paneer cheese gives clear instructions for making this dairy product and recipes for using it, including Scrambled Paneer Cheese in Cucumber Boats. Salads include a wide array of raitas (cooked vegetables in a yogurt-based sauce) and more, e.g., Yellow Mung Bean Salad with Walnuts. Chapter headings and recipe headers read like advice from a reliable friend; Hiremath even satisfies curiosity on typical Indian table manners (eat with the right hand and use the left for beverages and utensils). Recipes come with generous suggestions for variations and substitutions, with warnings of possible difficulties and suggestions for accompanying dishes.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A San Francisco-based food writer and cooking teacher, Hiremath grew up in southern India. However, in contrast to Chandra Padmanabhan's lovely Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India (LJ 4/15/94), her book includes vegetarian dishes from all over the country. Hiremath also includes more background on the different types of dishes and the individual recipes, and her descriptions of ingredients and techniques are far more detailed. A good companion to Padmanabhan's book, Neelam Batra's more cross-cultural The Indian Vegetarian (LJ 6/15/94), and the other recent titles in this area.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harlow & Ratner (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962734594
• ISBN-13: 978-0962734595
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,444,953 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Two decades ago when Laxmi Hiremath first came to America from India she did not know much about cooking. Today, she is the founder of Laxmi's Delights, and a leading culinary expert. She has introduced a line of Organic Flaxseed Spreads. Her line was awarded Outstanding New Product finalist by NASFT the specialty food industry's most prestigious award. The Spreads are nutritious, high in Omega-3 fatty acids and absolutely scrumptious.

Laxmi's Delights other products include scrumptious, sweet-spiced roasted walnuts, pecans and peanuts available on www.Amazon.com. Perfect for snacking and sprinkling everywhere from salads to cheese and pear slices, or serving with a cocktail.

Hiremath's highly acclaimed latest cookbook is "The Dance of Spices," published by John Wiley & Sons. Several magazines and newspapers cited this book in holiday best-of-the-year round-ups. The Oakland and Walnut Creek Public Libraries in the Bay Area selected "The Dance of Spices," as part of One City One Book Tour in January 2006. Hiremath's critically acclaimed "Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen", is a best seller with over two hundred savory Indian vegetarian dishes. Laxmi's cookbooks contain hundreds of recipes and have won great praise for their authenticity and for demystifying her native Indian cuisine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding intro to Indian cooking!, April 24, 2005

By 

E. Bostian - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen: Simple, Healthful Recipes from India's Great Vegetarian Tradition (Paperback)

I had always been intimidated by the ingredients lists in many Indian cookbooks then I took a class with the author. WOW! This book is incredible. Instruction is easy and clear with wonderful serving suggestions. The ingredients are easy to find in my grocery store. My favorite recipe is homemade paneer cheese (p. 165). It is super easy to prepare and always looks elegant in any dish. The paratha (Calcutta Plain Flakybread - p.82) is also very easy and tastes wonderful! This is an outstanding book for vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Instructional Book for Beginners, November 2, 2004

By 

Alexis Burt "kitchengrrl" (Fort Worth, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen: Simple, Healthful Recipes from India's Great Vegetarian Tradition (Paperback)

I have cooked Indian food for about 10 years now using recipes from an Indian cooking class my mother took, but this book has given me a much better understanding of how Indian meals come together, techniques in making different types of dishes and the Indian names for the recipes and many of the ingredients, which makes them easier to shop for at the Indian grocery I go to.
Directions are clear and comprehensive, and written in a very easy, conversational style. Most ingredients have been easy to find at the regular grocery, but I prefer going to the Indian market for quality and better prices, especially on the many spices used in great quantity.
The recipes are absolutely DELICIOUS! Everything is extremely tasty, healthful and filling. I feel so much better eating this food than almost any other. I've tried recipes from pretty much every section of the book, and some have become permanent features in my regular repertoire. You MUST buy this book!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very tasty, light recipes, October 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen: Simple, Healthful Recipes from India's Great Vegetarian Tradition (Paperback)

My teenage friends have found Laxmi's Vegetarian Kitchen very easy to follow. This cookbook offers refreshing and healthy recipes. Our chef at the Fraternity likes to incorporate vegetarian recipes from this book, on a daily bases. Now all my friends are enjoying delicious Indian food.