Cookbook Review: Quick Fix Indian by Ruta Kahate

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

This book is the latest by Ruta Kahate who earlier wrote 5 Spices, 50 dishes. All of the recipes mentioned in the book are said to take just 30 minutes to get ready including the time involved for soaking and marinating. She introduces the concept of Quick fix Indian pantry that has ingredients which are used in Indian recipes. The Shortcut shelf segment has 8 recipes for recurring homemade items that can be refrigerated and helps in cooking faster.

Its interesting to note that Ruta mentions blender, electric coffee blender for grinding fresh spices and a small pestle and mortar for grinding less quantities as the only special equipments required for the recipes.

Also the recipes mostly dont have the cooking time mentioned as importance is given to the food being well cooked which may take less or more than the time mentioned.

Apart from mentioning the ingredients in general for all the recipes, there is a segment dedicated to introduction about a few essential ingredients. The importance and health benefits of these ingredients are also mentioned wherever possible.

Every recipe begins with a small introduction about it, serving suggestions, number of servings and there are special notes, variations and tips mentioned wherever possible.

There is a huge influence of Goa's food culture in the recipes where the author keeps travelling.

The recipes are classified into

1. Brisk breakfasts
2. Lightning Lunches
3. Swift soups
4. Speedy salads and Raitas
5. Mains in minutes
6. Express veggies
7. Snappy staples
8. Curries and dals in a hurry
9. Rapid relishes
10.Zippy snacks
11.Double quick desserts
12.Last minute libations

In all there are 125 recipes with more of non-vegetarian recipes. In the end the metric conversions and equivalents for common ingredients have also been published.

There are some amazing pictures of the ingredients involved in Indian cooking in the book. However, the absence of pictures of cooked food is the only thing missing in the book.

In all, the book would be of great help when there is very less time to cook food at home and the short cut shelf concept given here would also help in cooking other varieties of Indian food..

60 Great Recipes for your baby by Roma Sharma

Roma sharma has come up with this interesting e-book titled 60 great recipes for your baby. Most of the first time mothers have tons of queries relating to what food the kid needs to be given after the phase of breast feeding. This ebook would help them give the right kind of food and has also varieties that wouldnt make food boring for the kid.

The book has segments based on the age group of the kid.

Phase 1: 6-7 months where solids are introduced
Phase 2: 8-9 months
Phase 3: 10-12 months
Phase 4: Above 12 months

The recipes involve traditional ingredients like dal, ragi etc as suggested by our elders and also modern day ingredients like oats and cheese that are healthy. The recipes cover almost all the nutritious food like sprouts, fruits, vegetables with greens in particular, nuts and calcium rich food like paneer. There is also a seperate chart as to the fruits that can be introduced to the baby at various stages.

She also shares some tips on how the kid can be introduced to a new food variety, developing good eating habits for the kids and dealing with a fussy eater to name a few.

There is seperate section on home remedies for common ailments among kids and what needs to be done or avoided during such time.

Each and every recipe has a small description about the recipe, the variations possible, the nutritional facts and additional notes too.

There are also a few recipes that can would be convenient to carry along during travel.

My personal favourite recipes are

Instant kichdi mix for travelling in Stage 1

Mini fried idlis for Stage 2

Teething biscuits for Stage 3

Paneer fingers for above 12 months.

Overall this book is a must for all those first time mothers who feel their kid should get the best food in their initial and most important growing years.

You can buy the e-book here

Gujarati kitchen by Bhanu Hajratwala

Author : Bhanu Hajratwala

Publisher : Westland

The author Bhanu Hajratwala was brought up in a traditional Gujarati family in Fiji Island and later moved on to the US after her marriage. And this is clearly evident in the way she has presented traditional Gujarati recipe with instructions to prepare using microwave also wherever possible.

It wouldnt be possible to cover all the recipes of any Indian cuisine in a single book as there are so many varieties and variations. However, the author has selected about 85 recipes of which some are synonymous with Gujarati cuisine and the rest are traditional family recipes.

