The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes

by Anupy Singla

This unique guide to preparing Indian food using classic slow-cooker techniques features more than 50 recipes, beautifully illustrated with full-color photography throughout. These great recipes take advantage of the slow cooker's ability to keep food moist through its long cooking cycle, letting readers create dishes with far less oil and saturated fat than in traditional recipes. Anupy Singla shows the busy, harried family that cooking healthy is simple and that cooking Indian is just a matter of understanding a few key spices. Her "Indian Spices 101" chapter introduces readers to the mainstay spices of an Indian kitchen, as well as how to store, prepare, and combine them in different ways. Among her 50 recipes are all the classics — specialties like dal, palak paneer, and gobi aloo — and also dishes like butter chicken, keema, and much more. The result is a terrific introduction to making healthful, flavorful Indian food using the simplicity and convenience of the slow cooker.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, India

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

** I received this book as part of a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.**

I actually gave this book to a friend as a gift, but they said all the recipes they've tried so far have been delicious. :)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very vegetarian and vegan-friendly cookbook, ideal for people who work and those who enjoy Indian cuisine but want lower-fat versions of their favorite dishes. The recipes use much less oil than most others I've made from other cookbooks without any sacrifice in flavor.

Here are the dishes I've made - all but one were hugely successful and my spice-loving kiddo adored them.

Chickpea curry with fresh dill leaves (rasa walls kabuli chana): This dish was a revelation to me. I had never associated dill with Indian cuisine, but it complements the beans (I used half white chickpeas and half chana dal) very well. I loved this dish the first, second, and even third times -- but 14 cups is a big yield, and we eventually tired of the leftovers. Next time, I'll wait for guests or halve the recipe.

Chickpea flour curry with vegetables (punjabi khardi): Wow! This besan and yogurt based sauce is amazing, and soy yogurt worked well as a replacement for the dairy. I also liked the flexibility to use whatever veggies were on hand; I used some unidentified squash from our farm share, cauliflower, and onion. Again, this recipe makes a lot. I froze some of the leftovers for a future meal. The only note for this one is that it's more labor-intensive than the other recipes I tried and cooks for a shorter period (5 hrs) so it's a good choice for the weekend.

Spicy punjabi eggplant with potatoes (aloo baingan): I really liked this tangy, spicy dish. Unfortunately, my slowcooker didn't turn on properly, so I had to cook it for a shorter time on a higher heat. As a result, it didn't cook evenly. My fault!

Black chickpea curry: This dish could not be easier. Simply process some onions, tomatoes, chilis, and the like in a food processor, dump them in the slow cooker with uncooked/unsoaked black channa, spices, and water, and let it cook all day long. Finish with fresh cilantro and lemon juice and serve over rice, and you've got a dish that will make a six-year-old make contented animal noises as she slurps it up. I can't remember ever being begged to have the same dish two nights in a row until this dish -- high praise indeed.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an interesting read. Good for vegetables.

[William Mego · Rating 2 out of 5]

This cookbook has the trouble of being either too simple for those with experience cooking Indian food, or being slightly too complex for the novice. However, it's NOT the fault of this book or it's author.

As an amateur cook with some small experience now, cooking Indian food as authentically as I can on average 2-5 days a week, I found the book's primary usefulness that of reminding me I could just go ahead and do much of it in a crockpot. Where the book fell short for me was in the ways the recipes were modified to make them more slow cooker friendly. I felt at times as though the author wasn't sure they were making a health food book for those of Indian and Indian-American heritage, or for novices seeking to explore the flavors in India for the first time at home. Perhaps it IS of utility for the former, whom she points out suffer heart disease at an alarmingly higher rate than other genetic backgrounds. But for me, I think I'll stick with some other approachable books like the excellent 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer, which the author of this book even references.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I make a decent amount of Indian food, and if you look at my other cookbook reviews, you'll notice that I have a tight relationship with my slow cooker. A few of the recipes in here are very good. I have an ongoing obsession with trying to replicate the incredible Dal Makhani (black lentils) I had in the north of India -- the creamy richness just makes my mouth water. This cookbook's Black Lentils with Kidney Beans is about the closest I've found (and I truly have tried dozens of recipes). A couple of problems I have with the cookbook -- most of the recipes have HUGE portions -- they fill my very large slow cooker up to the very top. They use lots of water (many use 12 cups or more), which means the flavor of the beans/spices is often washed out. Sometimes I've subbed veg or chicken broth, but it doesn't really help. I think a lot of these recipes would work better in a pressure cooker, but the author is obviously trying to adapt them to the slow cooker. Finally, I don't like fenugreek in the slowcooker. It makes everything taste very bitter. Several recipes have been ruined by this taste. This may be a personal preference, but I do like fenugreek in other types of recipes, so I think it's the method of cooking.

