Vibrant India
Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn [A Cookbook]
2 of 4 copies available
Lifelong vegetarian and chef Chitra Agrawal takes you on an epicurean journey to her mother’s hometown of Bangalore and back to Brooklyn, where she adapts her family’s South Indian recipes for home cooks. This particular style of Indian home cooking, often called the “yoga diet,” is light and fresh, yet satisfying and rich in bold and complex flavors. Grains, legumes, fresh produce, coconut, and yogurt—along with herbs, citrus, chiles, and spices—form the cornerstone of this delectable cuisine, rooted in vegetarian customs and honed over centuries for optimum taste and nutrition.
From the classic savory crepe dosa, filled with lemony turmeric potatoes and cilantro coconut chutney, to new creations like coconut polenta topped with spring vegetables 'upma" and homemade yogurt, the recipes in Vibrant India are simple to prepare and a true celebration of color and flavor on a plate. Chitra weaves together the historical context behind the region’s cuisine and how she brought some of these age-old traditions to life thousands of miles away in Brooklyn during the city’s exciting food renaissance.
Relying on her experience as a culinary instructor, Chitra introduces the essential Indian cooking techniques, tips, and ingredients you’ll need to prepare a full range of recipes from quick vegetable stir frys (corn, basil, and leeks flavored with butter, cumin, and black pepper), salads (citrus red cabbage and fennel slaw with black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chile), yogurt raitas (shredded beets and coconut in yogurt), and chutneys and pickles (preserved Meyer lemon in chile brine) to hearty stews (aromatic black eyed peas, lentils, and greens), coconut curries (summer squash in an herby coconut yogurt sauce), and fragrant rice dishes (lime dill rice with pistachios). Rounding out the book is an array of addictive snacks (popcorn topped with curry leaf butter), creative desserts (banana, coconut, and cardamom ice cream), and refreshing drinks (chile watermelon juice with mint). Chitra provides numerous substitutions to accommodate produce seasonality, ingredient availability, and personal tastes. The majority of recipes are gluten-free and vegan or can be easily modified to adhere to those dietary restrictions.
Whether you are a vegetarian or just looking for ways to incorporate more vegetarian recipes into your repertoire, Vibrant India is a practical guide for bringing delicious Indian home cooking to your table on a regular basis.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 21, 2017 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781607747352
- File size: 108142 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781607747352
- File size: 108128 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from March 6, 2017
Even though she was born and raised in the suburbs of New Jersey, Agrawal grew up with a deep appreciation for Indian cuisine and eventually started Brooklyn Delhi, a line of small-batch achaars (an Indian relish) sold online and at various gourmet shops. Instead of producing a cookbook revolving around achaars, however, Agrawal refreshingly does a 180 here, choosing to focus on some of her favorite vegetable-based Indian fare instead. She succeeds brilliantly. Readers expecting the familiar collection of dals and chutneys are in for a delightful and tasty surprise as Agrawal offers page after page of hits with dishes such as steamed lentil and herbed dumplings, root-vegetable and Asian-pear salad, stir-fried corn with basil and leeks, and the must-try cardamom oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate and raisins. Though a few dishes will take some time in terms of sourcing as well as prep, Agrawal offers short cuts, such as by incorporating a zippy beet stir-fry into beet yogurt raita. There’s enough variety in this superb debut to please Indian-cuisine newbies and veterans, and Agrawal’s dishes are hearty and flavorful enough to please even the toughest carnivore at the table. -
May 15, 2017
Debut cookbook author Agrawal, chef and owner of the Brooklyn-based Brooklyn Delhi, here provides a capable introduction to South Indian cooking. Her vegetarian dishes rely heavily on lentils, rice, coconut, and distinctive spices. Batters for dosas (rice and lentil crepes) and idlis (steamed rice and lentil cakes) will need an overnight soak, but there are speedier recipes for cooking on a whim, including red cabbage and citrus coleslaw, stir-fried corn with basil and leeks, stuffed shishito pepper fritters, and summer peaches in sweetened yogurt. Agrawal's recipes cover a wide range of courses, including beverages, chutneys, and pickles. A pantry guide and list of flavor sources will help readers locate less familiar ingredients. VERDICT For anyone who'd like to attempt South Indian cooking at home, this is an excellent starting point. It's also a great follow-up to Asha Gomez's My Two Souths.
Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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