Browsing through the pages, the first thing I noticed was non-vegetarian recipe and was in a for a shock as all along I have been of the view that Gujaratis are pure vegetarian and many of them dont even use onions and garlic in their daily food. Since I am a pure vegetarian this review doesnt cover the Non-vegetarian sections.

The book begins with a really big introduction by the author where she shares her experiences and experiments related to cooking. She introduces the readers about how she has been putting in efforts in the form of writing the recipes with exact measurements, the smallest details and trying on the written notes to ensure that she doesnt miss out on any detail. Next, comes in some kitchen basics like general tips, utensils required, ingredients used in Indian cooking, measurements and conversions.

The recipes begin a few masala mix(spices) that have been used in the dishes. 

The recipe categories -

1.   Starters - There are vegetarian as well as non vegetarian varieties.

2.   Main dishes -Vegetarian and Non vegetarian varieties

3.   Breads

4.   Rice

5.   Accompaniments with rice

6.   Sweets

7.   Chutneys and Relishes

8.   Pickles

9.   Favourite teatime snacks

10. Drinks

11. Mouth Fresheners

12. Sample Menus

Apart from Gujarati names, the recipe names are also mentioned in English. This would be very helpful for non Gujaratis. The procedure for each and every dish is well explained in a detailed and simple way which would be more beneficial for newbies in the kitchen. The step by step instructions would make it easy to try some hard core dishes that would otherwise be difficult.

The author's stay abroad in US and other countries is clearly reflected as the author has also included freezing method for the recipes. It is also mentioned how long the dish would stay fresh and variations to the original recipe have also been mentioned wherever possible. Most of the ingredients used in the recipes are simple and are easily available. The dishes are cooked to quantities that would suit a family of 4-6 people.

Apart from the all time famous Gujarati cuisine dishes like Oondhiyu, Thepla, Kachori, Khandvi, the author also explores some exotic dishes. Overall, whether you are a lover of gujarati food or have been wanting to try out any authentic Gujarati dish since long, this book is for you. In short, a must have for a complete foodie.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Andu Paatti's cookbook by Andal Rangaswamy

Published by Thirumalai Charity Trust Publications, the book is a treasure house of authentic Tamil Iyengar cuisine. Although the book covers some north Indian recipes too, one can look forward to the entire list of South Indian vegetarian cuisine in the book. Apart from the foreword, translators preface, the author's experiences, there are also notes on glossary, pre-cooking stages and kitchen management.

The recipes are classified as

1. Pongals and payasams (Jaggery and sugar based)

2. Mixed rice varieties

3. Masala and spiced powder

4. Sambar and kuzhambu varieties

5. Rasam varieties

6. Koottu varieties with tamarind

7. Koottu varieties without tamarind

8. Masiyal varieties

9. Kottu varieties -North Indian

10. Dry vegetable curries

11. Leafy green vegetable varieties

12. Fried snacks -Vadai, bhajji, bonda etc

13. Thuvaiyal varieties

14. Chutney varieties

15. Pachadi varieties

16. Uncooked foods, sprouts and salads

17. Chapathi, paratha and poori varieties

18. Idli, dosai varieties

19. Uppuma, sevai, kozhukkattai varieties

20. Kesari, Okkorai, Poli, Puttu etc

21. Sugar based sweets- Mysore pak, burfi, laddoo, halwa etc

22. Jaggery based sweets- Manoharam, Kadalai urundai, suhian, sojji appam etc

23. Fried savoury snacks -Murukku, cheedai, thattai, thenkuzhal, omapodi etc

24. Chips - Potato, Banana, yam etc

25. Pickles - Mango, lime, gooseberry

26. Dehydrated wafers and other vathals

27. Home made remedies and deepavali lehiyam

An ideal gift for a newly wed South Indian bride and an amateur in cooking ......

Best of Indian Sweets and Desserts by Aroona Reejhsinghani

Author : Aroona Reejhsinghani

Publisher: Jaico publishing house

The book covers sweet varieties from various parts of India. Although there are no pictures of the dish, there are lot of recipes classified according to the states..