If you do use this cookbook, I think it's a good idea to always have a backup plan for dinner -- a few of the the recipes are just not good.

[Antonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best thing about this cook book , unlike other slow-cooker books, is that there is no need to ”brown” anything before you add it to the slow cooker a big time-saver. Another bonus is that most of the recipes are low-fat, and are vegetarian/vegan. The recipes often require making masalas from scratch, so you need to stock up on a large variety of spices. The ingredients are economical if you buy them in bulk. And the lists of ingredients are long, but the flavours are rich. Useful appliances to have are a mini food processor and a rice cooker. Slow-cook these dishes overnight. And wake up to the wonderful aroma!

[Mo Coghlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best cookbook I have ever owned. With maybe one or two exceptions, every recipe I have made using this cookbook has been delicious and easy to make. I have been trying to eat more meatless meals, so the Lentils & Vegetables sections have been my favorite. Everything reheats well and the recipes don't require a lot of hard to find or exotic ingredients. Most only use the core 5 spices. Just an awesome book. Highly recommend!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got a crock pot recently and exploring it's usefulness for a (mostly) vegetarian family who loves Indian food. This cookbook is super! It is primarily vegetarian but has some meat dishes too. So far I have made the potato + cauliflower dish and the red lentils + curry leaves + coconut milk. The lentil dish called for way too much water tho so I ended up cooking it down on the stovetop. Nice blending of flavors. A+ for the other dish! I plan to make a couple of these recipes each week. I think they are simple enough for someone just learning to cook Indian food who is willing to acquire the various spices but complex enough for someone like me who cooks Indian several times per month but is not a pro. The photos are lovely and really enhance this cookbook, showing how the food can be presented. The detailed descriptions of ingredients are quite helpful for someone who did not grow up with these foods. Definitely these dishes are spicy hot. I recommend cutting out about 3/4 of the hot peppers to start and work up from there to your comfort level.
March 2014 update: have made about ten recipes from this book. I like the flavors a lot and the ease of the recipes. I will keep using this cookbook but with a fair amount of re-vamping to suit my own preferences. I find the dals in here are really bland if you cook everything together. Instead, I am now sauteeing the onion and spices first to bring out the flavors and then adding to lentils near end of cooking. Also, recipes call for WAY too much water for the dals, like twice too much! ---unless you want soup, cut way back on the water.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thus far, I've had The Indian Slow Cooker for about a week. And it is due back in the library in another two. So here's my first impression.

I think that this book is great. The recipes are simplified versions of Indian classics (or I think of them as classics, anyway). I love cooking Indian food at home, but a lot of the time, I am just not up to all the prep work and details that traditional dishes take. Granted, not all dishes take that much effort, but a lot of them do. Singla takes a lot of the detail work out of the dishes, but every one I've tried so far has been comparable to the traditional version that I've either made myself or eaten in restaurants. As a matter of fact, of the things that I've made so far, I'm not going to go back to making them on the stovetop.

I am looking forward to trying more recipes from this cookbook.
Also, the photos are lovely, which is often a difficult thing to achieve with Indian food.

I would recommend this book to everyone except novices, even those who've never cooked Indian food at home before.

[Dicey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore all sorts of Indian/Pakistani food but I don't have a lot of time to prepare them traditionally. This book has helped to satisfy my cravings and to introduce my husband to Indian cuisine. I use this cookbook at least once or twice a week. My only real criticism is that, while trying to make the recipes more healthy, by cutting down on the oil used, or removing it completely, this isn't necessarily a good idea with dishes that pack a lot of heat. I don't have a problem with very spicy food, but the oil helps to prevent any chemical burns than occur when eating something extremely spicy. That's not to say there are many dishes that are super hot, but there are a few. Of course, you can easily alter the level of spiciness to suit your tastes. All in all I would say this is a really good, easy introduction to Indian/Pakistani food.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating concept: use a slow cooker to easily make Indian dishes--and somehow not lose authenticity. Not a bad book by any means, but as someone who often cooks Indian food, this book was a little lacking in new ideas or recipes.

