Pure Vegetarian Cookbook

The key to the best vegetarian food of the Tamil world is home-style cooking. Prema Srinivasan leads us to that world with her Pure Vegetarian Cookbook, a guide which will have cooks and foodies perking up their ears and cleansing their palates in anticipation. If you thought rasams, sambhars and idlis summed up the cuisine of the area, Srinivasan points you to the countless variations on such dishes—and others. The more than hundred recipes in this book offer up ways, influenced by region, community, or simply, the seasons, to put the best platters on the table. They showcase  the wide variety and infinite inventiveness of the Tamil kitchen. Lesser-known dishes, featuring specific types of grains, and an awesome array of chutneys and pickles, are also lovingly included. Each section is accompanied by anecdotal explanations of the history and culture around the recipe, and by beautifully illustrated plates showing the ingredients, the utensils, the presentation, and of course, the food itself, each  in relation to the rest. This book is a much-needed addition to the library of any discerning gourmet, or anyone with an interest in the food and culture of Tamil India.