Product Description

Adjudged as BEST VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK IN THE WORLD 2006 by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, this book features traditional Andhra recipes as taught by an illustrious Indian Grandmother. She is Mrs. Subhadra Rau Parigi, fondly known as Pedatha, the eldest offspring of India's former President Bharat Ratna Dr. V.V.Giri. A passionate cook, Pedatha s recipes are much sought after by friends and relatives. Her cooking has remained unchanged in the face of changing times, still retaining the traditional flavours and an old world charm. Intrigued by her passion which has not diminished with age, the authors Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain take the initiative to record this culinary legacy for posterity. They say that after indulging in another soul-satisfying meal at Pedatha s home, we re-crowned her the world s best cook. She smiled indulgently and simply said that anyone can cook these dishes, they are so easy to make. On an impulse, the authors switched on their laptop, and keyed in the recipes. This book is more than a record of some of these traditional, time-tested recipes. Rendered in stunning aesthetics, the book also gives a peek into the simple presentation of traditional Andhra vegetarian food, as well as the affection and joy which was shared in bridging the gap between the spoken and the written word. The authors conclude that their heartfelt desire was to show Pedatha how a seemingly ordinary skill of hers is in truth a rare genius...and thus came about this book at the greatest speed possible. SALIENT FEATURES OF THIS BOOK: 1) 96 pages, hardbound with dust jacket, 170 GSM premium art paper, four-colour 2) A picture with every recipe 3) A photo glossary 4) Section pages designed with photographs of Pedatha and a write-up 5) A simple transliteration scheme for pronunciation of Telugu terms 6) Interesting variations in many recipes 7)Special tips by Pedatha throughout the book

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56144 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

Review
There are few cookery books in English of traditional Andhra cuisine, and most are nothing to write home about, poorly edited as they are. Cooking at Home with Pedatha goes a long way in redeeming this sin. But more about that later. Pedatha's cookbook of vegetarian Andhra recipes promises to revive a fast-receding world of unhurried and labour-intensive kitchens. Yes, that has to be said. In today's world of convenience cooking egged on by a slew of readymade masalas and mixes, there's lots to be ground, much to be powdered, roasted and fried, and slowly, at that. If you are one of those who enjoy cooking even though it takes time, you'll find that the final results are worth the grind. Take, for instance, the pindimiriyam, a pepper-flavoured dal with vegetables there are at least six different vegetables to be chopped and boiled, five items to be roasted and ground into paste, red gram to be boiled, tamarind pulp to be extracted, the tempering to be done, all these to be mixed and simmered and then simmered again. The upshot is a gravy with layers of flavours both fiery and mellow. Not to say that some of the ingredients cannot be organised beforehand, but it's definitely not for a day when you're hurrying to fit in as much as you can at home and work. The book also reflects the Andhra penchant to convert nearly every conceivable edible item into a pachchadi (chutney). You can take your pick of spinach, brinjal, dosakai, the round yellow cucumber, yellow pumpkin, ginger, coconut, onion and of course, mango and chilli and the famous gongura. Try the karivepaku pachchadi it gets its speckled-green-and-red good looks from green curry leaves, tang from tamarind and a bit of crunch from the fried black gram, not to mention its ferocity from the red chillies. Or the pungent carrot chutney, which is easy to make just dice the carrots, grind soaked mustard and red chilli, mix everything into the tempering. Pedatha (Subhadra Parigi, the eldest daughter of former President V.V. Giri) reinforces the most widely known belief about Andhra cuisine that it's hot! The carrot chutney, for instance, calls for 25 red chillies for three carrots; some call for a mix of a handful each of green and red. But there is a clutch of recipes featuring yoghurt with which you can cool off. Other sections include pappus (dal with greens and vegetables), podis/kaarams (powders meant to be used with rice and ghee, or as accompaniments to various snacks), rice and some sweets. There is hardly any onion or garlic featured in the recipes; and there are some recipes that are not quite Andhra in nature, like the Bisi Bele Huli or the Badam Payasam. But then, this book is described as a collection of recipes from Pedatha's home, which was not restricted to Andhra but extended across the country. Incidentally, Pedatha (short for Pedda Atthayya), is a term used to address a senior paternal aunt. A very useful feature that other cookbooks rarely mention is the order in which ingredients for the tempering have to be used.... For today's generation, particularly, there are some useful tips on how to use asafoetida (how DO you roll the asafoetida block into marbles?), how to identify when the gongura is done, the right kind of oil that suits a dish, variations on the recipe and how to powder sesame seed to just the extent that it doesn't become oily. Those were too few, though how do you cook rice to the right consistency, soft or grainy, as you want it?... But all in all, there is a lot of attention to detail. Good photography, pleasant graphics and pastel design culminate in a steep price of Rs 450. Considering that mention of Andhra cuisine is often sloppily represented by and restricted to the Hyderabadi biriyanis and ubiquitous aavakais in the South sections of cookbooks, this book is a welcome accomplishment. --The Hindu Business Line, Friday jan 27, 2006. Review by Sravanthi Chalapalli.

Rashmi Uday Singh, The Hindu, December 21, 2005
...collection of years of wisdom and experience...invaluable mix of practical and useful information...painstaking work of love and gusto.

India Today, Februray 6, 2006
…family monument to mother love…dazzling array of dishes that will surprise the most ardent fan of South-Indian cuisine.

Customer Reviews

Excellent Cook Book
Cooking at Home with Pedatha (Best Vegetarian Book in the World - Gourmand Winner)

This is an awesome book filled with traditional South Indian Vegetarian recipes and includes hints on varying the dish either by adding/changing other spices or vegetables. The instructions are very clear and easy to follow and the illustrations are very appealing. It is impossible to find such authentic home food in any restaurant, whether in or out of India. The food based on these recipes definitely transported me back to my childhood!

Shiva
CA

This is the real deal
We bought this cook book shortly after an extended stay in India with family and it is the real deal. The recipes are just like our Autie's. Clear instructions and great pictures. It's just not a beginners book.

A Beautiful Book
I just received the book two days ago and have read it from start to finish. A beautifully written and illustrated book - you can tell it was written with a lot of love. I would have given it a heart 5 stars BUT, not being at home with many of the ingredients, I have compiled a significant list that needs more definition, and perhaps source recommendations before I can try the recipes. It also has a STRONG mothball like smell so it's airing out in the screened porch!