Srivalli Simplifies Complicated Indian Recipes - You Can Easily Cook Indian Food!

My video testimonial of Srivalli's blog and expertise!

Support Srivalli by buying her E-book!

Read my review!

Flavours from South Indian Kitchen:15 recipes for only US $5.00 Format: PDF

Visit Srivalli's blog: Cooking 4 All Seasons.

Pancakes made from sprouts?

Nithya always has something interesting to share.

Here is a nice recipe for fenugreek sprouted pancakes (dosa).

Check the recipe by clicking here.

I can't wait to try it.

Food Cultures of Pakistan – A Tantalizing Thali of Surprises!

By luckyfatima


Pakistan is roughly the same size as France or Texas, and has a wider variety of available cuisines than an outsider may ever have imagined. I love to learn about food and culture and wanted to share with you a few interesting aspects of Pakistani cuisine based on regional features of the country that few may know about.


Is Noodle Soup a Pakistani Food?
In parts of Pakistan, the languages are actually related to Tibetan (some are mutually intelligible with Ladhakhi). Noodle soups are eaten there. You can google 'Hunza dodo' to see the way this soup is prepared in the region of Hunza, for example. Also, you can look into the cuisine of Baltistan if you are interested.


Is There South Indian Food in Pakistan?
People of South Indian origin reside in Pakistan. Besides the large amount of Hyderabad Indian origin people in Karachi, there are other people whose families are originally from various parts of South India. Almost all of these people will be found in Karachi. There is a neighborhood in Nazimabad, Karachi called 'Madrasi Colony.' It is just a center where some Tamils settled after partition. The majority ethnicity in Pakistan is Punjabi. Pakistan is very diverse, and in each province, there are distinct indigenous communities. In major urban centers, there are many people whose families came from India at Partition, and one can find many of the same diverse groups that are in India, Marathis, Konkanis, Burmese-Gujaratis, Biharis, Bhopalis, U.P. origin people, and so on…their family heritage adds distinct particularities to their food preferences and home cooking styles.


Is There Pakistani Vegetarian Food?
Though non-vegetarian food is what comes to mind when someone mentions Pakistani food, there are a range of vegetarian options including karhi pakora, lauki daal, mungori, and many other dishes that would be shared with Northern and North Western India. North Indian vegetables can also be found in Pakistani markets, including karela, lauki, arvi, turai, tinda, kaddu, all the greens, among others. All of the typical North Indian vegetable dishes are consumed in Pakistan.


What is a Traditional Pakistani Meal?
A "proper" full meal will have a meat dish (or two), one or two sabzis, daal, pickles, fresh sliced vegetables, rice, and roti or some other flat bread. What people will be eating specifically will depend on region, the season, and so on. Poorer people (the majority of people) often eat vegetarian, not due to religious reasons but only economic constraints. Villagers in Pakistan would be eating the same plain rice, daal, salt, onions, and green chiles as villagers in North India.


Conclusions
The iconic dishes of Pakistan are mainly meaty. But what is "Pakistani cuisine"? There is no such thing. Just like there is no such thing as "Indian cuisine" in any real sense. Like, the foods of Indian Punjab are not like the foods of Tamil Nadu. And within Tamil Nadu, the foods of Chennai are distinct; the foods of Iyers are different from the foods of Chettiyaar communities, different from Iyengars, different near the Kerala border, different for the multiple distinct communities of Muslims, and so on. Because of this it is hard to pin down "Pakistani food."

With all that being said, I have tried my best to share with you some of the lesser known aspects of Pakistani food and culture. I am happy to learn more by reading your insightful comments posted on this blog.



Thank you for reading.

===article concluded===



See luckyfatima’s blog. Click here.

Tips on Teaching and Cooking South Indian Food (Idli/Dosa/Chutney)

Next month, I will be teaching a series of classes on Indian cuisine in Rochester, NY. You can see the list of classes here. In the meantime, if you're interested, you can see this video I made from a class I gave earlier this year on South Indian Cooking. In this video I show how I prepared for the class- all the cooking gadgets, utensils, pots and pans I required to manage the class along with the food items and tips and tricks for giving Indian cooking classes and cooking Indian food. Enjoy!

Tips on Teaching and Cooking South Indian Food (Idli/Dosa/Chutney) from Authentic Journeys on Vimeo.

