Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu
SKU:
9780781813587
$19.95
$19.95
The best of Alamelu's cookbooks and TV recipes in one volume!
**As seen on MPTV!**
This cookbook contains the recipes featured on the first three seasons of Alamelu Vairavan's popular MPTV/PBS cooking series "Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu," along with favorites from her previously-published cookbooks, Healthy South Indian Cooking and Indian-Inspired Gluten Free Cooking.
Longtime fans and Indian cooking novices alike will enjoy this collection of more than 120 easy-to-follow, flavorful recipes--each with a color photo. With a focus on vegetables and protein-rich legumes, the recipes include soups, curry sauces, crunchy salads, and a host of vegetarian specialties that are not only low-calorie and low-fat, but packed with nutrients, fiber and flavor. Each recipe is written in a step-by-step format that makes it easy for readers to create authentic Indian dishes at home.
Create authentic Indian dishes at home:
- Step-by-step recipes with a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
- Guides to spices and ingredients like dals, grains, and chiles
- Classic recipes like Chettinad Chicken Masala and Stuffed Dosas plus fusion recipes with Swiss Chard Lentil Crumble and Salmon-Quinoa Burgers
- Suggested menus and shopping lists
Watch episodes anytime online at www.mptv.org/localshows/alamelu.
Also available as an e-book from these sellers:
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Alamelu Vairavan is the host of Healthful Indian flavors with Alamelu, produced by Milwaukee Public Television and syndicated nationally on PBS Create. She has been teaching for over 20 years about the health benefits of spices, such as turmeric, cumin, ginger, fenugreek, and asafoetida, and inspiring good eating habits through Indian cooking techniques. Alamelu is co-author of Healthy South Indian Cooking and Indian Inspired Gluten-Free Cooking, both published by Hippocrene Books. She resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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Happy 105th Birthday, Julia Child!
Reflections from PBS host Alamelu Vairavan
Courtesy of the National Museum of American History
As we celebrate America’s favorite chef Julia Child’s 105th birthday on August 15th, 2017, I am reminded of a thrilling and unforgettable experience I had about 20 years ago, when I appeared for the first time on national television.
When my first cookbook, “Art of South Indian Cooking” was published in 1997, my editor, Priti Gress of Hippocrene Books, asked me if I would like to promote my book by doing a cooking demonstration on the Discovery Channel. I said, “yes” immediately without even knowing what television recording would be like. I was just a young mother of two children. I flew to Philadelphia in the summer of '97 with a little nervousness and a lot of excitement to appear on the popular show, Home Matters. I was surprised how smoothly the recording went and by the eagerness of the television crew to taste the foods I had prepared during the recording. The kindness of the show's host, Susan Powell was helpful while I was cooking.
I had to wait anxiously for three months to see how I came across until November 12, 1997, when the taped show was aired throughout the country. Our friends joined me and my family in our Whitefish Bay home to watch my debut on national television. I was even more nervous anticipating the
When my first cookbook, “Art of South Indian Cooking” was published in 1997, my editor, Priti Gress of Hippocrene Books, asked me if I would like to promote my book by doing a cooking demonstration on the Discovery Channel. I said, “yes” immediately without even knowing what television recording would be like. I was just a young mother of two children. I flew to Philadelphia in the summer of '97 with a little nervousness and a lot of excitement to appear on the popular show, Home Matters. I was surprised how smoothly the recording went and by the eagerness of the television crew to taste the foods I had prepared during the recording. The kindness of the show's host, Susan Powell was helpful while I was cooking.
I had to wait anxiously for three months to see how I came across until November 12, 1997, when the taped show was aired throughout the country. Our friends joined me and my family in our Whitefish Bay home to watch my debut on national television. I was even more nervous anticipating the
broadcast than I was when the show was being recorded! But soon my nervousness gave way to excitement and thrill when the host announced that the great chef Julia Child was going to precede me in the program discussing the essential ingredients she keeps in her pantry. Just realizing my television debut would follow Julia's appearance in the same program left me speechless!
Robin Young, a reporter who also happened to be a friend and neighbor of Julia Child in New England, interviewed her for that segment which was titled: “In the Pantry with Julia Child.” In that segment Julia made one of her last TV appearances, and graciously shared advice about her pantry.
You might guess that the “French Chef” would have advised that the one ingredient no kitchen should be without is butter, or perhaps wine. But instead it is a surprisingly American necessity: peanut butter. Never one for pretense, Julia noted that instead of eating dreary airplane food, she would rather eat a simple peanut butter-honey sandwich. She also offered the following suggestions:
Robin Young, a reporter who also happened to be a friend and neighbor of Julia Child in New England, interviewed her for that segment which was titled: “In the Pantry with Julia Child.” In that segment Julia made one of her last TV appearances, and graciously shared advice about her pantry.
You might guess that the “French Chef” would have advised that the one ingredient no kitchen should be without is butter, or perhaps wine. But instead it is a surprisingly American necessity: peanut butter. Never one for pretense, Julia noted that instead of eating dreary airplane food, she would rather eat a simple peanut butter-honey sandwich. She also offered the following suggestions:
- Use canola oil instead of “tasteless” vegetable oil
- Never refrigerate tomatoes
- Use canned tuna in oil and not tuna in water (She called the latter a “mush”)
- Use fresh vegetables. Julia called frozen green beans “dreary objects”
- Mix sour cream and heavy cream for cooking
- Use vermouth instead of white wine in cooking since the former “keeps better”
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When I look back, I feel deeply honored to have made my first national TV appearance in a program following Julia Child’s appearance! She was a woman and chef I deeply admire and who continues to inspire so many. Julia made her debut on PBS a few years after publishing her classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and by the end of 1965 her show, ‘The French Chef’ was airing on 96 PBS stations. Little did I know then that I would later publish four more cookbooks and realize
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my dream of hosting my own cooking series “Healthful Indian Flavors with Alamelu” produced by Milwaukee PBS and shown nationally by PBS Create.
Julia Child introduced her viewers to French cuisine and I share my native Indian cuisine, but both shows encourage everyone to discover the joy of cooking. As Julia said: “You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.” This advice is perhaps even more relevant today, with the proliferation of unhealthy pre-packaged and processed foods. A well-stocked pantry and confidence in the kitchen will give you the pleasure of a home-cooked meal and the health benefits of all-natural ingredients and spices.
Julia Child introduced her viewers to French cuisine and I share my native Indian cuisine, but both shows encourage everyone to discover the joy of cooking. As Julia said: “You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients.” This advice is perhaps even more relevant today, with the proliferation of unhealthy pre-packaged and processed foods. A well-stocked pantry and confidence in the kitchen will give you the pleasure of a home-cooked meal and the health benefits of all-natural ingredients and spices.
Julia gave us many memorable quotes, but in honor of her 105th birthday I leave you with one of my favorites: "Learn to cook: try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.”
I say, cooking is a skill worth learning and cooking is love!
Alamelu Vairavan
August 3rd, 2017
Background vector created by Freepik
I say, cooking is a skill worth learning and cooking is love!
Alamelu Vairavan
August 3rd, 2017
Background vector created by Freepik
