Product Description

“Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts is more than a cookbook—it is a collection of treasured memories and delicious family recipes presented against a backdrop of Indian culinary and cultural history. Augmented with an extensive bibliography, the book is also a wonderful guide to cooking with herbs and spices. A comprehensive glossary provides the origins and history of each grain and spice. Familiar with Western cooking methods, Ramachandran shows how to integrate these recipes into a Western-style menu and suggests ways for home cooks to expand their repertoire without having to create an entire menu of dishes. Culinary historians and home cooks alike will enjoy Ramachandran’s treasured stories and recipes in Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts.”

—Monica Bhide, Writer and Author of The Spice is Right & Everything Indian Cookbook

“Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts is a labor of love … offering both mouth-watering recipes and a personal account of an ancient matrilineal culture. Highly educational yet approachable, this is a must-have for anyone interested in the food and customs of the Indian subcontinent.”

—Suneeta Vaswani, Cooking School Teacher and Author of Easy Indian Cooking

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118724 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-04
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 364 pages

Indian Food Rocks, March 14, 2007
"Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts is the perfect kind of book to curl up with and experience Kerala cooking at its best."

Mahanandi, March 19, 2007
"Ramachandran has preserved the originality of her traditional family recipes, and made them accessible to those outside the tradition, without overwhelming the readers".

My Workshop, March 26, 2007
"Ammini guides you through Kerala's history and heritage, seasonal festivals, and irresistible varieties of precious recipes handed down from one generation to the next".

Customer Reviews

Authentic and amazing
This is a really remarkable book, self-published and free of hype. There are no glitzy photographs of the food, which is a shame because I'll bet it's beautiful, but there is a pithy history of Kerala and then there are the recipes. They are exquisite, and the vibrant flavors of the food are conveyed by the author's enthusiastic descriptions. I'm not a vegetarian, but could live meatlessly and lusciously for weeks on these recipes. For vegetarians, this is a bonanza. The recipes range from relatively simple to complex, but none of them seem undoable in an American kitchen. The author has lived in America for a while, so she is familiar with the equipment and ingredients available here, and makes this cuisine approachable for us. Her notes are thorough and engaging, and well worth a read even if you don't plan to make that particular dish. If you have any interest in Indian cooking, or even if you don't want to cook it but enjoy reading about it, this is the best book on Indian cuisine that I've seen in a long time.

You don't need to cook to enjoy this one!
Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (12/07)

What a delicious read! I have a wonderful collection of cookbooks and the ones I enjoy most are the ones that read like novels. They include stories about the food and people who make the dishes. Even if I never get around to cooking anything included, I appreciate the flavors and tales behind the delicacies shared. This is one of those books.

The author, a native Indian from Kerala in the southwestern part of the country, shares her background and her family's recipes in such a loving way. She includes not only recipes, but the traditions, history and memories that go with them. I learned about the variety of food in her country and the diversity of recipes available in different regions. I also discovered some interesting historical facts. Having lived in the United Kingdom previously, it was fun to learn how some of the dishes arrived there from India and how they were modified for British palates. Interestingly, the Mulligatawny soup found in London started out much differently in India as molagu thanni!

I took many notes as I read about the author's childhood and the dishes she remembered most. Paayasam, a type of banana pudding made with plantains and coconut milk, grabbed my attention. Now I know what to do with the plantains I always see at the grocery store looking a bit lonely! This is a vegetarian book, but that is no reason for meat lovers to disregard it. The variety of dishes is amazing.

The author says that "The skill of a traditional cook depends on his or her ability to judge taste with the eyes and nose." Traditionally you are not allowed to taste a dish while making it. I can't imagine not taking at least one small taste before serving something to my guests. Or being so attuned to your cooking that you would automatically know by the smell or sight whether it needed adjusting.

The author is also aware that anytime you try a new cuisine you need to take the time to learn about the ingredients and what they are used for, even how you can find them or what you can substitute for them if needed. Chapter Two goes through not only ingredients, but cooking methods and utensils required. At the end of the book, she includes an internet resource list for those who live in areas without available ingredients. She talks about the magic of spices and says that "Understanding spices is the cornerstone of the art of Indian cooking...." One thing I hadn't thought about was howmuch the flavor of spices can vary from brand to brand and depending on where they are grown. She gives us permission to make adjustments based on our own palates and understands that cooking is a personal venture.

There are so many wonderful recipes to choose from. Mathan Puzukku, pumpkin and red beans with coconut and curry leaves, is a thick curry I can't wait to try. Anything with coconut grabs my attention like Varuthupperi Kootaan, or fried plantains in coconut yogurt sauce. There is a whole chapter just on puddings. The recipe index is quite helpful as are the menu suggestions.

All that's left for me to do is make a list and go the new Indian grocery store that just opened in my neighborhood. With "Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts," I will have an adventure in my kitchen and who knows, maybe it will lead me to travel to India and try the dishes firsthand someday.

Grrains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts:Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian legacy
Very nicely written, lots of historical data connected to the food of the region which was entirely new to me. Enjoyable reading and interesting recipes. Since I do like Indian Food, my hope is to try some of the recipes when time allows.