Video Transcripts
I recently gave a series of cooking classes- the first in my life! ;-) In this video, which I shot before the class, I share how I prepared to teach this class, all the utensils and food items I had to bring and some tips on how to cook some Indian dishes with American gadgets (in case you can't find the Indian gadgets in your town!). I hope this video is helpful to those who want to teach class or simply learn a little about setting up an India-inspired kitchen and wanting to learn how cook Indian food.

Following is the written transcripts of what I say in the video!

Welcome to Authentic Journeys with Jennifer Kumar
Indian Cooking Class April 2010: Preparing to teach South Indian Cooking Class
(Dosa/Idli/Coconut Chutney)
Brighton (Rochester), NY

HI everyone, I'm Jennifer Kumar from Authentic Journeys and Alaivani.com. Hope you're having a great day.

It's actually Vishu. Happy Vishu to everyone who knows what that is. It's actually the new year celebration for Keralites in southwestern India. It's kinda fitting that it's Vishu and I'm gonna be teaching a South Indian cooking class today - dosa/idli and coconut chutney. I'm gonna show you a little bit about what I did today and how I prepared. I think the video is gonna be a little bit long, but hang in there. Let me know what you think at the end.

This week's class doesn't have as much stuff because I prepared the dosa batter at home during the week. Of course, I need my utensils; all these different things. And oil. I'm gonna introduce the students to sesame oil (1). That's what this is. This was pretty popular to use in Chennai; among many of my friends. Some people say it's mostly amongst Brahmins. I like to eat it with my dosa podi(2), which is a powder mixed with oil that you dip your dosa or idli in. Some people call it 'gun powder,' because it's so hot.

I like to use this silicone brush to actually dip in the oil and put on the pan. It actually ends up using less oil. One of my Indian friends taught me this. I have a few different pans here because students might try their hand at making the dosa. The two in the back that are square are non-stick pans. This front one is a cast iron skillet, which I acquired recently. I prefer the cast iron, it uses a lot less oil. And, as you can see, the other two pans – especially this one, it kinda doesn't lie flat anymore. It doesn't heat evenly for that reason, too. Non-stick even though they claim it uses less oil, I use a lot less oil on the cast iron. It's glistening oils because it's... seasoned. I think that's what they call it. You're not supposed to wash the cast iron with water and soap.

These are some of the other ingredients I have for today. This is grated coconut (3). You can buy it in the frozen section. There’s many different brands, but somehow I like this brand the best: Daily Delight. It’s my favorite. I’m not getting paid by the company to say that, I just really like this brand… when I try other brands… well, maybe I like the packaging…

This is a traditional tempering pan that’s used in South India. Maybe it’s used in other parts of India. It’s kind of a little bit shallow, but not that deep, and a little small. It’s used to temper or pop mustard seeds and other kinds of spices: curry leaves, green chilies, dhal, lentil pieces… You can see my reflection in there…It’s pretty funny.. HI! ;) So, yeah, I got this from India. It’s one of my favorite things. I use it a lot. Salt, of course. This is mustard seeds. This is salt. That’s chenna dhal. This is gonna be used for the coconut chutney. All these ingredients are for coconut chutney. This is curry leaves inside the packet. The Indian store I went to around here in Rochester gets all of their vegetables on Thursday, and today is Thursday. If you’re ever gonna give an ethnic cooking class think about ahead of time when do the stores around you get their ethnic vegetables because they ran outta green chilies. I couldn’t get any today, so the coconut chutney isn’t really gonna taste 100% ethnic, unfortunately, but I have to go ahead with the plan. I bought ready-made coconut chutney. I personally haven’t tried this one, this is Lakshmi brand. I picked this one over another brand because they actually use green chilies. I read the ingredient list. Another brand in the Indian store of coconut chutney used jalapenos, which I suppose you can use but it would give a slightly different taste. These are urad dhal pieces, the white ones, and dried red chilies. That’s for the coconut chutney.

Now, these are the dosa batters that I’ve ground this week. It’s kind of hard to open with one hand. It’s kind of puffed up and then de-poofed. I hope it doesn’t loose it’s taste. I’d been grinding idli batter all week. Actually, these two plus another one for home. The nice thing about the plastic containers is you can actually see where it rose. It rose then it de-poofed, so.. hmm… I hope it doesn’t affect the taste.

