Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine by Meeru Dhalwala [1553651847, Format: PDF]

Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine by Meeru Dhalwala
Print Length: 192 Pages
Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre
Publication Date: September 7, 2006
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1553651847
ISBN-13: 978-1553651840
File Format: PDF
At Vij’s, one of North America’s most innovative Indian restaurants, owner Vikram Vij and his wife Meeru use the freshest local ingredients and original ideas to create exciting new takes on the cuisines of India. Though far from traditional, the dishes remain true to one glorious hallmark of Indian cooking: fabulous spicing. Among the luscious offerings included here are yogurt and tamarind marinated grilled chicken, seared venison medallions with fig and roasted pomegranate khoa, and marinated lamb popsicles in fenugreek curry. Vegetarian selections abound, with dishes like portobello mushrooms in porcini cream curry, coconut curried vegetables, and jackfruit with cayenne and black cardamom. Recipes for naan, chapattis, raiti, and other sides, staples, vegetables, and desserts allow readers to prepare an Indian feast from beginning to end. As beautiful and sumptuous as the recipes it contains, Vij’s is a delicious manifesto for a new style of Indian cooking.

authentic Indian cuisine and excellent variety too

Unlike many other reviewers, I have not had the pleasure of dining in the restaurant in Vancouver from which the recipes in this book come. I do enjoy Indian food very much, and I would like to learn to cook some dishes at home as well as understand some of the methods used in Indian cooking. This books satisfies those desires very well, and I would highly recommend it if you want to go beyond the basics but still want a relatively simple approach to authentic Indian cooking. The explanations in this book are outstanding about why certain foods go together, which ingredients are better for certain types of dishes, and even which wines go best with each dish.

Recipes that I have tried so far have all been excellent. I agree with reviewers who have said that there is more salt and more water in some recipes, and I tend to reduce both of these ingredients as I cook. One can add more later, if they are needed. Otherwise, even though some recipes read as if they might be highly spiced, they are not, in my opinion. I follow them exactly the first time I make them (lessening the water and salt), and they are excellent. For example, I’ve tried the chicken breast in coconut-chickpea flour curry, in which the chicken turned out moist and had a lovely tartness because of tamarind paste in the curry. The cilantro-mint chicken curry is also very special and is one of the easiest recipes too. I will make it often. The vegetable recipes are interesting too; for me, the cauliflower-rice pilaf was great, with its inclusion of cloves, cumin, turmeric, and cilantro. Proportions for the ingredients in these recipes are often very important. Most of them serve 6 people, but I often make half the first time, and that has caused me no problem.

The photos and commentary are both outstanding, and there are so many recipes that I intend to try. I recommend this book highly for anyone who enjoys Indian cuisine.