The Spice Box: A Vegetarian Indian Cookbook (Vegetarian Cooking) (Paperback)

~ Manju S. Singh (Author), Edna Z. Michael (Photographer) "These recipes can be served as snacks at any time of day or evening or as appetizers..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cream of Wheat, Mango Pickle, South India (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: Crossing Press (June 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895940531
• ISBN-13: 978-0895940537
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #756,249 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple, quick, peasant style indian recipes., January 24, 1997

By A Customer

This little gem is my favorite indian cookbook. They are the kind of recipes you can make quickly and easily at home. This food has the hearty "peasant food" feel to it. Haute cuisine NOT. If you buy it you'll end up wanting your own indian spice box (I now own two). You're also apt to end up with a taste for some spices you can't easily get in your home town like curry leaves and green mango powder. I stock up whenever I'm in berkeley or Vancouver B.C. Many of the recipes can be made with ingredients you'll find in Muskogee. As for the rest, get the ingredients when you can find them. These recipes are not overly westernized and you'll appreciate it when you sit down with a little eggplant curry and dal or a cool raita.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packs a lot of stimulus into a slender package, February 11, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

The Spice Box can be used as a concise, informative introduction to the many spiced adventures of varied East Indian vegetarian cuisine. The Introduction contains definitions of Curries and Dals as well as descriptions of many of the most popular spices, in addition to mixtures of spices, such as garam masala, and basic procedures, such as roasting cumin seeds, grinding dals or spices, or breaking open a coconut. The Indian name for each ingredient or dish is always given after the English in parentheses, a practice to encourage the uninitiated.

Chapters are offered on Appetizers and Snacks, Soups, Vegetables, Dals, Egg Dishes, Rice Dishes, Indian Breads, Yogurt Salads (Raitas), Fresh Chutneys, Pickles, Indian Sweets, and the Finale, which is paan, or a betel nut spiced sweet wrapped in betel leaf. Classic curry recipes abound, including Pumpkin Curry, Tomato Curry, Turnip Koftas Curry, Mashed Zucchini Curry, Chickpea Flour Curry, and Pink Lentil Curry. The chapter on breads also contains many classic Indian bread recipes, including Raised Bread (Naan), Chappatis or Roti, Paranthas, Puri, and Fried Bread, or Bhatura.

The Yogurt Salads suggested provide a cooling note to the spicy curries and vegetable main dishes, and the Pickles and Chutneys add further authentic flair to the Indian feast. If the reader prefers, the Introduction contains a list of sources or places to buy Indian foods in the United States organized by region. But it is also incredibly fascinating to see the list of spices that go into a coconut chutney or a sweet mango pickle, for example. The Desserts chapter includes Rose Syrup Milk Balls (Gulab Jamun), Sugar-Coated Cookies (Sakkaarpara), and many wonderful vegetable puddings.

In all, The Spice Box packs a lot of stimulus into a slender package. It's appeal rests not only in its authenticity, but also in its accessibility. It is surely a classic.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How absolutely yummy!, October 25, 2001

By	"frillyfrockcat" (Illinois, United States) - See all my reviews

This is by far the best Indian cookery book I have ever come across. It is a pleasure to use - I am delighted by it. The recipes are easy to follow and only require easily found ingredients. Everytime I cook from it my husband says "I feel like we've just eaten at a restaurant" we are so impressed! There is plenty for the vegan too.

Our favourites so far are the Whole Eggplant Curry (page 75), Hyderabadi Chili Curry (page 69) and the Pink Lentil Curry (page 112). There are so many wonders awaiting us - we haven't even tried any of the soups or apetizers yet.

My only criticism is the lack of photographs - it is nice to see photographs for reassurance if nothing else!

If you like delicious, authentic Indian food you'll love these recipes!