These three little containers here are for the students to look at the idli rice closer, the urad dhal, and the methi or fenugreek seeds. These are the three ingredients used to make the dosa batter.(4) They can open it up and touch and feel all the ingredients and they can see what it looks like, because we’re not gonna be grinding them here. Of course, my trusty Magic Bullet…that’s gonna be [used to] grind the coconut chutney.

And, over to this side, this is the idli… all the stuff to make idli (5). Now if you made idli, and you see this, this is the traditional thing to make idli on, the idli stand [and put it] in a pressure cooker like that. There are idli pans that you can buy in India that are slightly different than this, but this is the way that I do it here in America. I have this idli pan. But, you know this kind of this is hard for many Americans to acquire, so I found some other ways to show how to make idli. One is in this egg poacher pan, which is pretty handy. These things actually come out and you can oil it. You don’t actually have to put that much oil on it as those [the traditional idli pan]. These are a non-stick surface, and in this case, non-stick does actually require less oil than, say, the non-stick pan as compared to the cast iron pan. As you can see this is a deeper idli, and a smaller, rounder idli, where this is not as deep, but the circle is bigger. So, for these I actually leave it in the pan for a little bit longer. So, if I leave this in for 15 minutes, I leave that one in for twenty minutes. And, this is the third way. This is a silicone strainer, or steamer that goes into the bottom of the pan to steam vegetables, and these are egg poachers; silicone egg poachers. I have two different sizes. A bigger size and these kind of smaller sizes. These are actually used as dipping bowls. With these I leave them in about 20 minutes, and they turn out pretty good. I have to do these (the bigger ones) separately from these (the smaller ones), but I can put this in a regular sauce pan, American sauce pan, but I have to make sure the lid is a glass lid with a hole that allows the steam to escape. I forgot to bring that. But, a lid that’s similar to this – with a hole on top, so the steam can escape, like in that set altogether.

Now, these are gonna be introduced to the students. These are different kinds of dosa podis: a general one on the left and a sesame one on the right. We can get these in our local restaurant called Mysore Woodlands, but you have to ask for it. They don’t automatically give it to you with the dosa, so some people may not know about it. So, I’ll show ‘em how to use it; eat it. And, these are some snacks. Kerala Mixture with peanuts and chick pea flour fried snacks mixed in there. This is murrukku. This is a deep fried snack made from rice and lentil flours with red chili and cumin and some other spices. They can try that. This is actually a sweet from North India called Soan Papdi. Somebody had asked about this last week. This came out of a box that I already had at home, so they might like to try that.

One thing is that I’ve always looked to other bloggers and been like, ‘Wow they do stuff on the internet, then they get to do it in real life!" Well, the recipes that I’m using for both of these classes, the previous class was palak paneer, and today’s the dosa, I put on my blog already like sometime last year sometime. So, I guess I been preparing for this class without knowing about it. So, I get to translate the stuff the stuff that I’m doing online to my offline life. It’s pretty exciting, and I’m pretty excited. I’m really happy to have this opportunity. I thank the students for it, I thank the Brighton Continuing Education Department for hiring me to do this job, and… you … for watching this video, of course! Leave your comments, questions, feedback; anything you’d like. I’d like to be in touch with you. Thanks for watching. Have a great day.


(In this video, I will answer a few questions-
Can idli be made without a pressure cooker?
Can dosa be made on a cast iron pan?)

Related Posts: See the recipes I used to give this class-

Coconut Chutney - Dosa- Idli Photologue

Recipe Review June 2010

Food and Recipes

Dhal or Lentil Dishes
Aayi's Recipes - Chana Dal Soup (Poli Saru/Holige Saru)

Idli Varieties
**Idli is a breakfast food or snack made of steamed ingredients formed into something that looks like a muffin top. ;-) It's usually eaten with chutney or sambar.
Sailaja Kitchen - Yellow Corn Meal Idly
Veggie Platter - Brown Rice Ragi Idli

My idli/dosa recipe photologue.


Relishes and Side Dishes
4th Sense Cooking - Marinated Chillies / Moar Milagai
Sailu's Kitchen - Coriander Roasted Dal Chutney
Veggie Platter - Onion Gojju / Erragadda Pachipulusu (Photo of this, right, from my kitchen!)


