‘Vegetarian Delights from the GSB Kitchen’ is a cookbook that aims to bring out the traditional, authentic vegetarian cuisine of the Gowd Saraswath Brahmin (GSB) community along with 'secret sauces' coming from 55 years of experiential culinary journey of the author's mother. Packed with 100 carefully curated recipes across seven categories, the book serves as a one-stop shop to access popular GSB dishes/recipes that are hard to find in restaurants, blogs and/or community food stores. The book also delves into the traditional cooking equipment, unique ingredients and methods used by the GSBs to offer rich insights into the culture and culinary heritage of the community.
If you thought ghassi, sambhar and idlis summed up the cuisine of the Gowd Saraswat Brahmins (GSB), you are quite mistaken. The food cooked in a Brahmin home is essentially sathvic paying special attention to the balance and nutritive value of the dishes prepared. Simple lentil soup, 'dhali toy', served over the steamed rice and the topping of a dollop of homemade clarified butter/ghee is a probably the one most loved comfort food for GSBs. There are complex curries like 'val-val', spicy 'teeksani ummans' and slightly sweet 'ambe sassam'. You would see variety of plain and spicy food in a meal that is balanced with a glass full of thin curds, 'taak' as a final course to set right any imbalance in the food eaten for the day. Even though GSB cuisine comes from spice rich regions of Karnataka and Kerala, we see very limited palette of spices being used, yet, it lacks nothing in terms of taste and deep digestive philosophies relevant to food. The cuisine revolves around mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chillies and turmeric. Ginger as a digestive aid, Green leaves of all kinds as high fibre source, dried lentils and beans as nature's tiny capsules of proteins, turmeric as healer of wounds and sundry health issues, asafoetida for controlling gastric problem; every ingredient used in the GSB cuisine has a purpose that goes beyond taste and texture. There are about fifty select vegetarian recipes in this book showcase the wide variety and infinite inventiveness of the GSB kitchen. Lesser-known dishes, featuring specific types of vegetables or leaves, an awesome array of chutneys and pickles, and delightful sweets without which no meal can be complete, are also lovingly included. The book starts with the history and culture of the GSBs. This book is a much-needed addition to the library of any discerning gourmet or anyone with an interest in diverse cuisine and culture of India.
Amchigele Delights is an attempt to compile recipes of food served in the homes of the GSB Community, temples or any otherplace of spiritual interest in India which belongs to the Community. The food served at these places is also known as sacred food because it comes from a kitchen where people may have either forgotten the recipes or may have lost the art of bringing in flavour into the food. These recipes have been around for long but not much is known to the outer world about this cuisine. This book will bring to light the GSB kitchens which serve these hearty meals.This would be followed by actual recipes that would be categorized depending on their meal type. Most recipes would be easy to make using minimal ingredients. The reason why the book is needed, the need it will fulfil, its fit with contemporary literature. GSBs (Gaud Saraswat Brahmins) are comparatively a small community. The GSBs originally lived on the banks of the river Saraswati. The name Sarawat is derived from either the river Saraswati or from their spiritual leader, the sage Saraswat Muni who used to live on the banks of Saraswati. Their mother tongue is Konkani. Saraswat cuisine is the cuisine of the Saraswat Brahmins from the Konkan region on the western coast of India. Saraswat cuisine originally hails from Goa, India. In the sixteenth century they had to migrate to other parts of the country like the Malenad and the coastal belt of Karnataka and Kerala, besides Maharashtra.Their curries use a lot of coconut oil, tamarind, and curry leaves and the cuisine is largely influenced by South Indian cuisine. It is slightly similar to Malvani or Konkani and Udupi or Mangalorean cuisine. The food served at most of GSB homes is simple yet extremely healthy and nutritious. This GSB cuisine can be adapted in our daily lives to avail its benefits.This book will also cater to GSB people who have migrated into other countries. Recipes have been simplified as far as possible so that maximum users can follow them.
Prabha's Kitchen is a compilation of traditional Konkani cuisine that has enthralled the Konkani folks for ages. The culinary habit is a unique component of their culture and has remained a mainstay in their daily lives. Moving away from a joint family across generations has created a vacuum for Konkani food and traditions. I have therefore tried to consolidate the details of the traditional Konkani spread. The intent of this book is to have Konkani cuisine in print. The recipes are pure vegetarian and are traditional for the Konkani community from Kerala. The book could help satiate the nostalgia and yearning for an authentic Konkani culinary fare. It would not only help the Konkani youngsters, but also others to explore Konkani recipes.
"Other books have ably explored India's far southern territory, but Ms. Ramachandran reveals amazing range and depth in Kerala's Hindu vegetarian traditions."-The New York Times review "Ammini Ramachandran, a Texas based food writer with roots in the Indian state of Kerala, has self published an authoritative cookbook cum memoir, Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts, on that region's elaborate, nuanced cuisine."-Saveur February, 2008 "Recipes that make me want to rush to the kitchen, intriguing techniques that could be used with other cuisines, fascinating personal stories about growing up in a big Kerala household, all embedded in a deep understanding of Kerala as a pivot of Asian history. It's a wonderful tribute to Kerala and a stunning gift for the rest of us."-Rachel Laudan, author of The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage "Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts is a jewel of a cookbook-from its authentic recipes (many published here for the first time) to Ammini Ramachandran's evocative personal anecdotes of Kerala's culinary traditions. It is at once scholarly, yet accessible, and especially charming for its delicious recipes and intriguing stories from the royal kitchens of Kochi."-Grace Young, author of The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen
"Rasachandrika is one of the classics among cookery books in Marathi. Generations of housewives have begun their culinary career by reading and following this book. Now the secrets of Saraswat cookery would be available to a much wide readership through this English edition." --Back cover.
Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.
The first book published in the United States on Parsi food written by a Parsi, this beautiful volume includes 165 recipes and makes one of India's most remarkable regional cuisines accessible to Westerners. In an intimate narrative rich with personal experience, the author leads readers into a world of new ideas, tastes, ingredients, and techniques.
Delicious, easy recipes that should make food preparation both enjoyable and creative. The dishes are simple and elegant; the recipes are clear and easy-to-follow.
