Customer Reviews

In Nirmala's Kitchen: Everyday World Cuisine

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This is a phenomenal cookbook on so many levels. Aside from the stunning photography of the dishes and Nirmala's travels, it's full of her personal journal entries, making the recipes even more enticing. Being an Italian-American, these recipes are not typical of my own kitchen and until this book, I would only eat these meals at restaurants. Nirmala brings it home in a brilliant way. She has organized the recipes by country and then suggests entire dinner menus. It's very exciting. I've purchased her spices in the past (at nirmalaskitchen.com) but didn't have a clue on how to truly enjoy them. This book is a terrific complement to her spices and the recipes are easy to use. I recommend that you buy the book and then wander over to her website to check out her spices. It's truly an adventure!

"It's difficult to describe the flavor of wattleseed, which I discovered in Australia's northern territory, but I haven't stopped experimenting with them since the day I found them. The taste is mocha-like (although the seeds are caffeine-free), with touches of hazelnut and chocolate." ~ Nirmala, while discussing how she created Wattleseed Ice Cream

"In Nirmala's Kitchen" is one of the most exciting cookbooks I've discovered this year. Each recipe tells the story of Nirmala's travels to exotic locales. My idea was to read the entire book in one day and to make a shopping list so I could try some of the delicious recipes. The first recipe I tried was for the "Yellow Split Pea Fritters." The scent of curry infused my home with warm aromas. They were easy to make but I had to go to a health food store for dried yellow peas, which I then ground into flour in my Oster blender. My blender then came in handy for the second recipe I tried for the fresh frothy "South American Passion Fruit Smoothie."

Some of the recipes you might enjoy include:

Argentine Gaucho Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce and Plantain Chips
Spiced Hibiscus Flower Tea (Try Tazo Passion if you can't find dried flowers)
Mulligatawny Soup
Xian Five-Spice Banana Rolls
Crab and Ginger Soba Noodle Salad
Kashmiri Apricot and Saffron Pudding
Tibetan Butter Tea

As I type I'm enjoying the Tibetan tea, which is made simply with tea, star anise, butter and half and half. I tried it with rooibos tea just to be different.

The beauty of this cookbook is the endless variety. The recipes are inspired by Guyana, the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, North Africa, the Mediterranean, Israel, India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Tibet, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Nirmala's poetic writing style infuses the book with mystery. She writes about experiences from her childhood and from her travels abroad.

Most of the ingredients in this book are not difficult to find and Nirmala gives variations whenever necessary. Her guide to exotic ingredients is filled with pictures of delicious fruits and vegetables. For the most part, amazon has all the ingredients you need for the more exotic recipes. I found passion fruit in cans and vanilla beans for a very reasonable price. The only thing I haven't been able to find lately is Kashmir saffron.

I can highly recommend this
cookbook for your collection.

You may also want to try: Nirmala's Kitchen Exotic Salt, Mauritius Fleur De Sel, 4.0 Ounce Unit (Pack of 3) I used it when making the fritters.

~The Rebecca Review

So far this is the best cookbook I have ever bought. I have enjoyed every recipe I have tried and some have become my weekly staples. I love the wide-ranging variety of dishes, yet as the sub-title says, they are "everyday" world dishes. Usually fairly easy, yet sophisticated and satisfying.

Wonderful book! Truly takes you around the world gastronomically. Interesting narratives. All recipes tried so far have been fantastic.

I met this charming young woman Nirmala sitting at the lunch counter of the College Diner in New Paltz, New York. Then after sitting with her and other friends and talking with her over a few weeks i just knew that i had to read her cook book. This book is great, with cooking ideas that she has gotten from her trips all over our planet. If anyone wants a unique experience in the art of cooking then this is the book for them. Enjoy, Paul