Snacks
Edible Garden - Bread Paneer Rolls - Step by Step Recipe


Culture of Food- Commentary
Slices of Kerala Life - Eating out – a date with death?
As the culture of going out to eat in 'hotels' is on the rise, people must be aware of the risks of eating out.


Recipe Review Archives

Classes on Indian Cooking and Culture in Rochester, NY

Scheduled

*See the Brighton Continuing Education Brochure for details when ready.

Masala Madness (title to be changed)
Have you ever wondered what comprises the garam masala, sambar powder or rasam powder that spices your dhals, curries, stews and soups at Indian restaurants? Do you want to learn how to make your own fresh made all-spices mixes inspired by the authentic family traditions of India? These easy to make powders can be used to make specific ethnic North or South Indian dishes or to Indianize your American dishes just begging for another layer of taste temptation! We will make spice mixes and have a few dishes to taste with the mixes cooked in! Bring a plastic container for any leftovers. (Materials fee of $20 paid to the instructor at the first class)

India- Inspired Gluten-Free Pancakes
Gluten-free diets are on the rise. Luckily for people interested in trying new kinds of foods; the cuisines of India offers opportunities to eat many different kinds of gluten-free, protein- packed pancakes and crepes made with rice and lentil (dhal) flours. In this class, you will learn how to make the “besan ka cheela” or chick pea crepe/ eggless- omelets, a mixed lentil and rice crepe known as an “adai” and the “pesarattu” or moong-bean crepe. (Materials fee of $10 paid to instructor at first class)

Dining Out - Cuisine of India
Many of us have our staple menu choices at any restaurant, but maybe more so at our favorite ethnic Restaurants. Have you strayed from your staple choices at the Indian restaurant? Maybe you have yet to try food of the Indian subcontinent because you don’t really understand the names of the dishes. Sure, menu writers translate the dishes into English, but sometimes that may not be enough. Have you wondered if the name of the dish refers to the ingredients in the dish, a preparation style or something else?
Let’s dissect menu options from various local restaurants to learn a little more about India, Indian cuisine and Indian culture!

Flexible Offerings

These classes can be given at any time in the Rochester (Monroe County, Wayne County, Ontario County, Orleans County). More details Here.

Classes with cooking demos are $50 per student
Classes without cooking demos are $30 per student
Special Promo- If you find four friends (total with you, 5), you can choose one of two discounts-

Promo 1. With each four students you recruit, $5 is off individual tuitions (5 students, each gets $5, 10 students, each gets $10 off. If you get the cap of $12 for a cooking class, each of you can get $12 off!)

Promo 2. Travel fee of up to $25 can be waived (regardless of number of students, even if 1 student or 10 students)

More about travel fees here.

Cultural Classes
*Classes without cooking and spice demos are $35 per student

Dining Out - Cuisine of India
Many of us have our staple menu choices at any restaurant, but maybe more so at our favorite ethnic Restaurants. Have you strayed from your staple choices at the Indian restaurant? Maybe you have yet to try food of the Indian subcontinent because you don’t really understand the names of the dishes. Sure, menu writers translate the dishes into English, but sometimes that may not be enough. Have you wondered if the name of the dish refers to the ingredients in the dish, a preparation style or something else?
Let’s dissect menu options from various local restaurants to learn a little more about India, Indian cuisine and Indian culture! (2.5 hr)

Hindu Holidays - From a Multi-Cultural Perspective
*This class is best done in a space that has facility for powerpoint.
I lived in India for two years and now I am married into a cross-cultural, multi-faith family. I have intimate knowledge of Hindu holidays from different parts of India and often observe and celebrate them here in US (besides the celebrations when I lived in India). Want to learn about how Hindus celebrate their holidays in India and America? This is the class for you! (2.5 hr)
I gave this class in 2007 at Hillside Children's Center. Read here for details/feedback/testimonials.

