Chilis to Chutneys: American Home Cooking With The Flavors Of India - Hardcover

When Neelam Batra moved to the United States from India in 1973, she hardly knew how to cook a frozen pizza, let alone the many wonderful delicacies her mother had prepared for her back home. But though she didn't know much about preparing great food, she knew what she liked and set about educating herself. Several years and many culinary experiments later, Batra began to teach cooking in Los Angeles and eventually wrote her first cookbook, The Indian Vegetarian. In her second effort, Chilis to Chutneys, Batra brings an Indian sensibility--and palate--to typically American foods. In Batra's kitchen, hamburgers are served with scallions and garam masala; pasta is topped with garden-fresh tomatoes, ginger, and mint; and pizza is topped with green cilantro chutney in place of the usual pepperoni or sausage. But Batra doesn't stop here; having imported Indian spices and seasonings to American dishes, she's equally happy to introduce something new to her own cuisine, thus you'll find such varied ingredients as wonton wrappers, tortillas, and premade pizza crusts figuring prominently in Batra's Indian recipes.

In addition to these innovative, tasty, and--for the most part--low-fat dishes, Neelem Batra offers advice about where to find ingredients, suggestions for preparing all types of foods (from meat to grains), and insight into traditional Indian cooking techniques and procedures. From Basmati Risotto to French Fries with Chaat Masala, these 200 recipes will imbue even everyday cooking with the spice of adventure.

Neelam Batra is a native of India and learned to cook at her mother's side. She teaches cooking at Santa Monica College and in her home in Santa Monica, California. She is also the author of the The Indian Vegetarian.