Sunday, September 14, 2014

The New Indian Slow Cooker by Neela Paniz (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

The newest book in Ten Speed's best-selling slow cooker series, featuring more than 60 fix-it-and-forget-it recipes for Indian favorites. 

The rich and complex flavors of classic Indian dishes like Lamb Biryani, Palak Paneer, and chicken in a creamy tomato-butter sauce can take hours to develop through such techniques as extended braising and low simmering. In The New Indian Slow Cooker, veteran cooking teacher and chef Neela Paniz revolutionizes the long, slow approach to making Indian cuisine by rethinking its traditional recipes for the slow cooker.

She showcases the best regional curries, dals made with lentils and beans, vegetable and rice sides, as well as key accompaniments like chutneys, flatbreads, raita, and fresh Indian cheese. Using this fix-it-and-forget-it approach, you can produce complete and authentic Indian meals that taste like they came from Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore, or your favorite Indian restaurant.

Featuring both classic and innovative recipes such as Pork Vindaloo, Kashmiri Potato Curry, Date and Tamarind Chutney, and Curried Chickpeas, these full-flavor, no-fuss dishes are perfect for busy cooks any day of the week.


My thoughts-
I love Indian food. I grew up in a household that ate it quite often and it is still to this day one of my favorite kinds of  food to eat. I have been trying for years to find good Indian recipes to make at home, but they can often be complicated and time consuming. I have never seen an entire cookbook dedicated to making Indian food in slow cooker, so I was beyond excited to see this one! I was even more stoked when I looked inside and saw the recipes. Not only are there great curries and vegetable dishes, but there are some great recipes in the front that explain to you how to make homemade yogurt and homemade paneer (an Indian cottage cheese that kind of reminds me of the shape and texture of tofu, but tastes so much better! It's especially great in a really good Tikka Masala!) There is still times in these recipes where there are several steps, but this is still lighter work than it would be if you were making Indian food the traditional way. I will say the time put in is worth the effort. I absolutely love that at the beginning of the book that there are several pages of explanations of spices, lentils, rice, flours and other ingredients commonly used in Indian food. That makes this a great book for an Indian food novice, but the familiar recipes make it a wonderful book for more experienced Indian food cooks as well. I absolutely recommend this cookbook to anyone that likes Indian food or who loves to experiment with new recipes and cuisines.

Connect with Neela Paniz on Goodreads
The New Indian Slow Cooker is available now on Amazon.com.

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