Hindu Temples of Kanchipuram
*This class is best done in a space that has facility for powerpoint.
Kanchipuram is the town of a thousand Hindu temples in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. I have spent extensive time there living with a local family when I lived in India. In this slideshow presentation, I can share with you about a few unique temples in the town, some of the reasons people visit them, the history, culture and mythology of the temples and some of the wonderful festivals and observances of some of the temples.(2.5 hr)

Introduction to the Indian Grocery Store
The exotic aroma of spices from far lands and tempting foods with layers of flavors and textures tempt any foodie at the Indian store! A plethora of spices, rices, lentils (dhals), flours, snacks, fresh fruits and vegetables, ready-made and frozen foods can make even an experienced shopper’s head spin. Want to learn about the items for sale in an Indian grocery store and be tempted to try something new?
This class meets directly at India House Grocery Store (999 S. Clinton Ave)
1 session, 2 hrs, $20

Life and Times of Everyday People in India
*This class is best done in a space that has facility for powerpoint.
Want to know a little about the social and historical make up of the India? For centuries foreigners, including me, have been mysteriously transplanted into India for various reasons, but few would deny spirituality and cultural interest in those reasons for traveling to the subcontinent. Having lived in India a few years, studying, working and living as the only American, I can share with you some practical information on the modern lifestyles of Indians of different backgrounds and a bit about the history of modern India. (3 hr)

Welcome to America and Rochester!
Exploring your surroundings and taking inventory of yourself helps in adjusting to a new environment. Recent newcomers to Rochester are welcome to this unique seminar on lifestyle and cultural adjustment to the Rochester region. The main aim of this two-part seminar is to help you integrate into Rochester life through exploring your interests and cultural adjustment concerns to ease transition into our ethnically diverse community. (2.5 hr)

Cooking Classes with Demos
*Classes with cooking and spice demos are $50 per student

India- Inspired Gluten-Free Pancakes
Gluten-free diets are on the rise. Luckily for people interested in trying new kinds of foods; the cuisines of India offers opportunities to eat many different kinds of gluten-free, protein- packed pancakes and crepes made with rice and lentil (dhal) flours. In this class, you will learn how to make the “besan ka cheela” or chick pea crepe/ eggless- omelets, a mixed lentil and rice crepe known as an “adai” and the “pesarattu” or moong-bean crepe. (2.5 hr)

Mystery of Indian Cuisine – Demystified!
Have you savored the multi-layered flavors in Indian cuisine and wondered how to accomplish this yourself? Indian cooking is flavorful, but it doesn’t have to be hot. I will demo a full meal of three menu items. Students can have the opportunity to try their hand at cooking also. Students can bring an apron and empty containers to take home any leftovers. (2.5 hr)

Masala Madness (title to be changed)
Have you ever wondered what comprises the garam masala, sambar powder or rasam powder that spices your dhals, curries, stews and soups at Indian restaurants? Do you want to learn how to make your own fresh made all-spices mixes inspired by the authentic family traditions of India? These easy to make powders can be used to make specific ethnic North or South Indian dishes or to Indianize your American dishes just begging for another layer of taste temptation! We will make spice mixes and have a few dishes to taste with the mixes cooked in! Bring a plastic container for any leftovers. (2.5 hr)

The Seduction of Spice
Recently, the healing powers of turmeric, a main ingredient in an Indian spice cupboard has gained notoriety. Turmeric, along with the aromatic and healing powers of a wide variety of other spices, lentils, rices and flours creates an unforgettable layered sensory experience in any Indian dish. Come to this multi-sensory workshop to experience a wide range of ingredients: their uses and noted health benefits. (2.5 hr)

If you'd like to follow my schedule of classes via calendar and get updates easier, join my Facebook page.

More about Authentic Journeys Services, Classes and Products.

Thank you for spending time on my blog.


(India culture and cookery classes available in Monroe, Orleans, Ontario, Wayne counties: Rochester, Penfield, Pittsford, Chili, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Holley, Albion, Perinton, Brighton, Henrietta, Irondequoit, Webster, Spencerport, Brockport, Palmyra, Lyons, Canandaigua, Farmington, Macedon, and others.)

Recipe Review May 2010

Some yummy recipes I found on blogs the past month- Enjoy!

Brinjal Masala Kuzhambu - Kamala's Corner

Chickpeas Sundal Recipe/ Kadalai Sundal - Edible Garden

Green Gram Sprouts - Kamala's Corner

Grilled Paneer Sandwich - Sailu's Kitchen

Kalaikkose Pirattal (Brussel Sprouts Curry) - Solai's True Chettinad Kitchen

Matzo Ball Soup & Amaranth Salad - Dishes from my kitchen

Paneer Burji - Sailu's Kitchen

Potato Pepper Fry - Kamala's Corner

Thotakura Bangaladumpa Vepudu ~ Amaranth leaves Potato Fry - Sailu's Kitchen

Recipe Review ... More tasty treats....



