Yamuna Devi - The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking - 10

[Darb]

Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking



To put this book in it's proper context within the much larger world of culinary tomes ... Yamuna Devi is to Indian Cuisine what Marcella Hazan is it Classic Italian, and Julia Child is to Americanized classic French.

If you only own one book on either Indian or Vegetarian cuisine, this is one of the very best choices available anywhere.

STRENGTHS:
a) Devi covers her material confidently and expertly, in both breadth and depth, and has won her share of prestigous awards in the process.

b) Devi also includes helpful chapters in the back on things like "A-Z General Info on Ingredients" {no photos, granted, but they're well written}, and a "Glossary of Hindi Culinary Terms" {which include definitions and pronunciation guides}. Good stuff.

c) Plenty of excellent instructional detail - including exhaustive and highly educational headnotes. She goes out of her way to mentor the reader, and I appreciate that beyond words.

NITS:
1) Most importantly, this is a VEGETARIAN tome. Indian cuisine is perhaps the most wonderful, varied, robust, and culinarily sensual of all the cuisines in the world when it comes to vegetarianism ... but meat & seafood curries are also culinary joys not to be overlooked, and omitting them leaves an echoing void that partially undermines the ability of this book to serve as a 'all-in-one' source on Indian Cuisine in general. If you're an omnivore like me, you'll need to supplement this book with at least 2 other books on Indian Cuisine - Northern (for sultry slow-simmered meat curries) and Southern (for hot and spicy fruit, coconut & yogurt themed seafood curries). I should clarify, for the benefit of vegeterian readers, that the authoress's particular brand of vegetarianism is "Vedic" ... grossly oversimplified, that means no meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, mushrooms or vinegar, which is a step further than most vegetarians are used to. Not a complaint - just a factoid for the reader's consideration. Personally, I love onions, and I'd be hard pressed to give them up in a good curry base.

2) No photos, and illustrations are somewhat sparse and are all hand drawn. Such things are an optional luxury anyway, so that's not really a major nit.

3) {deleted}

4) If I recall correctly (and I admit it's been a while since I last read it heavily rather than merely raiding it for the occasional recipe or three), the authoress roams freely between northern and southern indian, without really making an attempt to clearly segregate them by style (which makes it a little harder to search for dishes based on region). Minor nit.

5) The authoress is a follower of Krishna, with all that that entails. Personally, I dont mind mixing a little philosophy and religion into discussions about food, but she tends to ramble a bit at times. Anyway, that's a very minor nit, and does not detract in the slightest from the culinary majesty of this tome - it's just an observation. If, on the otherhand, you're a barefoot pot-smoking commie-sympathizing communal-living vegan space cadet (or moonie) living in the low-rent outskirts Berkeley CA, and habitually make your own naan, dosas and yogurt from scratch, then add 1 points and call this one an 11/10.

CONCLUSION: This is a magnificent tome, and even though I listed a plethora of relatively minor nits, they're not enough to prevent me from giving this book a perfect 10. It's one of the best and most exhaustive books on vegetarian cuisine to be found anywhere in the English language.

Enjoyability = 10

[mrdude]

Wow, this sounds like a great book. I may have to check it out even though it lacks photos (a cookbook pet peve of mine)

[Kvetch]

I'll keep an eye out too.

cheer brad

[Darb]

I expanded the above review, including:

* Added letters to all the 'strengths'
* Added item (b).
* Numbered all my nits
* Added nit number (1), and clarified nit number (4).

[Darb]

* Added strength (c)
* Expanded and rewrote my conclusion.

Wow, this sounds like a great book

It is.

[Darb]

Just to give people an idea of how solid this book is compared to others, let's compare garam masala recipes:

* Yamuna Devi has EIGHT {8} recipes for garam masala in her book, each from different regions of India.
* Monisha Bharadwaj's The Indian Spice Kitchen has just one (1) recipe.

Like I said - this is a serious tome.

p.s. I made a bottle (12 tsp) of garam masala last night, which is why this topic came up.

[Darb]

Upon further reflection (and having done some more reading, and prepared more recipes), I've decided to elevate my rating from a 9 to a 10.

