Fresh Flavours of India

is is a wonderful introduction to kerala cuisine and has a nice cross-section of recipes in various categories that represent keralite cooking. keralite cooking is quite diverse and this book emphasises the vegetarian nair style, though there are a selection of non-vegetarian recipes with the mappla (muslim) and syrian christian influences. the book does contain some glaring typos, though. the rasam recipe calls for 4 oz (100 gm) of tamarind. i considered it odd, but stuck to the recipe, and found it too sour to be palatable. i reduced it to 1.5 ounces, and it produced an outstanding rasam. for those interested in south indian food, esp. food from kerala, this book is a must-have.

...than the restaurant!!! I know, this may be hard to believe, but once you make these delicious, mouth-watering recipes at home, you will understand. I have tried almost all of them, and we can't get enough! It has become the standard cookbook for our home. Try especially the Beet Pachadi (also in the restuarant) or the Broccoli Curry. The vadais are great, but the samosas need a bit more spice (Madhur Jaffery's are a lot better). The mango lassis at Rasa (the reastaunt)and in the cookbook are extra special because they add a dash of cardamom. I find the directions in this book very good, although sometimes the measurements for an American cook are not exact--how much is 2 oz of dessicated coconut? It doesn't really matter, though. Just toss some in! As in any Indian cookbook, beware of their suggested amount of chili powder! I only started cooking Indian food about 2 months ago, and out of all the Indian cookbooks I have read, this is by far, the best in all cetegories - flavour and tastiness of each dish, ease of use, beauty of layout, and even a short blurb about each recipe. The recipes are so fast and easy, I can whip up up two or three in an hour, and they are even suitable for company! Whatever you do, order this book and let your senses delight!

I have not yet got the book, but about 7 years ago I visited the first Rasa Restaurant, and it was the best Indian food with out a shadow of a doubt I have eaten in or outside of India.I had a long chat with the author also, and he was a very interesting man. If the recipes are like the restaurant I must give it the highest recommendation