1. Explanation of cooking terms

2. Cooking glossary

3. Food colours

4. Helfpful hints

5. Uttar pradesh

6. Bihar

7. Rajasthan

8. Goa

9. Kashmir

10. Kerala

11. Tamilnadu

12. Kanara

13. Mangalore

14. Mysore

15. Andhra

16. Hyderabad

17. Punjab and Haryana

18. Orissa

19. Bengal

20. Maharashtra

21. Gujarat

22. Parsi

23. Sindhi

If homemade sweets are an integral part of your food, this book would definetely serve the purpose of exploring the sweet varieties prepared all over India.

100 Easy recipes with Oats by Mallika Badrinath

Author : Mrs Mallika Badrinath

Publisher: Pradeep Enterprises

The latest offering from the popular South Indian cookery book author, this book focuses on use of the healthy cereal oats in various Indian recipes. The recipes are all vegetarian and oats has been included as a variation in South Indian recipes.

The book starts with introduction to oats, health benefits and other general information about oats. The recipes have been classified as -

1. Breakfast recipes

2. Soups

3. Sweets

4. Luncheon recipes

5. Snacks

6. Other recipes

Almost all the recipes in the book require ingredients that are normally used in day to day cooking. If you have been one who thought that oats can be consumed only as porridge, this book is definetely one you should own.

Dals and Kadhi by Sanjeev Kapoor

Author :Sanjeev Kapoor

Publisher : Popular Prakasan Pvt ltd

The pictures in the book are the main attraction and one is sure to get lost in them as in every Sanjeev Kapoor's cook book..

There is a small one line introduction to each of the recipes. As the name suggests it covers only dals and kadhis as prepared in various parts of India.

The book would be useful to those for whom dals or kadhi are an essential part of the food each day.

100 Vegetarian gravies by Mallika Badrinath

Author : Mrs Mallika Badrinath

Publisher : Pradeep Enterprises

The book has a collection of 100 recipes that serve as a side dish for various Indian cuisines. The gravies includes South Indian as well as North Indian ones.

There are also a few baked recipes as side dishes. Apart from the recipes, there are a some tips for making gravy tastier, preparation tomato paste for preserving, making and deep frying paneer, caramelising sugar and preparation of garam masala as required for the recipes. Variations to the recipes have been mentioned wherever possible.

Cook and See (Samaithu par ) - 4 by Priya Ramkumar

The book is a continuation of the famous series Samaithu par by Meenakshi ammal. The collection of recipes in the book is completely different from its earlier books. The categories are :

1. Soup varieties

2. Salads, Shakes and Juices

3. Quick Big bites

4. Rotis

5. Side dishes

6. Yummy snacks

7. Rice varieties

8. Pickles, Chutneys and Raita

9. Sweets and Desserts

The book is a combination of traditional as well as modern recipes and lives up to the popularity of the earlier books.

100 Murukkus and Mixtures by Mallika Badrinath

Author : Mrs Mallika Badrinath

Publisher : Pradeep Enterprises

The book has a collection of 100 varieties of Murukkus (Chaklis ) and Mixtures..among the most popular savouries of Indians.

Apart from the recipes, there are points to remember in preparation of the dough and mistakes that should be avoided while making these savouries.

Also there is a pictorial representation of the discs and cooking implementsfor these savouries.

The book has a good collection of recipes for those who like savouries for tea time snacks and is specially useful during festivals.

Quick and easy Kids Cakes by Sara Lewis

Publisher : Hamlyn

Author : Sara Lewis

The book is a treasure house of ideas for cake decorations. There are about 50 cake ideas for kids of all ages. The book covers a lot of information and detailing on the icing and frosting part rather than cake recipes.

Segments :

1. Equipments - Information relating to all the basic equipments that one needs to bake all the different kinds of cakes given in the book and about lining the cake tins.

2. Cake recipes : About 6 basic recipes for cakes..all of them made with eggs.

3. Icings and fillings : Recipes to prepare different types of icing

4. Techniques : Focuses on using icings, basic methods to prepare cake boards and covering cakes with icings.

5. Finishing touches : Decorations with icing shapes and piping bags and other ideas for cake decorations

6. Tiny Tots : Cake decorations for little ones

7. Older kids : Decoration ideas for a bit elder kids

8. Animal magic : Creating different types of animals decorations of cakes

9. Seasonal treats : For special occassions

 If you like baking cakes and decorating them, this one is a sure buy. 

Awards again

Thanks Deepika of My Life and Spice for the lovely set of awards

Awards time

Thanks Jabeen for all the beautiful awards

Thanks Rohini for this award

Khazana of Healthy tasty recipes by Sanjeev Kapoor

A collection of vegetarian and non vegetarian recipes by Sanjeev Kapoor focussing on healthy food that can be tasty too..The book starts with Dietary and Health guidelines informing readers about how small changes in the routine will have better results.

The segments in the book are

1. Salads

2. Soups

3. Snacks

4. Vegetables

5. Seafood

6. Chicken

7. Accompaniments

8. Rice

9. Desserts

There is an introduction to each segment before the start of the segment.

There are special Chef's tips for some recipes and Nutritional Value information for every recipe.

Also the author provides some extra information relating to the ingredients used in the recipe at the end of each recipe.

Salads for all occassions by Vijaya Hiremath

Salads for all occassions published by Jaico Publishing House and authored by Vijaya Hiremath is a treasure for salad lovers. Bright pictures, simple to follow recipes with nutritive values for each dish compiled by a dietician are the highlights of the book..

The categories in the book are -

1. Salads -More than 50 varieties covering fruits, vegetables, legumes

2. Dressings

3. Curd sauces/Raitas

4. Chutneys

5. Dry Powders

6. Glossary with conversion of ingredient names from English to Hindi

The various combinations in ingredients and dressings would tempt anyone to try the salad right away..

Dakshin - Vegetarian cuisine from South India by Chandra Padmanabhan

Author : Chandra Padmanabhan

One of the most popular books in South Indian vegetarian cuisine, the book lives up the name with the traditional recipes published in the book.

The book starts with

1. Sambars

2. Rasams

3. Vegetables

4. Salads

5. Rice dishes and spice powders

6. Snacks

7. Sweet dishes

8. Chutneys and Pickles

9. Basic recipes

10. Suggested menus

The suggested menus section offers various combinations for a complete meal which would be really helpful when one has to plan the menu in a short notice..

The author's experience of more than 25 years in cooking is very much visible in her recipes and the book is definetely worth buying for those who enjoy the flavours in the South Indian recipes 

Awards time

Kaveri of Palakkad Chamayal and Shilpi Bose of Its tasty ma have passed these two beautiful awards ..I would like to share these awards with all my blogger friends

"Sukham ayu" by Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain

pic courtesy: Pritya

Sukham Ayu - Jigyasa and Pratibha's second venture after Cooking with Pedatha won the second place as the Best health and Nutrition book in the world during 2009. It is a perfect book for a layman to incorporate ayurveda in the day to day food. There are more than 60 vegetarian recipes classified in different categories that are simple to make and nutritious at the same time. So the reader can look forward to Nutritious, tasty and simple recipes in the book.

Watermarking your pictures to reduce plagiarism

The instances of plagiarism is increasing very day and we must try to protect our content as far as possible. We cannt do anything with respect to our text content but we can definetely watermark our pictures. And we need to do this in such a way that if the plagiarist attempts to remove our watermark the picture gets spoilt to some extent...Have a look at the following pictures and the possible ways of watermarking them...

This is my picture without any watermarkings

Creating a Facebook page and adding a like button widget

This widget is one of the popular ones related to Facebook on blogs..To have one, you must first have a facebook id.

After logging in to FB, there are two ways to creating a page..

First method --

Login to facebook

Locate the "Ads and Pages" button on the left side bar