Also, not necessarily a bad thing, but there are many, many lentil dishes in the book...

Some of the veggie dishes are just the same spice combination with different veggies. I thought it was a bit redundant to list them all separately when the recipe was otherwise exactly the same.

I'm excited to test out the palak paneer recipe and the spicy eggplant dish. Those were the standout recipes for me, but I've also bookmarked the chickpea dish and the keema recipe.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite new cookbooks. The recipes are so healthy: I love what Indian cooking is able to do with vegetables, legumes, and lean proteins. If spice is a problem for you, I'd leave the chili peppers out, but I love the spice. Be aware: you will probably need to stop at an Indian specialty grocer for some of the items, including some of the lentils and spices (cumin seeds, ground coriander, fresh coriander, turmeric, black salt, etc.).

[TrudyKJP · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many slow cooker recipes fall into a rut and taste the same. These are wonderfully different and delicious. And they make the whole house smell sooooo good!

[Leigh Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fancy! But easy.

If you like Indian food, and you love your slow cooker, you're going to enjoy the hell out of this book. The recipes are a bit more complex, both flavor-wise and preparation-wise, than most slow-cooker books, which sort of defeats the purpose of using the slow-cooker. I mean, honestly, most cooks will look at this one and call for takeout. But if you like being in the kitchen anyway and don't mind making a bit of extra effort, you will reap restaurant-quality rewards.

Chapter one is the obligatory overview of slow cooking, but also includes Indian Food 101, covering flavors, ingredients, etc. The recipes themselves are split into chapters on lentils, peas/beans, other vegetables, meats, and sides/desserts; as you can see, there's plenty here for vegetarians, but vegans are going to have to pass this one by - the amount of cream alone will break their hearts, and don't even get me started on butter. This is an optional purchase for most cooking collections, but communities that support significant Indian populations and/or contain popular Indian restaurants will want this so that patrons can experiment and compare notes.

[erl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from the library, but I will have to buy a copy. Indian food is a natural for the slow cooker, as so many dishes rely on the low-and-slow formula for depth of flavor. This book takes full advantage of that approach. Some of the recipes to require a little doing, or more than a little, before adding ingredients to the slow cooker. You may have to saute some onions or grind ingredients in a food processor first, for example. Several recipes call for pureeing at the end. So this is not a book for anyone completely averse to washing dishes. The other caveat is that most of the recipes will feed the whole neighborhood; 14 cups is a common yield. That being said, most of these dishes freeze well, and you can always pack them in portion size containers to eat later. These few shortcomings are far outweighed by the outstanding flavor of these mostly vegetarian, authentic dishes from throughout India. Everything I made was delicious. I even gave some mango chutney and gila masala to an Indian friend, who much appreciated them. Good stuff.

[BookBec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many lentil/split pea recipes! My household has a limited tolerance for "smushy" meals like dals, so this cookbook would go a long time between uses. And without photos of everything, it's hard to picture whether some would be less smushy than others. Also, my grocery stores don't have nearly this many options for whole/split/skinned/colored legumes, so I would've appreciated some guidance on substitutions.

I made the cauliflower potato recipe, cutting back slightly on the heat based on other reviewers' notes, and it was fine, not great. Cooking also took twice as long as described. This cookbook is heading back to the library.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC slow cooker Indian vegetarian book. It's very difficult to find a slow cooker book that features vegetarian food at all. I have tried several of the recipes and they have come out amazingly. They aren't mushy, and to me, they have authentic Indian flavor. I started with the Punjabi Eggplant, Spicy butternut squash, and the spiced cauliflower/potato dishes, which were all fantastic. Going to the yellow dal recipes next and I can't wait to try them!

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

These recipes are just not for me. The majority are vegetarian and a strong focus is on legumes. That is just not what I am looking for in Indian cooking. I am from a Syrian Christian background and would prefer recipes that showcased the Kerala style of cooking, coconut and seafood dishes. Clearly the author is not a regular meat eater as there are hardly any non-veg recipes.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy and delicious recipes that are mostly "throw it all in the pot and cook". These recipes win over friends and family members who usually don't like Indian food. When I don't have time for the slow cooker I throw it all into a big pot and the recipes come out fine. If you want to get into Indian cooking this is a good start.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

got this from the Library but will definitely be buying it! If you're familiar with cooking Indian food and the ingredients involved, this book will become an old friend.

