Prashad Cookbook: Indian Vegetarian Cooking

Don't let the price of this book deter you from purchasing it. This is a wonderful Indian cookbook with some unique recipes that are not found in others.One of the things that I really love about this book is that some of the appetizers are given an alternate choice of the traditional (deep-fry) or simplified method (baking w/out oil) method of cooking. I'm very health conscious so it is nice to have an alternate way of enjoying food without the oil involved. The Prashad spring rolls are a fantastic recipe, alongside the veggie samosas, kachori (spiced peas & garlic), and pethis (garlic-coconut potato balls). The recipe book also contains the street snacks/food found in India, main dishes, rice (the green rice is AWESOME!), breads, salads, dips, chutneys, drinks, soups, and sweets. So many recipes!For those that did not read the title correctly, there aren't any meat and fish recipes in the book so don't bother beating yourself up looking for them. I really do like the fact that the author does clearly label each recipe if they are vegan, wheat-free, onion & garlic-free, nut-free, and/or healthy option. There are pages of what certain spices do (along with their respective Indian names), kitchen tips, suggested menus at the back of the book for feeding a party, and venues of where to buy spices etc... There aren't any pressure or slow cooker recipes listed.For the American buyers, I will warn you that the majority of the book does NOT use the typical U.S. Metric System. It will tell you the tablespoon, teaspoon etc... measurements as shown, but when it comes to something like 400 grams of blah blah blah, you need to either have the kitchen gadgets that show that type of measurement or make a chart of the conversions handy when you are in the kitchen. If anything, at least it is a great way to "force" you to learn the metric system that the majority of the world uses.All the recipes are easy to follow, well-written, and stick closely to Northern Indian cooking.

Easy to follow delicious recipes! I love the meal pairing suggestions throughout the book. My only wish is that every recipe would have a picture of the food, about half have a photo of what it should look like.

This is a great cookbook. The information is well laid out and the table of contents and links work better than any I have used on my Ipad. I have found that I have learned to be a better cook by using these recipes. Make no mistake the recipes take some skill and patience and planning but the rewards are incredible. Indian cooking often seems a little overwhelming but with Prashad's the process is easy and straight forward. Many of the techniques you learn translate to other recipes in the book so the depth of knowledge grows as you try new and different recipes. Now the question is not "What's for dinner?" but rather "Are you cooking Prashad's?"

The physical book and it's contents exceed expectations. The book is extremely well bound, the cover is beautiful, and the paper is thick enough to avoid rips and tears. The book's content is extremely personal-- I loved the forward, it includes family pictures of the Patels and is written in a way that really brings the family and their cooking to life. Throughout the book, Kaushy shares helpful tips and personal moments- she often relates a recipe to a family member or a meal from her childhood. This book is a great intro to Indian cooking, as it explains all of the ingredients-- this section alone makes the book worth it. The food photography is great-- and almost every other recipe has an image of some sort. Great book, highly reccomended.

I live in Florida and while visiting Northern England my husband and I drove for 3 hours just to have lunch there, after seeing the restaurant featured on Gordon Ramsey's show. The food was so delicious! I have wanted to try to make them ever since, and now I can.Unlike a lot of electronic cookbooks, this one stands out as being super easy to navigate. Indexed, searchable and the writer wants you to succeed with her fabulous recipes and the recipes are full of suggestions. Pricey , but so worth it, it seems like a cooking school course. Written extremely well, I think this book was a long time in the making.Americans, you will need to convert the measurements. Again, so worth it.And now I can make Penthis!

Great book and great service

It's a little light on recipes but that was expected since it's based on a restaurant menu. The recipes are nothing special and seem to be standard preparation. Some ideas on how to prepare the masalas and their individual ingredients would help. The instructions seem to be adequate, don't expect to get it right on the first try. If you're new to Indian food, give this one a shot, but if you are mildly familiar with Indian food and looking to 'spice up' traditional recipes, then you will be disappointed.

This is the best cookbook I have ever bought. The recipes are very well presented, and easy to follow. The food you can produce so good that you won't remember it is vegetarian. I am slowly working my way through the recipes, which is fun. I look forward to Prashad II.

Book in perfect condition. I wanted to explore more interesting vegetarian cuisine so that I might tempt my carnivore husband into feeling he had eaten a meal rather than rabbit food. Tried a couple of the recipes so far and they have been superb! Methods are well explained so I am actually learning to cook this food. The recipes are written in a chronological order so that you can get the timings right. There is a key for dietary suitability, a description of the recipe and also recommends which recipes go with others in the book. Excellent book that I feel will become a kitchen staple and not consigned to the loft.

I have never enjoyed cooking Indian food as much as this book offers. Easy, reliable and overall tasty. Reading the almost autobiography of Kaushy and her family, I feel part of them. I have no idea why this lady does not have her own television series. I certainly will be buying her other book for sure. And has she says the cooking should be as pleasant as the eating.

Adore this book, the recipes are amazing, spice amounts and cook times have obviously been tested for accuracy, and the dishes themselves are wonderful. As a Punjabi, this book has fundamentally changed the way I cook vegetables and dhals. Thank you Mrs Patel!

This is a superb book and a pleasure to both read and cook from.First off, the recipes work. Follow just exactly what Kaushy Patel says and things will work out fine and delicious too. I have never come across a cookery book with such a success rate before this.Second, they are delicious. People love the recipes and even the simple things like coriander rice and cauliflower and pea curry give fantastic results.Third, you will want to introduce more vegetarian cooking to your table. We are not vegetarian but our Indian cooking has switched completely from being heavily meat-biased to using mostly vegetable dishes. We find that a meal without it simply doesn't balance and frequently don't bother with meat unless we have guests.Do try the potato bhajia if you want to impress with a starter. Wow!

This book could turn even the most committed meat eaters into at least part-time vegetarians. The dishes are mouthwatering and the textures and flavours are superb. I find I have to cut down the amount of salt and chilli a little, but the recipes are very forgiving and this never detracts from the overall taste. If you're not used to cooking Indian food, my advice is go back to basics and take the Delia approach i.e. prepare, weigh and measure everything out fully before you switch the stove/pan on! If you're an experience cook you'll find these recipes easy, if you're a novice, try them on a rainy day when you've got plenty of time to potter around in the kitchen. Without doubt the best cookery book I bought in 2013.