I continued to be impressed by the breadth of traditional techniques the author covers: including making pakoras, dosas, chapati, naan, fresh yogurt, fresh cheese, ghee, besan fudge, samosas, etc ad infinitum. It's all in there.

The more books in Indian cuisine I buy and peruse, the taller and taller this books stands out amongst them, for it's expertise and encyclopedic depth. Yeah, sure, there's no color photos ... but the only people deterred by that are lightweight culinary day trippers. It's still a 10.

I can see why it earned the prestigous IACP Book of the Year Award.

[Darb]

I should clarify, for the benefit of vegeterian readers, that the author (Yamuna Devi) practices Vedic Vegitarianism. That means not only no meat, poultry, eggs or seafood (dairy products are allowed, however, since Cows are sacred) ... it also means no onions, shallots, garlic, leeks or mushrooms.

Review expanded accordingly.

[Darb]

I've withdrawn my 3rd nit ... I found of section in her book where the authoress makes extensive use of food processors, and also extols the use of an electronic yogurt maker.

As long as I'm on the subject, the authoress's chapter on homemade chutneys & relishes is excellent. I'm impressed by everything I've read.

[Darb]

The more I cook from it, the more this book continues to impress me.

I made two more recipes from this book over the weekend:

* Fresh Cilantro Chutney - simple, fast, and exquisite. Great with freshly toasted pappadams.

* Pureed Spiced Spinach, Broccoli & Mixed Greens - slow simmered, then pureed and reduced still further, to creamy soft peaks, then finished with spices, ghee, and a touch of cream cheese and (optional) paneer cubes. It's the closest I've found yet to classic "Saag Paneer".

[Darb]

I forgot to mention it, but I'm still picking up new techniques from this book. Most recently, I learned how to make fresh coconut milk from fresh coconut.

It goes something like this:
* Buy a whole coconut (you want just the kernel, already de-husked) - pick one heavy for it size that sloshes when shaken, and which shows no sign of mold, cracks, or wetness near the 3 'eyes'.
* Clean it by peeling off any lingering strands of husk, then rinsing it, to remove dust and debris.
* Holding it over a bowl or pie tin, turn it on it's side and give it a solid whack on it's equator (the dull backside of a heavy cleaver is ideal, or failing that, a hammer ... a chef knife doesn't have quite enough heft). If it doesnt crack, rotate it on it's axis, and whack it again slightly harder ... repeat until a crack forms. Work the crack by rotating the nut and gently tapping the end of the split until the nut dumps it's water (into the bowl) and the nut splits in half. Strain and reserve for another use (or drink) the coconut water.
* Now, here's my own personal trick: rather than trying to use a regular butter knife or a spoon, prise out the flesh in pieces with a curved "oyster knife" (this is a special tool that's uniquely suited for this job). When all the flesh is out, discard the shell, then use a potato peeler to peel off the dark bitter, until only pristine flesh remains.
* If I remember correctly, put the chunks of flesh into a blender with just enough warm water to cover (I forget exactly how much water), and blend until all chunks are reduced to medium grit. Add more water, if needed, for proccessing. Let sit 20 minutes after blending. If you dont have a blender, you can use a grater ... but it's a bit more work.
* Pour into bowl lined with fine doubled cheese cloth, close, and twist to squeeze out the coconut cream/milk. Discard spent flesh, or reserve for other use.

If you do it right, it takes about 5 mins of hands on time, and 20 mins of soaking (during which you do other things).

If you're frugal, you can make a 2nd milk from the spent flesh, and combine it with the first ... it'll reduce during cooking.

[Darb]

Here's something close to the type of oyster knife I'm talking about ...



It's hard to see the curve, because the tip curves toward the camera.

[Kvetch]

That coconut-peeling-with-oyster-knife is a great idea. My family have used flat bladed chisels, which has much the same effect (they both have rigid but flat blades), I'd have although it is less efficient thought

Question: why not add the coconut liquid to your water and coconut chunk mixture when blending?

[Darb]

Clarification: you dont peel it with the oyster knife - you prise the flesh out of the shell with it. You use a potato peeler or a micro-grater, to actually pare off the bitters, rather than the oyster blade.