Thanks for spending time on my site.

Readymade Indian - Baghara Baingan by Deep

I have never had a homemade version of this dish.

However, this product seems to be well made. I used the oven warming instructions. It warmed evenly. It has a full, flavorful taste. It is not hot spicy immediately, it kind of builds. If you eat mildly spicy, like I do, the hotness will build on you. Else, if you eat hot and spicy, this may be mild. I ate one helping (there are about 1.5 helpings) of this with rice, then a second helping of rice with plain yogurt.

I really like how it has small eggplant pieces in the gravy. I prefer the pieces to the pureed eggplant. I know the pureed one is called Bhaighan Bharatha. Does Baghara mean whole pieces of Baingan (eggplant)?

Price is 4.79$ at our local India Market. Seems a bit high, but the taste is quite nice for a ready made convenience food, I can justify the price. I rarely make eggplant dishes at home because hubby doesn't like eggplant, so to make for one person, and the time involved, I will buy this readymade version again sometime.

Anyone else tried this or any other brand of this? What did you think? Any comparisons to homemade versions?

Thanks for reading!

Easy Salsa Recipe- With a Twist

Easy Salsa Recipe- With a Twist
This is a chunky salsa good for dipping chips or adding as a topping to dish of your creative desire.

¼ cup finely diced onions
¾ cup diced, juicy tomatoes
¼ cup diced red bell peppers (capsicum)
3 tablespoons diced fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
1/4 cup cooked corn kernels
Dash salt
Lemon juice
Optional Green Chilies or Jalapeno peppers as per taste (finely sliced/diced)

Method:
EASY! Chop all ingredients and put in a bowl and mix nicely. Add only a dash of salt to bring out the juices in the vegetables. Add lemon juice as per your taste for tanginess. I used about 1 tablespoon.
Let this set for about 5-10 minutes before eating to allow tastes to blend. The fresher the vegetables the better the final product tastes (and smells!).

Corn is purely optional and the 'twist' I added for an extra layer of texture. Some people like to roast the corn then put it in to give another layer of taste. I did not roast the corn.

**This dish is eaten raw. The only item in this dish that is cooked is the corn- but that is separately done. This dish is best eaten cold or slightly cooler than room temperature.

**For my desi friends, I have tagged this post with the term 'chutney', I think salsa is the 'Mexican chutney'! It is a great relish or dip.

***********************************************************************************

A friend shares:
"For a different twist on the same recipe you can also cook the above ingredients for about 5 minutes on the stove top. Mix in a blender for a cooked salsa. Also good with carrots, jicama, and /or cabbage. I often throw in what is around in the fridge."

A Rare Manuscript on the Tamil Brahmin Cooking

Review of Viji Varadarajan's and Padmini Natarajan's Classic Tamil Brahmin Cuisine
Jennifer Kumar

None of that westernized Indian food here! Viji Varadarajan and Padmini Natarajan recently released an updated version of their cookbook Classic Tamil Brahmin Cuisine: Pure Vegetarian South Indian Samayal.

With over 70 mouthwatering vegetarian dishes, having this book is a good place to start learning more about how Indian food gets its flavor. Of course, this ‘Tamil Brahmin’ cuisine is a specialized, regional cuisine from South India, and may be new to many Indian food lovers who are used to the rich butter, nut, tomato and other gravy-based dishes of North India. This cuisine offers a different approach to Indian food, with unique combinations of spices such as cumin, coriander, mustard seed, chili pepper, red and green chili, black pepper, curry leaves, fenugreek (methi), turmeric, ginger, and a host of lentils. Yes, it is true that lentils, known as dhals in Indian cookery and cuisine, become a spice! Lentils can be dry roasted and ground in with spices to make all-spice powders like sambar powder or pitlai powder, or roasted in hot oil to temper sambars (stews), rasams (soups) and chutneys (relishes, dips).

