The Essence of Indian Vegetarian Cooking: A Comprehensive Book of 400+ Indian Recipes

India has an infinite variety of cuisines that vary from place to place. The people of the north and west are mainly wheat eaters, while rice is the staple food in the south and east. Different oils are used in different regions; coconut oil and sesame oil in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, safflower and sesame oil in Andhra, peanut oil in Gujarat and Maharashtra, mustard oil in Punjab and all the eastern states. The combination of spices often defines the cuisine of the region.

I am a southerner and as such, more conversant with southern cooking; but having lived in various parts of India and abroad, I have experimented with a variety of dishes. I have included these in the book, and I hope the readers will enjoy trying them out too.

This book contains over 400 recipes from various parts of India. It covers breakfast, lunch, tea time snacks, dinner, special festival dishes, pickles, masala powders and more. Regional and seasonal variations in diet have been highlighted.

A step-by-step description of the cooking procedure is given to help even a beginner follow the recipes with ease.

Traditional as well as modern recipes have been included. The methods make full use of modern gadgets available in the present day kitchen. Hints have been provided on how to maximize their use in the making of the various dishes.

Pictures of some of the traditional kitchen tools, still in use in our kitchens is also provided. These are usually available in Indian stores in various countries. Grocery items mentioned in the recipes are also easily available in Indian stores across the world.