As for the coconut "water" ... you can do that, but there's usually not enough of it, and since water will do, why squander something that's usually the cook's privilege to drink ? Think licking-the-batter-out-of-a-cookie bowl and you'lll have the general idea.

Speaking of oyster knives, there are (to somewhat oversimplify things) 2 basic types ... flat and sharp (meant for going in though the lips) or curved like a lever (for popping the back hinge). The one above is the latter variety.

Regarding Flat chisels: they're definitely better than butter knives, but still not ideal, because the corners of the square end of the chisel dont conform to the curvature of the nut ... whereas an oyster knife (if you can find one that's gently scalloped and curved) fits between the flesh and shell better - that way the meat comes out in larger pieces, without being gouged or ripped up.

[Kvetch]

Clarification: you dont peel it with the oyster knife - you prise the flesh out of the shell with it. You use a potato peeler or a micro-grater, to actually pare off the bitters, rather than the oyster blade.

You were perfectly clear - it was my misuse of language there - sorry.
It's given me this image of someone trying to peel a coconut like an orange...

[Darb]

RPG non-sequitur: I vagually recall peeling a coconut (husk and shell both) like a potato once, with an enchanted knife (of throwing & sharpness) in an AD&D campaign, much to the astonishment of onlookers. Your comment gave me a flashback just now.

[nzilla]

My mother bought a coconut once and it sat on the counter for about six months. Finally, I cracked a hole in it and a bunch of greasy black powder poured out.

[Darb]

My mother bought a coconut once and it sat on the counter for about six months. Finally, I cracked a hole in it and a bunch of greasy black powder poured out.

I assume it was just the unopened kernel, rather than a un-husked nut ?

They're best bought while there's still liquid in then, but they also dry very well (if stored in proper drying conditions), and can simply be grated as is ... the water within just dries to a thin residue.

If you break (or grate) it open and see any dark discoloration that has an unpleasant smell or taste that has permeated the white flesh, then the nut is spoiled/tainted, and should be thrown out. Coconuts are cheap, so it's no big deal.

I've had good luck with whole coconut kernels (both fresh and dried), and I've only had to toss perhaps one unopened nut out of a dozen.

[Darb]

For the better part of a year, I've had a container of black 'urad dhal' sitting around in my pantry, looking for some culinary love. I began looking for recipes, and rapidly discovered that urad dhal is nearly univerally used in batter for cakes and fritters, never in curry.

Curious, I decided to give "Urad Dal Bada" (spicy black dhal patties), on p.522.

I quickly discovered why urad dhal are used as they are when I began rinsing them ... soon after starting, the split dhal (pictured on the right) began shedding their black hulls, and leaving behind little ivory colored grains that looked like miniature shelled sunflower seeds. After rinsing, I let them soak for 6 hours, then rubbed them between my palms in their soaking liquid, and then I was able to get rid of most of the black hulls with a swirling motion, similar to panning for gold. The recipe called for already skinned dhal, so I was basically reinventing the wheel there.

Anyway, once I'd gotten most of the hulls off, I was able to resume following the recipe, whereupon I ground the soaked and skinned dhal with a little water to a thick paste, into which I added salt, a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper, followed by cayenne, salt and asofoetida, yeilding the thick batter seen on the left ...



I then I proceed to form and fry patties ...



After frying, I split them with my wife. I dabbed sour cream on mine, and she ate hers plain (being lactose intolerant). Very tasty, but a lot of work.

[Darb]

After having made them three times, I've come to the conclusion that although very tasty and satisfyingly crisp, deep frying the urd dal patties into fritters ("bada") yeilds a much too oily result, regardless of how carefully you ride the temperature.

I've had better success doing thinner patties in a lightly buttered non-stick pan. Although not as satisfyingly crunchy, they are FAR less oily, and much more healthy.

[Darb]

Ok, I made them a fourth time. This time I did a triple batch (the same amount of work as a single batch), and developed a faster and more party-friendly mode of production and service.

* The uncooked batter can be made up to several days in advance, and the seasoning is easily customizeable.

* By using my outdoor 15x18" cast iron griddle (you can use a flat indoor electric griddle if you have one), a small squeeze bottle of oil, a long-bladed ss spatula, and two soup spoons, I was able to simply plop large quenelles of batter (which I then flattened with the spoon) in a matrix pattern. If I'd wanted to, I had room to comfortably make 20-30 patties per pass, with a cook time of only half what the basic recipe requires to deepfry 6.

