Description

"Sidhu has dipped into--and helped preserve--a rich culinary tradition that extends back hundreds of years."
-Andrew F. Smith, food historian and editor-in-chief of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America

"Veronica Sidhu's writing tantalizes the senses and transports the reader to India. The pairing of memoir and menu redefines the very meaning of oral history."
-Sheraton Kalouria, former president, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

"Veronica Sidhu--a Punjabi cooking expert"
-Jayne Salomon, The Westfield Leader

"This book will become 'the bible' of Indian cooking!"
-Carolynn Bridge, a former Betty Crocker and co-owner of Bridge Kitchenware, Manhattan and New Jersey

Princes, poets, farmers, and Punjabi immigrants across generations live on in these recipes and vignettes. At the heart is the story of two women, a Punjabi villager and her American daughter-in-law, and the lives they built together. More than an exceptionally usable cookbook, this is also the intimate saga of a Punjabi family told through the food that has sustained, comforted, and offered them a creative outlet through the years.

Arguably India's most popular cuisine, Punjabi food boasts mouthwatering tandoori kebabs, satisfying curries, and an array of delectable breads. These twenty-two menus feature a wide range of dishes, from rustic, roadside dhaba offerings like Buttermilk Stew with Vegetable Pakoras and the famous Saag and Mukke Di Roti (Stewed Mixed Greens with Corn Flatbread), to elegant Roast Leg of Lamb and Royal Bread Pudding that have graced the tables of Maharajahs.

Remarkably healthful, over 125 of these recipes are designated vegetarian or vegan. The fragrant whole-wheat flatbreads, low-fat tandoori specialties, and cooling raitas will beguile you into eating well.

Whether you wish to re-create an Indian restaurant dish that you love, or one from your grandmother's kitchen, Veronica Sidhu will be your trusted guide, providing step-by-step, easy-to-follow recipes and advice on shopping, prepping, and creating menus with harmonious elements. Glossaries of food and religious terms, color photos, a resource section for finding Indian ingredients, and bibliography round out this collection.

About the author(s)

Veronica Sidhu spent thirty years at the side of her Punjabi mother-in-law in kitchens and communities in India and the U.S. A busy professional and mother, she learned to adapt American cooking techniques to traditional Indian food preparation. After a career as a high-school guidance director and pioneer in the Punjabi Sikh community of New Jersey, Sidhu began teaching Punjabi cooking in order to raise money for scholarships in her grandson's memory. She resides in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.