Fresh India: An Indian cookbook filled with 130 quick and easy vegetarian recipes for every day eBook : Sodha, Meera: desertcart.co.uk: Kindle Store Review: INDIAN EVERY DAY - The story: Now the weather is cooling, it is time to cook warming wholesome foods, not just boring (in my opinion) stews with dumplings and the like, something more exciting and adventurous. I adore Indian food and have decided that my wholesome fare would be based on this cuisine. I have never cooked any Indian fare in my life and so a book or books able to teach/inspire me were the order of the day. I opted for Fresh India just because I liked the look of it Ü The book: Comprising of 302 pages in hardcover, with vibrant coloured front and backboards in orange, green and white, measuring H25.75cmx W20.25cmx D2.5cm. Meera’s introduction is a mere two pages long followed by a photo of her with, I presume, her mother and father (there is no reference to indicate who the companions are) her ‘mother’ has a wonderful homely smile that is so endearing! There are helpful Weights & Measures and How to Use This Book pages. 10 Ways to Raise Your Game in the Kitchen gives tips and reassurance regarding the certain aspects involved. The chapters are headed: Starters & Snacks, Roots, Squashes, Tubers & other things, Gloriously Green, Aubergines, Salads, Egg & Cheese, Pulses, Rice, Breads, Pickles, Chutneys & Raitas, Puddings and finally Drinks. Each chapter begins with a full page narrative pertaining to what is about to follow. This of course can be skipped if you’re ‘not interested in the back ground chat of the writer’ as one reviewer put it. Each recipe begins with an introductory note detailing the origin of the recipe, how it was developed and what other recipe(s) will compliment the dish. Again this can also be skipped to view the recipe immediately below. After the recipes there is a page dedicated to Indian Health Remedies, which is intriguing. The Recommended Suppliers page that follows gives details of online retailers. Then there is a Thanks page followed by the index. Another reviewer commented that ‘The recipes seemed tailored to the UK palate and some are at times odd combinations of ingredients. Certainly not authentic Indian vegetarian cooking’. I concur that some are not authentic; they are either Meera’s inspiration or her interpretation of familiar recipes. There is also the use of canned chickpeas, frozen peas and rapeseed oil. Whilst I may not advocate their use, the majority of people these days do not have the time to soak and boil dried beans, nor shell fresh peas. Rapeseed oil has a high smoke point and has less saturated fat than ghee. That stated, there is no reason why one can’t modify the ingredients for the more time consuming and possible cholesterol inducing versions (!) For example, I am vegan so for the Grand Vegetable Biryani I substituted the paneer cheese for firm tofu. Nothing is written in stone so there is nothing to stop the imagination and personal preferences from taking over. Substitution isn’t a crime, whether by an author or the person reading. The verdict: Looking at the recipes, there is too much salt being used (my opinion). Consequently, I have refrained from adding any salt at all and let the combination of spices and produce do the talking; so far it has worked. However, in the 10 Ways to Raise Your Game section, N°1 states Taste as You Go; if salt is an issue for you, ignore the quantity specified and TAYG! So far I have cooked, Sweet Potato Vindaloo**, Pumpkin, Black Eyed Bean & Coconut Curry and Grand Vegetable Biryani. Each one has tasted sublime. Vindaloo doesn’t have to blow your brains out with heat, it has to be flavoursome with a kick and this recipe fits the bill. The Pumpkin and Black Eyed Bean I kept going back for more and the Grand Vegetable Biryani is so colourful with an explosion of tastes. There are enough photographs for those who like pictorial narrative and viewing the end result, although not all recipes are represented. Bearing in mind that I have never cooked Indian food before, you could say therefore, I am easily impressed by this book. That is not the case. My mother, born and bred in Italy, I was used to Mediterranean flavours and having travelled to many foreign lands over the years have tasted a multitude of wonderful foods, I am not easily impressed and know what I like and don’t and I like this book very much. The recipes I’ve tried were excellent and there are a plethora of wonderful treats in store waiting for me to try and I am looking forward to the experience. An excellent, straightforward book, written with love and enthusiasm. **please note there is a typo in the recipe which calls for ¾ tablespoon of chilli powder, the bracketed narrative which follows states (or to taste). Therefore I have interpreted (this) as originally calling for ¾ teaspoon (or to taste), which is what I used and it worked perfectly. Of course, feel free to add ¾ tablespoon if steam pressure forcing its way out of your eardrums is your thing Ü Review: Stunning book - Beautiful book, with vibrant recipes. Really recommended for anyone who is looking to cook some stunning dishes, with some sensational flavours.