* The cooked patties can be scooped directly onto a platter, with a ramekin of sauce (with a spoon) in the center. I size them to be roughly 2-3 bites, and because my version is not greasy they work as finger food, with minimal fuss, and no toothpicks required.

Bingo - as a result, the recipe is now party friendly, as either an appetizer or (if served with several modest sides) an entree (re: dhal is both high in protein and complex carbs).

Anyway, I cooked half the batch tonite, and I'll do the other half Sunday.

[Darb]

I made one last tweak to the recipe: it's possible to stuff them with small juliennes of mozzerella cheese, or other fillings. Simply plop, flatten slightly, add filling, then add another plop on top and pat closed ... then when the first side is done, turn them over and par-flatten gently. Serve with a sweet-hot chili sauce, or seasoned yogurt sauce.

[Kvetch]

Direct of Brads opening post, so I can recover it is I bork something with my experiements. Please ignore this post!

Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking



To put this book in it's proper context within the much larger world of culinary tomes ... Yamuna Devi is to Indian Cuisine what Marcella Hazan is it Classic Italian, and Julia Child is to Americanized classic French.

If you only own one book on either Indian or Vegetarian cuisine, this is one of the very best choices available anywhere.

STRENGTHS:
a) Devi covers her material confidently and expertly, in both breadth and depth, and has won her share of prestigous awards in the process.

b) Devi also includes helpful chapters in the back on things like "A-Z General Info on Ingredients" {no photos, granted, but they're well written}, and a "Glossary of Hindi Culinary Terms" {which include definitions and pronunciation guides}. Good stuff.

c) Plenty of excellent instructional detail - including exhaustive and highly educational headnotes. She goes out of her way to mentor the reader, and I appreciate that beyond words.

NITS:
1) Most importantly, this is a VEGETARIAN tome. Indian cuisine is perhaps the most wonderful, varied, robust, and culinarily sensual of all the cuisines in the world when it comes to vegetarianism ... but meat & seafood curries are also culinary joys not to be overlooked, and omitting them leaves an echoing void that partially undermines the ability of this book to serve as a 'all-in-one' source on Indian Cuisine in general. If you're an omnivore like me, you'll need to supplement this book with at least 2 other books on Indian Cuisine - Northern (for sultry slow-simmered meat curries) and Southern (for hot and spicy fruit, coconut & yogurt themed seafood curries). I should clarify, for the benefit of vegeterian readers, that the authoress's particular brand of vegetarianism is "Vedic" ... grossly oversimplified, that means no meat, poultry, eggs, seafood, onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, mushrooms or vinegar, which is a step further than most vegetarians are used to. Not a complaint - just a factoid for the reader's consideration. Personally, I love onions, and I'd be hard pressed to give them up in a good curry base.

2) No photos, and illustrations are somewhat sparse and are all hand drawn. Such things are an optional luxury anyway, so that's not really a major nit.

3) {deleted}

4) If I recall correctly (and I admit it's been a while since I last read it heavily rather than merely raiding it for the occasional recipe or three), the authoress roams freely between northern and southern indian, without really making an attempt to clearly segregate them by style (which makes it a little harder to search for dishes based on region). Minor nit.

5) The authoress is a follower of Krishna, with all that that entails. Personally, I dont mind mixing a little philosophy and religion into discussions about food, but she tends to ramble a bit at times. Anyway, that's a very minor nit, and does not detract in the slightest from the culinary majesty of this tome - it's just an observation. If, on the otherhand, you're a barefoot pot-smoking commie-sympathizing communal-living vegan space cadet (or moonie) living in the low-rent outskirts Berkeley CA, and habitually make your own naan, dosas and yogurt from scratch, then add 1 points and call this one an 11/10.

CONCLUSION: This is a magnificent tome, and even though I listed a plethora of relatively minor nits, they're not enough to prevent me from giving this book a perfect 10. It's one of the best and most exhaustive books on vegetarian cuisine to be found anywhere in the English language.

Enjoyability = 9.5 (rounded to 10)