Quick-Fix Indian: Easy, Exotic Dishes in 30 Minutes or Less (Volume 5)

by Ruta Kahate

Ruta brings a fresh perspective to a cuisine most people think of as mysterious, complex to cook, and overly rich. Her Indian food is stylish, modern and light—equally at home with a glass of Pinot Grigio or mango lassi. Ruta’s 125 quick and easy Indian recipes all made in 30 minutes or less comprise the 5th cookbook in the highly successful AMP Quick-Fix series.

For too long, Indian cuisine has been perceived as complex and time-consuming to prepare. Quick-Fix Indian aims at making Indian cooking accessible to everybody--the beginner, the experienced cook, absolutely anyone wanting to try his or her hand at a new cuisine.

The 125 dishes in Quick-Fix Indian are modern and fresh, yet rooted in tradition. These recipes are identifiable as Indian, but that's where the familiarity ends--most of these recipes haven't been seen before, anywhere.

While the dishes are simple to make, they are by no means simplistic. They are bright, modern, and complex tasting, belying the fact that they only took 30 minutes or less to prepare. The recipes range from quick breakfasts and soups, to curries, snacks, and sweet drinks. Some of the recipes included Chickpea Salad with Pomegranate , Stir-Fried Beef with Peppers, Beet Raita with Cilantro, Sweet Coconut Rice, Spicy Coastal Scramble, Pan-Fried Silky Eggplant, Coriander Shrimp with Zucchini, and Kids' Favorite Banans Fritters.

While most of the recipes use easy-to-acquire ingredients, there are a few that will require a trip to a health-food or Indian store. As an added bonus, the book also lists 'exotic' substitutions for readers who'd like to try them. For example, mustard oil adds a special zing to the Sprouted Mung Bean Salad, but canola oil works just fine.

And finally, this cookbook is fun. Written in a lighthearted manner, Quick-Fix Indian amuses readers while also providing solid information.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 2012

Reviews

[Alifa Saadya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Indian recipes, but many of the cookbooks put in names of ingredients without telling you what they are, or where to be found outside of India. This book concentrates on some of the basic spices and masalas (spice mixtures), some of which you can make up yourself (garam masala, ginger paste, for example).
The recipes are straightforward and tasty; my grandson loves the "egg roll" that is so handy for grabbing on the way to the bus stop for school, and I am in the process of trying all of them -- although I don't eat meat often, and I do keep kosher, so things like shrimp are out. Even with those limitations, there are plenty of new foods to try in this book, and I like the author's lively descriptions.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick-Fix Indian is an excellent resource for those who may be new to cooking Indian food or those more experienced cooks who want tasty food that's faster and easier to make than some recipes in more traditional Indian cookbooks. Most everything is 30 minutes or less. So far I have tried the Wholesome Spinach-Dal Soup and the One-Minute Channa. Both were excellent.

Here's a link to my full review and recipes:
http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...

[Natashya KitchenPuppies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indian cooking takes all day, right? Well, only if you want it to. Ruta Kahate shows you how you can make deliciously exotic Indian fare on a North American schedule - even on soccer night.

See my full review here- http://livinginthekitchenwithpuppies....

[Malabaricus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent for quick and popular Indian snack and breakfast recipes. Some of my favourites in here.