Review
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“Chitra Agrawal’s Vibrant India is a beautiful
personal history and distinct guide to vegetarian South Indian
cooking. Her perspective as a second generation immigrant shapes
her approach to South Indian cuisine, making this book both a
definitive guide for the home cook and an inspiring family
narrative.”
—Preeti Mistry, owner of Juhu Beach Club
“Vibrant India is exactly what my cookbook shelf has been
missing all this time. Chitra's fresh, enticing, and accessible
recipes are certain to transform the way I cook, from rethinking
salad and yogurt to really understanding the principles of South
Indian vegetarian cooking and its key ingredients.”
—Lukas Volger, author of
"There is so much I love about this book: the family history;
the glimpse at life and daily cooking in South India; but most
importantly the recipes. They're poetic in their beauty and
simplicity, surprising and yet perfectly intuitive. This book
opens up a world of sublime vegetarian Indian food that I didn't
know existed."
—Louisa Shafia, author of The New Persian Kitchen
“Already a successful entrepreneur for her delicious pickles from
Brooklyn Delhi, here Chitra shares her deeply personal story of
her family's journey from Southern India to Brooklyn. In Vibrant
India, her first cookbook, she explores colorful and flavorful
recipes passed down through generations. Chitra is truly a
mistress of spices and shares her knowledge with proficiency and
detail. There’s no better way to discover how delicious the world
of Indian vegetarian cooking is than through this book.”
—Nik Sharma, food writer, cook, and photographer
"Chitra Agrawal takes us inside a true South Indian kitchen,
lovingly rendered for the everyday household. The results are
gorgeously simple, bold—and yes, vibrant—flavors that anyone can
lend to their cooking."
—Cathy Erway, author of The Food of Taiwan and The Art of Eating
In
"In Vibrant India, Chitra grants the reader not only an
look at the food of her family, but also an invaluable master
class in the flavors and pantry of South India. Bold yet
balanced, and touched with modernity, her food celebrates the
diversity and breadth of the cuisine. On a personal level, as I
share some of her background, Chitra has given me failsafe
renditions of the recipes I crave from my childhood; her shredded
carrot and lentil salad hits all the notes it should, the idlis
are perfect, and the lemon peanut rice a new ste in my home.
And as expected, her deft hand with chutneys and
pickles—condiments that will elevate any meal—is worth the price
of admission alone."
—Tara O'Brady, author of Seven Spoons
"Chitra Agrawal is the perfect tour guide for this fascinating
journey into the heart of South Indian home cooking. Through
family stories and detailed recipes, written with such passion
and clarity, she reveals dishes steeped in tradition but refined
for a modern audience. You'll want to dive right in and
experience this amazing balance of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy,
and savory flavors."
—Diana Kuan, author of The Chinese Takeout Cookbook
"... Agrawal offers page after page of hits with dishes such as
steamed lentil and ed dumplings, root-vegetable and
Asian-pear salad, stir-fried corn with basil and leeks, and the
must-try cardamom oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate and
raisins. ... There’s enough variety in this superb debut to
please Indian-cuisine newbies and veterans, and Agrawal’s dishes
are hearty and flavorful enough to please even the toughest
carnivore at the table."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
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About the Author
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Chitra Agrawal is the author of Vibrant India: Fresh
Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn and the founder of
Brooklyn Delhi, an award-winning Indian condiments line. Since
2009, she has been serving, writing about, and teaching her
family's vegetarian recipes from India with a slant on
seasonality and local ingredients. Chitra writes the popular
recipe blog The ABCDs of Cooking, teaches vegetarian Indian
cooking classes at Brooklyn Kitchen, Brooklyn Brainery, and Whole
Foods, and hosts pop-up dinners throughout New York City with
creative Indian-inspired menus. Her work has been featured in The
New York Times, Food & Wine, Saveur, and Zagat, among others. She
lives in Brooklyn, NY.
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