I asked a fellow RD to contribute to the blog. She has a new cookbook on Indian cuisine.  And at the bottom, you’ll find some useful information about curry.  Happy reading!

Stay tuned for a great recipe for bean burgers.

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The Indian Vegan Kitchen: More than 150 Quick and Healthy Homestyle Recipes by Madhu Gadia, MS, RD (2009, A Perigee Book/Penguin Group) has won rave reviews from consumers and foodies. The October issue of The Oprah Magazine featured a squash recipe, Seasoned Zucchini from the book.

 The author, Madhu Gadia is a dietitian, a diabetes educator, and an Indian cuisine expert. In her new book, Gadia delivers recipes that are perfect for anyone (not just vegans) looking for great tasting, authentic, easy to prepare vegetarian dishes. As with her previous book New Indian Home Cooking, the new book will provide quick and healthy recipes that anyone, from novice to seasoned cooks, can prepare effortlessly.

 The Indian vegetarian diet is clearly defined as a plant-based diet that includes milk and milk products—thus, a lacto-vegetarian way of eating. The only difference between a vegan and Indian vegetarian diet is the exclusion of dairy products. Legumes (dal) and whole grains (roti), and vegetables take center stage in Indian vegetarian meals, making them naturally vegan. All of the recipes in this book are gloriously, triumphantly vegan. Enjoy the sample recipe, Bean Burgers, from The Indian Vegan Kitchen below, and for more recipes go to www.cuisineofindia.com.

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What is a Curry? Indian food is often equated with the word curry. But then what is curry, a dish with a yellow sauce, or is it anything prepared with curry powder? Over the years I have been asked numerous times from cooks questions such as, “did you forget to add curry powder in Chicken Curry?” or “Where’s curry in Curried Onions which is a dish that doesn’t have any sauce. I can understand the confusion  – let me attempt to clarify it here.

Curry powder is a spice blend that includes turmeric, which is the ingredient that makes dishes yellow. Curry powder has one flavor and it will make dishes have a similar color and taste. Most Indians do not use curry powder, and if they do it is for seasoning a particular dish. I do not use curry powder at all. For each dish, I use individual spices to create a different flavor and taste. For authentic flavors you too should use individual spices. Also, all Indian dishes are not in a sauce, for example Curried Onions in The Indian Vegan Kitchen (page 101) is spiced onions without any sauce. I called it Curried Onions basically because it has spices such as turmeric, ground coriander, and cumin—typical spices in a curry powder.