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Q**A
INDIAN EVERY DAY
The story: Now the weather is cooling, it is time to cook warming wholesome foods, not just boring (in my opinion) stews with dumplings and the like, something more exciting and adventurous. I adore Indian food and have decided that my wholesome fare would be based on this cuisine. I have never cooked any Indian fare in my life and so a book or books able to teach/inspire me were the order of the day. I opted for Fresh India just because I liked the look of it Ü The book: Comprising of 302 pages in hardcover, with vibrant coloured front and backboards in orange, green and white, measuring H25.75cmx W20.25cmx D2.5cm. Meera’s introduction is a mere two pages long followed by a photo of her with, I presume, her mother and father (there is no reference to indicate who the companions are) her ‘mother’ has a wonderful homely smile that is so endearing! There are helpful Weights & Measures and How to Use This Book pages. 10 Ways to Raise Your Game in the Kitchen gives tips and reassurance regarding the certain aspects involved. The chapters are headed: Starters & Snacks, Roots, Squashes, Tubers & other things, Gloriously Green, Aubergines, Salads, Egg & Cheese, Pulses, Rice, Breads, Pickles, Chutneys & Raitas, Puddings and finally Drinks. Each chapter begins with a full page narrative pertaining to what is about to follow. This of course can be skipped if you’re ‘not interested in the back ground chat of the writer’ as one reviewer put it. Each recipe begins with an introductory note detailing the origin of the recipe, how it was developed and what other recipe(s) will compliment the dish. Again this can also be skipped to view the recipe immediately below. After the recipes there is a page dedicated to Indian Health Remedies, which is intriguing. The Recommended Suppliers page that follows gives details of online retailers. Then there is a Thanks page followed by the index. Another reviewer commented that ‘The recipes seemed tailored to the UK palate and some are at times odd combinations of ingredients. Certainly not authentic Indian vegetarian cooking’. I concur that some are not authentic; they are either Meera’s inspiration or her interpretation of familiar recipes. There is also the use of canned chickpeas, frozen peas and rapeseed oil. Whilst I may not advocate their use, the majority of people these days do not have the time to soak and boil dried beans, nor shell fresh peas. Rapeseed oil has a high smoke point and has less saturated fat than ghee. That stated, there is no reason why one can’t modify the ingredients for the more time consuming and possible cholesterol inducing versions (!) For example, I am vegan so for the Grand Vegetable Biryani I substituted the paneer cheese for firm tofu. Nothing is written in stone so there is nothing to stop the imagination and personal preferences from taking over. Substitution isn’t a crime, whether by an author or the person reading. The verdict: Looking at the recipes, there is too much salt being used (my opinion). Consequently, I have refrained from adding any salt at all and let the combination of spices and produce do the talking; so far it has worked. However, in the 10 Ways to Raise Your Game section, N°1 states Taste as You Go; if salt is an issue for you, ignore the quantity specified and TAYG! So far I have cooked, Sweet Potato Vindaloo**, Pumpkin, Black Eyed Bean & Coconut Curry and Grand Vegetable Biryani. Each one has tasted sublime. Vindaloo doesn’t have to blow your brains out with heat, it has to be flavoursome with a kick and this recipe fits the bill. The Pumpkin and Black Eyed Bean I kept going back for more and the Grand Vegetable Biryani is so colourful with an explosion of tastes. There are enough photographs for those who like pictorial narrative and viewing the end result, although not all recipes are represented. Bearing in mind that I have never cooked Indian food before, you could say therefore, I am easily impressed by this book. That is not the case. My mother, born and bred in Italy, I was used to Mediterranean flavours and having travelled to many foreign lands over the years have tasted a multitude of wonderful foods, I am not easily impressed and know what I like and don’t and I like this book very much. The recipes I’ve tried were excellent and there are a plethora of wonderful treats in store waiting for me to try and I am looking forward to the experience. An excellent, straightforward book, written with love and enthusiasm. **please note there is a typo in the recipe which calls for ¾ tablespoon of chilli powder, the bracketed narrative which follows states (or to taste). Therefore I have interpreted (this) as originally calling for ¾ teaspoon (or to taste), which is what I used and it worked perfectly. Of course, feel free to add ¾ tablespoon if steam pressure forcing its way out of your eardrums is your thing Ü
F**E
Stunning book
Beautiful book, with vibrant recipes. Really recommended for anyone who is looking to cook some stunning dishes, with some sensational flavours.
