The Chutney Life: 100 Easy-to-Make Indian-Inspired Recipes

by Palak Patel

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Indian-inspired home cooking that is as accessible as it is delicious. Palak Patel is here to celebrate with you as you delve into the delicious possibilities of Indian cuisine, one recipe at a time. This cookbook is perfect for any experience level and is sure to deliver all the flavors you love.

From Palak Patel, the founder of the hugely popular of lifestyle brand and blog, The Chutney Life, comes a collection of Indian-American recipes for fresh, flavorful, healthy meals every day of the week!

On her blog, The Chutney Life, Palak Patel breaks down the intricacies of Indian cooking into accessible recipes for all home cooks. From the importance of a good tadka—a means through which whole spices are tempered in oil to increase their flavor profile—to countless easy hacks such as upgrading a classic can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup with a little ginger, garlic, and coriander, these recipes are fresh, inventive, and irresistible. With Patel’s signature snacks—spreading lasan ni chutney (a spicy spread made by pounding together fresh garlic cloves and chili powder in a mortar and pestle) inside of a quesadilla or adding just a touch of cumin and coriander powder to cream of cauliflower soup—you’ll never get bored or see the same old stuff.

The 100 easy-to-make recipes in this cookbook not only celebrate the Indian food Patel grew up eating but also the loving hands that made that food. Filled with anecdotes, love notes to Patel’s favorite kitchen tools, and many time-saving tips, Patel’s recipes find inspiration in resourcefulness. Busy moms and curious cooks alike will find new, exciting flavors here, inspired by souvenirs of Patel’s travels, makeovers of classics, and Indian remakes of favorites, including: Coconut Shrimp Po’ Boys with Panang Curry Remoulade; Crispy Barbecue Chicken Keema Tacos; Masala Pot Pies covered in beautiful delicious golden puff pastry; and secret recipes for Patel’s unbeatable chutneys.

By embracing the magic that happens when flavors transcend continents and cultures, The Chutney Life finds the perfect balance in Indian-American cooking.

Includes Color Images

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419764394
Publisher:	Abrams
Publication date:	10/24/2023
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	40,301
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Palak Patel is the founder of the popular lifestyle brand and blog The Chutney Life, where she shares recipes influenced by her Indian heritage as well as lifestyle tips and much more. She lives in Philadelphia.

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2023

Fans of Patel's blog The Chutney Life will be happy to see her debut cookbook on the shelves. Full of beautiful photos featuring food and her family and friends, the cookbook is an extension of Patel's food and lifestyle blog and a look inside her experience of being born and raised in Philadelphia by parents from Gujarat, India. Focused primarily on fusion cooking, the book features a wide variety of recipes that mix Indian spices with nontraditional ingredients or techniques, such as vegetarian zuppa Toscana with lentils, or banana-cardamom crumb muffins. Most of the recipes are vegetarian along with some that are vegan, although there's one "non-veg" chapter. Cooks new to Indian recipes may need to stock up on ingredients at a South Asian market or online. Many of the recipes are fairly time-intensive, and the section of quick weeknight recipes relies on readers to prep the more time-consuming aspects of those dishes ahead of time. VERDICT While aimed at fans of Patel's blog, this is accessible to all readers and a good choice for home cooks wanting to dip their toes into Patel's style of Indian American cooking.—Carrie Byrd

Library Journal