I like that the recipe quantities are substantial enough to eat on and then stick in the freezer.

[Mellissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait to try some of these. This book simplifies Indian Cooking and shortens meal prep time by using the slow cooker. It also helps by using some spices most of us have on hand already instead of the hard to find spices most Indian recipes uses. I've already got about 4 flagged to cook.

[Miz Kaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good, I bought a second one for my daughter, who also enjoys the recipes.

[Sindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book thru goodreads, the recipes look great and who doesn't love a crockpot recipe !! My only issue is the # of ingredients ( that are not typical to my pantry) per recipe.

[Karthika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much variety in veggies

[Xinma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine read, some good flavors, though a few things had impractical timing.
Read the New Indian Slow Cooker instead - different author & very practical as well as delicious.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I have won this book through the Goodreads Giveaways.

An excellent introduction to Indian cooking, Ms Singla writes as if you were sitting there chatting in her kitchen. I'm looking forward to not only trying the recipes but eating in a more "authentic" method.

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite

I have made nearly everything in this cookbook and use it at LEAST once a week for several years now. Now that I have an electric pressure cooker, I do everything in one pot and my meals are even faster and healthier. The recipes are great in the crock pot too, but translate well to my instapot now that I know what I am doing with it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves good Indian (and a little Pakistani) food. Slow cookers are great for these recipes. My instant pot has a slow cooker function but I now use the sauté for the spices, etc, then all the rest of the ingredients and cook everything on pressure. The pot keeps everything warm and ready to serve when we are ready. You can tweak a few recipes if you want a little more or less heat or salt, but most of the recipes are perfect as they are and best not to alter too much if you want it right. I serve most with zeera rice. Don’t forget that you can substitute beef in place of lamb if need be and it tastes great. I recommend buying all spices and beans/pulses/legumes, garlic and ginger pastes, etc. at an Indian grocery. Do not try to go to a regular grocery If in the US. You will either not find them or the quantities will be small and expensive and...lesser quality in my opinion. I also recommend a mortar and pestle to grind some things a bit in order to bring out flavor (like cardamom pods). Thank you so much to the author of this book.

[Patrick]

An interesting idea for a cookbook. As far as I know it's the only one of it's kind: a cookbook of traditional Indian dishes re-designed specifically for a Crockpot(tm) (aka, "slow cooker"). I love Indian food and I love the easy of cooking with a Crockpot so I figured this would be a good one to get. I have to say, though, I've been rather surprised at the complexity of many of these dishes - far more complex than most slow cooker recipes I've seen. They also typically involve more work than most slow cooker recipes you'll see. Many of them take a tremendous amount of time to cook as well, meaning you'll have to get up really early in the morning if you expect it to be done in time for dinner. Another thing to look out for, the majority of these dishes are vegetarian, so you might find yourself wishing for more meat based dishes. However, that said, I think a lot of these could be tweaked into more meaty dishes with not much work. It's a good jumping off place if nothing else for those interested in Indian food and using their slow cookers to make it. Another good thing about the book is that it has a really good introduction into just what exactly Indian food actually is and the various spices and ingredients that typically go in it.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to follow recipes, flavorful dishes. I have very little experience with Indian cooking, and the three recipes I've tried so far have been wonderfully easy and delicious. (I finally made my own sambhar! I love it, but have always been so intimidated by the recipes I've seen.)

I live far from civilization so had to order some ingredients online (fresh curry leaves, tamarind paste), but since that also led me to try methi thepla for the first time I have absolutely no complaints. (The methi thepla paired with sooki dal (p.68) were amazing.) Aside from a few specialty products like that, most of the ingredients used are easy to find and cheap.

I really appreciated the pictures and explanations of some of the ingredients, such as common spices and legumes. The only thing I've been consistently modifying is to cut the salt in half.

There are a few meat dishes included, but most of the recipes are vegan.

[bumblethunderbeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I don't eat legumes, most of these recipes don't work for me. But I enjoyed making the mustard green & spinach sa'ag. And I'm looking forward to fenugreek carrots and homemade paneer.