Healthy South Indian Cooking

by: Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt

Published by: Hippocrene Books

Reviewed by Andrea Sisco

The quest for healthy eating continues to grow in the United States. This country is becoming increasingly obese with all the fast foods we eat. Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt have written a cookbook that will provide consumers with healthy and good-tasting food. There are no shortcuts if we are to eat healthy. It takes time but the results are satisfying in the end.

Healthy South Indian Cooking includes over 100 delectable vegetarian recipes and approximately 100 recipes using chicken, lamb and shrimp. The dishes are delicious and nutritious and are generally easy to prepare. But some of them may be a bit more time consuming than most of us are used to.

The use of spices may take some time to become familiar with but add tremendously to the flavor. I love that each of the low-fat, low-calorie recipes includes a nutritional analysis.

The book is user friendly and includes a multilingual glossary of spices, dals (lentils) and flours and the dishes themselves. The proper storage of spices is explained and the tips and techniques for food preparation are helpful. The suggested menus will help the beginner and expert prepare wonderful meals. The authors even include a section where they combine Indian dishes with Western foods.

Armchair Interviews says: Healthy South Indian Cooking is a comprehensive guide to good tasting, nutritious meals. We're impressed.