Publisher's Weekly Review
Makan, the Mumbai-born Great British Baking Show 2014 finalist, follows Chetna's Healthy Indian with this savory collection of vegetarian dishes. Its emphasis is on simplicity, and Makan has cast a wide net to include recipes from friends and places throughout India. A pantry of a dozen easy-to-find legumes (black-eyed peas, green lentils, mung beans), spices, and basic ingredients (rapeseed oil, potatoes, onions, red chillies) can build substantial and satisfying menus, as she proves with a litany of dishes, among them paneer-stuffed potato snacks and a creamy mushroom cashew curry. Many recipes come together in a single pan, and Makan shows how a 20-minute simmer of tomato puree, chili-garlic sauce, and yogurt can marry a mix of green beans, potato, carrot, and cauliflower, or whatever's on hand. Doughs remain Makan's first love in the kitchen, evident in the chapter of dramatically colored beet chapatti and packwaan, the crispy Indian flatbreads, which she bakes instead of frying. Makan's enthusiasm shines through in the book's pages, which are semigloss to handle the inevitable oil spatters from popping mustard seeds. This is an excellent introduction to Indian vegetarian cooking. (June)
Booklist Review
Vegetable cookery has always been a central theme in Indian cooking. Born in Punjab, Great British Baking Show finalist Makan (Chetna's Healthy Indian, 2019) aims to have her latest cookbook reflect many of the varied, complex cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. For those not familiar with the full range of beans and their relatives that form the basis of so much Indian vegetarian cooking, she offers a good introduction to urad dal and black chickpeas, less well known than customary kidney beans and lentils. Her salads capitalize on the full range of Indian spices, and Makan's bulgur wheat salad lies in a very different realm from familiar Lebanese tabbouleh. Fans of quesadillas will find cheese-and-potato chapati sandwiches no less attractive. For dessert, little chocolate yogurt pots topped with hazelnuts will appeal to any palate. Access to a full range of Indian spices from retail or online sources is required. Although this text originated in Britain, quantities are also noted in American measures, and a glossary lists American name equivalents.
Library Journal Review
Popular cookbook author Makan follows up the best-selling Chetna's Healthy Indian with a stellar collection of vegetarian Indian recipes. The book features soups, salads, snacks and starters, curries, sabji, roti, raitas, chutneys, and a handful of desserts, many of which can be made vegan. Makan is particularly passionate about encouraging home cooks to embrace a wide variety of pulses, including lentils, beans, and peas, and offers a handy visual guide to the many different pulses featured in the book. As in her previous cookbooks, Makan strives to maximize the nutrition and health benefits of every dish, often reducing or omitting ghee and oil, using whole grain flours, and baking instead of frying. The recipes' short ingredient lists and uncomplicated culinary methods are evidence of their workaday origins. Despite their simplicity, however, they never compromise on flavor and enjoyment, continually offering novel ingredient combinations, vibrant color, and flexible serving options. VERDICT Makan's steady and reassuring guidance makes this a valuable resource for all home cooks, vegetarian or not, looking to expand their repertoire of contemporary Indian dishes; highly recommended.--Kelsy Peterson, Forest Hill Coll., Melbourne, Australia
