Great Vegetarian Dishes Review
I bought this cookbook about 10 years ago from a Hare Krshna (I technically made a "donation" to receive it) and I have to say it's one of the most used and enjoyed cookbooks in my extensive collection.
You don't have to be a vegetarian or into any kind of Eastern religion to enjoy this cookbook. This book was my introduction to Indian food in general, and after trying a few recipes, I realized, "you know, I really could be a vegetarian if I ate food like this all the time."
This is a beautiful full-color cookbook with excellent photos, and is therefore different than some of the other cookbooks that Hare Krishna people give away in the airport or on the beach. In terms of promoting the Hare Krishna philosophy, I can't think of a better method... once you try a few of these dishes, you'll be tempted to chant the mantra a few times.
There are two recipes from this book that I use all the time: "Mexican-Style Beans and Salad on Fried Tortilla" (the author's fancy way of saying "Tacos"); and the "Asparagus and Pine Nut Pizza." I've actually used these two recipes as a point of departure for making all kinds of other dishes using the basic dressings and sauces that book author Kuma teaches here.
Hare Krshna cooking is pretty interesting in that not only is it vegetarian, but it does not use garlic or onions either... whoa! You would think in a vegetarian diet you need all the help you can get to keep things flavorful, and how can you do without these staple ingredients?
What ends up happening is that by leaving out the garlic and onions, you find yourself encountering entirely new flavors with some of the unique Indian ingredients that have a chance to express themselves without being overpowered.
To get the full value of this cookbook, you will need to take a trip to your local Indian grocery store and hunt down a few of the more obscure ingredients -- like the ubiquitous "hing" (asafoetida), a sulfury yellow powder which more or less becomes your substitute for garlic.
I highly recommend this book to any vegetarian or gourmet.
Great Vegetarian Dishes Overview
In this lavishly illustrated classic cookbook, Kurma presents more than 240 time-tested delectable vegetarian recipes.
Available at Amazon Check Price Now!
Related Products
- The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking
- Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking
- Cooking With Kurma
- The Higher Taste: A Guide to Gourmet Vegetarian Cooking and a Karma-Free Diet
- Quick Vegetarian Dishes: Recipes You Can Prepare in a Hurry
Customer Reviews
Great Vegetarian Dishes Cook Book - stumandy -
Great book - my girlfriend Susie had a copy and I lusted after one. Great to find a copy at Amazon. Thanks
Great Vegetarian Dishes - Cheryl A. Harrison - Australia
I love this book had it for years and misplaced it. Just had to get a replacement. I'm not much on eating my vegies but this book makes it easy and interesting. Really glad I was able to get a copy.
Good recipes but I can't overlook author's ignorant statements... - Cherie J. Anderson -
This book has some good recipes, as has been stated already, but I have two points to make that might be of interest to others when considering buying this book.
1) The author states at the beginning of the book that the purpose of cows is to give us [meaning humans] milk. Now, I would expect that type of a statement perhaps from the brainwashed 3-year-old daughter of a dairy cow "farmer," but not from a grown adult who, presumably, had biology classes and/or has some understanding of mothers and their babies. I understand that sometimes vegetarian cookbooks are lacto-ovo or the watered-down definition of "vegetarian," and I don't fault those books for being such; however, I think the author's statement is shocking and actually horrifying that he would be so selfish to think that a mother cow providing milk only at a time she has a calf would be his for the taking. I won't ramble on about that, since this review needs to be about the book itself.
2) There are so many fried foods in this book. I don't think I've ever seen a cookbook with more deep-fried food recipes! I know that fat and oil taste good and provide a crunch to food, but I sure hope no one eats that way every day or even every week. I'm sure some can be baked instead. I would note these may be good in making dishes for omnivores and lacto-ovo vegetarians [or people used to high-fat food] who might find lower-fat items bland.
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