Viji and her co-author, Padmini, has divided the recipes into sections based on unique vegetables used in the culinary selections of daily housewives. The vegetables highlighted throughout are native to the areas of Tamil Brahmins. Having myself have lived in some Tamil Brahmin homes during my two year stay in India, the selections she has presented take me back to my friends homes and comfort foods made by their mothers, in-laws and grandmothers. It was the food I lived on in India for two years, and the food that inspired me when I returned to America to learn Indian cooking on my own and from Indians in America.

In some sections, the vegetables such as banana flower, banana stem or [fresh] jackfruit or drumstick can be a challenge to find in America, while most others can be found in typical American grocery stores (beans, eggplant, okra, spinach) or a trip to your closest Indian or Asian grocery store (bitter gourd and other gourds, and other types of beans). It is indeed amazing that over 70 dishes can be made from the small variety of vegetables and roughly 30 spice combinations. This may also seem overwhelming to a newcomer of this cuisine and culinary method, but upon closer inspection it is noted that about 7 broad categories – kari (11), kozhumbu (7), kootu (10), pachadi (5), sambar (6), and usili (4) of recipes comprise about 40 individual selections in the book! When looking at the book from this angle, South Indian Tamil Brahmin cookery can become even easier. Many recipes that fall under the same category have roughly the same method, minus the main vegetable highlighted. Once the method of “kari” or “kootu” is studied, for instance, a simple substitution of a vegetable may change the dish, but the method to get to it changes only slightly. In some such cases, with a touch of creativity and adventure, a substitution of other vegetables can be used – such as a squash for kootu, or potatoes for kari, or onions for sambar or kozhumbu (onions are traditionally not used in Tamil Brahmin food).

Many may still feel intimidated by Indian cookery because recipes may feel long or have many steps. When I learn a new recipe I try to have all the ingredients prepared before I start cooking and do each step slowly and complete each step before I go to the next. When I get more experienced at a recipe or method, I then can layer my approach to preparation and cooking- just like Indian food! The layering of flavors, blending of tastes, textures and aromas make Indian food- and particularly Tamil Brahmin food a unique draw. Once you try this cuisine, you will want more. You will crave it for the layers of taste, flavors, aromas and textures- and of course all the better that it’s totally made from scratch – no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or ingredients you ‘can’t pronounce’ (or understand), because you have handled them all!

Like the layering approach to getting the tasty Tamil Brahmin dish, the cookbook also has its intriguing layers that draw me back into its pages again and again. This book comes in handy not only in the kitchen- but in the grocery store. I don’t know about you, but I often get intimidated when I am to go purchase fresh vegetables, regardless of if they are ones I have purchased before (such as bitter gourd or okra), or ones I have yet to buy (such as ash gourd or broad beans). Sometimes my fear for getting the freshest one stops me from buying at all because I fear I will pick up the rotten one. This book helps me to overcome this fear. It has detailed some strategies for choosing the freshest harvested vegetables and storing them. For instance, I never realized an easy way to remove leaves from drumstick branch is to wrap it in newspaper overnight, and let them fall off naturally the next day or that the shelf life of Indian pumpkin was so long! Furthermore, she shares some unique cultural and historical trivia about certain vegetables like snake gourd, and how it was grown to look like a snake! In addition to these tips, at the end of most recipes look for tips on recipe adjustments or where microwave can be used to speed up some processes.

This book is both a treasure and a staple in my cookbook collection. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys cooking ethnic foods or simply learning about culinary traditions and unique cultures. I am sure the folks at Gourmand also agree, having had awarded this one-of-a-kind gem the prestigious jury award in 2009.

--End of Review--
Notes: I have tried a number of recipes in the collection over the years, and of course eaten many of the dishes in India. After trying some of the recipes, I adjusted some spices or ingredients to put my own twist on some of her recipes. A few of the recipes I have made on my own and posted online include: Sambar Powder, Keera Moolagootal (with toor dhal instead of moong), vathal kozhumbu (made with sundrakkai vathal instead of okra), and dry bitter gourd curry.


Other related links:
Link to Viji's Profile on Alaivani, with links to all her cookbooks, fan page and more!

Link to Padmini's Profile on Alaivani with links to insightful and inspirational articles on Indian culture and spirituality.



Thank you for spending time on my site, reading this review. Feel free to connect with Viji or Padmini if you have any doubts or want help! They are eager to help and can clarify any doubt!

Cookbooks of Viji Varadarajan: