Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India Paperback – September 15, 1999

I am a Tamil woman born and raised in the United States, married to a Tamil man born and raised in India. My mom is an exceptional cook whose dishes are known throughout the SF Bay Area and beyond. Unfortunately, I wasn't wise enough to learn from her before I got married and moved away from home!This book is a godsend. Last night I made vatral kozhambu, sambar, potato curry, and dal kootu for several members of my family who are older and very picky about their food. They all raved about the food and confirmed that it was indeed authentic. My husband is also amazed by how consistently well my food turns out to be when I use the recipes in this book.The pictures in the book are beautiful and definitely encourage you to try out the recipes. I have probably tried about 20 recipes in the book and all of them have turned out wonderfully. Some people complain about the heavy use of red chili in this book -- my husband and I like our food very spicy so that is not an issue with us, but you can certainly adjust the amount of spice and the food will still be excellent.I do agree with other readers that some of the recipes are on the elaborate side and may use more ingredients than necessary. This isn't necessarily the best book for a total beginner. However, if you have cooked south Indian food before or you are willing to roll up your sleeves and try it out, you are in for a treat.I also want to comment on some readers who say that the recipes in the book are not that healthy. Here is what I do to optimize health without compromising the taste of the food: I only cook with olive oil, I use a lot more dal in the sambars and the kootuhs than what the author calls for, I use very little to almost no coconut in the poriyals, and use very little coconut in the kootuhs, maybe about a quarter of what the author recommends. With these small changes, the food is very healthy but still delicious!The other point about this book is that many of the recipes can be adjusted for a certain vegetable -- for example, the cabbage poriyal can also be made with beans or brussel sprouts.I can't recommend this book highly enough, and have even begun purchasing them for my friends/family members.

I am a non-Indian, but I have many Indian friends who have taught me some pointers on how to prepare Indian food. I spent several months in south India and I fell in love with the flavor of the Curry leaf! Cooking Indian food is tricky for the novice but this book is a great help. The recipes are well organized with very good directions. It is important to have fresh spices and have the ingredients called for in the recipes. One of my dearest friend is from India and she recommended this cookbook to me because she said the recipes are authentic and have the tru tast of south Indian cuisine. I recommend this product.

If you cook with your eyes, then this is a feast. Every recipe appears in one of the book's many lush photograph's, and warms the appetite almost as much as the aroma would. Let yourself enjoy the aromas for real, though. Each recipe includes clear, easy directions. It may take you a trip to an Indian grocer to get some necessities for some recipes, but the trip will be well worth it.This shows how to make every part of a rich Indian meal from soups and savories to sweets at the end. I've tried only one recipe (so far), the Tomato Rasam. I had to make some minor adjustments to available ingredients, but only minor, and it went together without difficulty. The result was incredible - tomato gave it tang, beans cooked til they disintegrated gave body, and a pleasant bite came from chilis (both green and red), ginger, and mustard seed. Other spices, including asafoetida, contributed a rich, deep note to the flavor. It tasted great, of course. Much to my surprise, my wife's asthmatic cough quited down after a bowl of it, then resumed promptly after the last of the leftovers were consumed - I'm not a "food as medicine" fanatic, but make of her report what you will.I like this book a lot, and so does my wife. And, since it was recommended by an Indian colleague, I'll take his word for its authenticity. Enjoy!-- wiredweird