W**N
Fantastic book
As soon as this book arrived, I went through every recipe and put a page sticker on each one I wanted to try - and there were many!! Tonight I have cooked first recipe which was the roasted vegetables with a madras sauce. The recipe was very easy to follow and the result was near perfection. One of my favourite sauces at my local indian restaurant is madras but I have never managed to successfully recreate at home. If this had been slightly hotter, it would have been perfect and as good as my local restaurant! Just needs a little tweak - and I know where to tweak it! The recipe included fresh ginger and I substituted ginger from a jar. Next time I will use fresh ginger. We have a traditional Indian restaurant nearby and a fusion Indian restaurant. At the fusion restaurant, they do a muslam sauce. I have never been able to find this sauce despite all my googling! However, there is a recipe in this book for a mussalam sauce. I am hoping this is going to be similar. There are so many great recipes in this book and the best vegetarian one I have ever found. Happy days ahead!! Update: have tried 3 of the recipes now and each one has turned out perfect. Yesterday i made the butter masala paneer curry- beautiful lovely flavours, and also the Hill station salad - again lovely vibrant flavours and so simple to make.
B**Y
Nice book
I think that the author and I have completely different views on what constitutes a quick recipe. However, the recipes look interesting and I will give the bookmarked ones a try
M**R
Simple recipes and wonderfully tasty dishes
A great range of recipes, most of which I have not yet tried. But those I have: excellent. Straightforward instructions and lively, fresh food at the end of it. I am not Indian and nor have I visited India, but like most British people I have experienced a wide variety of quality in both restaurant Indian food and recipes from books or the internet; this book hits the top tier for me. I have seen a few reviews mention lack of complexity and inauthentic dishes - but for me the criteria are: does it taste, smell, look good? This food tastes, smells and looks fantastic, with accessible recipes that do not require hours of preparation. I am a huge fan of Indian food, and being vegetarian I am often stuck converting meat dish recipes. No more! Like almost every reviewer here, I am delighted to have found this book.
A**Y
These recipes make me look like I can actually cook...easy, quick and delicious!
After having bought this cookbook as a gift for a friend, I decided to buy one for myself too because the recipes sounded so great - especially the aubergine curry recipes, which I could eat forever. I have had the book for about a year and a half but I just wanted to come and share the love in a review! I am sick of cookbooks that are apparently full of tried and tested recipes yet nothing ever comes out remotely close to how the book shows it (even after the 3rd attempt..). This book is the opposite. I am not a good cook. But these recipes make me look great. Every thing I have made has been straight forward, quick, and absolutely delicious and filling. All recipes are vegetarian but a lot are also vegan (I especially recommend this book to meat-eaters, like ourselves, to see just how tasty veggie meals can be).
D**P
A great book
Meera’s book makes cooking scrumptious Indian food a joy! I didn’t have any experience of cooking Indian food, until I was recently in a position where I needed to cook an Indian feast for friends who hail from Kerala and Sri Lanka. The friends were super impressed with all of Meera’s dishes and really enjoyed trying some new dishes they had never tried before!
A**R
Outstandingly good
An excellent and inspiring cookbook. Beautifully presented
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