Deepa's Secrets: 70 Slow-Carb New Indian Recipes to Heal Your Gut

by Deepa Thomas

Winner of the 2018 James Beard Foundation Book Awards
Winner of the World Gourmand Cookbook Awards
Finalist for the IACP Awards
Shortlisted for the NCIBA Book Awards, Best Cookbook

A journey from old traditions to modern Indian cooking with deliciously simple and gut-healing recipes that leave you feeling fulfilled—rather than full.

Upon learning that rice and bread were the culprits for her husband’s Type 2 diabetes, Deepa Thomas deconstructed and reinvented her native Indian cuisine. Deepa made anew seventy slow carb recipes, incorporating time-saving Western cooking techniques, breaking-news research on gut health and weight loss, and Ayurvedic wisdoms ("When diet is right, medicine is of no need; and when diet is wrong, medicine is of no use."). After six months of cooking and eating "New Indian," Deepa lost twenty pounds and freed her husband from a ten-year routine of insulin shots.

Part cookbook and memoir, Deepa’s Secrets introduces breakthrough slow carb and gut-healing recipes that are simple and nutrient-packed, without sacrificing its rich South Asian flavors. On a mission to demystify and make healthy an “exotic” cuisine, Deepa shares shortcuts and techniques that will make "New Indian" everyday fare. Bold and intimate, Deepa’s Secrets will undoubtedly change your cooking, and quite possibly your life, featuring East-to-West recipes such

Ralph’s Garlicky Spinach a la Dal
Ammachi’s Claypot Fish Molee
General Joseph’s Five-Star Chicken Batons
New Indian Cacciatore
Masala Omelet

The author is donating her royalties to FoodCorps, a nonprofit that connects children to healthy food in American schools.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Reference, Nonfiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 4

About the author

Deepa Thomas was born and raised in New Delhi. She founded Deepa Textiles, a $10-million enterprise that won twenty-three design awards. In 2010, she embraced a newfound passion in cooking. Her debut, Deepa’s Secrets, is a stunningly visual cookbook of flavorful and healing recipes — interlaced with vivid stories of her Indian upbringing and its influence on her American life. Ms. Thomas will donate all her royalties of Deepa’s Secrets to FoodCorps, a nonprofit that connects children to healthy food in American schools. She lives with her husband, not far from her two sons, in the Nob Hill section of San Francisco.

Reviews

[J.P. Willson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As cookbooks go, this was certainly what I would refer to as unique.
Unusual even...
Anyone that has worked in a decent institutional kitchen knows what mirepoix is.
Carrots onion and celery diced brunoise-that's it, it never changes except perhaps the size of the dice dependant upon what the end product will be.
This is the base for every stock, sauce, soup, stew etc. It does not change.
So to find in this book a New Indian Mirepoix, which was basically a spice mix, I was taken aback.
It goes against everything I was taught in my three years of culinary school.
Were there more examples of renaming tried and true culinary delights in this book?
Why yes, there was indeed.
The photos throughout the book are lovely though...

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not for the novice cook. The stories and sharing of culture are very pretty, and touching. I lived in Pakistan for three years as a child. However, for the recipes in this book, they are so in depth and have so many ingredients, I do not think that I could make these on my own. I would LOVE to eat this stuff if someone made it for me.

[Marc Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approachable, healthy, and super-flavorful, Deepa's recipes are actually fairly simple once you've put together a list of the basic spices she uses frequently. Pre-prepared mixes can be reused for all most of her recipes to make them quickly.

The stories behind them, as well as the glorious design make discovering new meals in her book a true pleasure.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the recipes look delish and she explains them perfectly. They seem labor intensive for "during the week". I will be trying some of them on the weekend, where I have more prep time. Beautiful photos and I love her sense of humor.

[Kyle Schroeckenthaler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never knew a cook book could be such a good opportunity to brag about the wealth and power of your family. Also this is VERY new Indian cuisine, with not much traditional feel.

[Michał Hoffman · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is really concerning how many authors claim their recipes are slow-carb but actually are not. This is very harmful as if somebody wants to lose weight with slow-carb diet and gets this book it's gonna be a great disappointment.

Slo-Carb diet is very effective in losing weight but this book will not get you there.

No Deepa. Slow-Carb does not allow:

- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Diary
- Ketchup (you kidding? some brands of ketchup has more sugar than Coke)
- Fruits
- And who knows what else have you included there not reading (or completely ignoring the advice) in the 4-hour body book by Tim Ferris (The author of slow-carb diet)

Thank you

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healthy and quick Indian food

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover while on holiday.

Deepa's Secrets offer an alternative way to eat and enjoy good healthy food. I am looking forward to returning home next week, restocking my pantry and cooking some of these delicious sounding no/low/slow carb Indian meals.

[Sascha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that she gave basics for types of recipe in the beginning ... but then proceeded to customize these for each individual recipe. For a beginner, that was just too much cognitive load for me. Plus, a lot of my restaurant favorites are not there. To be fair, this is a nouveau cookbook. Well written, and I loved her anecdotes.

[Min · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new way to enjoy Indian with less emphasis on rice, and breads while using easier-to-find ingredients for the American shopper.
These recipes use Indian techniques that may be new to the reader. such as using infused oils and toasted spice blends that give a depth of flavor.

[Aja Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very approachable, though it had some lengthly intro sections that I did not read. Overall, not for me, but a couple of items in there that piqued my interest.

[Deb Nowack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most recipes use kinds of mother-sauces and spice blends which make the recipes too involved.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The recipes may seem complex, but I think that has more to do with the lengthy ingredient lists - mostly spices. Sprouted beans on eggs is one of the gems.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed more for the stories than the recipes.

[Megan Poulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. Lots of yummy looking recipes that I can't wait to try.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part life story+uplifted pages of beautiful Indian life..... Slow carb Indian food was new to me. I loved this book !

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the recipes are geared to slow carb, which is great, they stand on their own as very good southern Indian examples. The many spice collections and mixes are especially useful. recommended.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to prepare and delicious recipes!