Indian Cookbooks great for Primal recipes page

[skyhigh]

Hi everyone, this week I was looking at my pre-primal cookbooks and was surprised to find out that the 3 cookbooks that I have from Suvir Saran (Indian Home Cooking, American Masala and Masala Farm) have more than plenty of delicious recipes Primal friendly. The sections on vegetables are great and found out a substitute for french fies: Fied Okra! I did it and was more than happy. Even though there is the use of grains, canola oil (I just substitute it coconut oil) and sugars in many recipes there are so many that do not use any of those. I find a good companion cookbook in my new lifestyle.

One of the 3 books is discontinued, American Masala, which is a shame because the recipes are just great. The ingredients Chef Saran uses in his 3 books are a supermarket trip away, not the kind or ingredients that are impossible to find, and each and every meal I prepare using his recipes are ALWAYS a hit. And now that I rediscovered them I'm sure I will treat myself to Indian food at least once a week.

Here is the recipe for Crispy Okra found in American Masala by Suvir Saran:

Serves 4
Coconut Oil
1 pound of Okra, stemmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium or 2 small tomatoes, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 chaat masala

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot to 350 F. add a third of the okras and fry until browned ans crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining okra, making sure the oil temperature comes back to 350 F before frying additional batches.
In a large bowl, toss the okra with the onion, tomato, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and chaat masala. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

[alg2435]

YES! There's a close-by indian restaurant that I went to recently. Everything was authentic, FRESH (he grows his own herbs, makes his own sauces, simmer goat broth for 24 hrs, makes his own yogurt) and I could have pretty much all the main courses (not so much the sides - rice, lentils, bread, chickpeas).

[aix_sponsa]

Cool! I've never had real Indian food (only the frozen meals at the grocery store) but I've been wanting to try some! And as a born and bred Southerner of course I naturally love fried okra!

Jenny

[Mike in Virginia]

I agree that Indian cooking provides some great primal recipes. I've been using Madhur Jaffrey's "Invitation to Indian Cooking" since the 1970s. I'm about to order my fourth copy of it; the others have all fallen apart from so much use.

As you said, Indian food is always a hit. My kids love it, and I think that cooking Indian meals for my fiancee is a big reason why she agreed to be my fiancee. lol. Vegetable dishes are especially appreciated: as good as fresh cauliflower is, it's even better with onions and tomato, seasoned with garlic, fresh ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, and a touch of lemon juice.

Thanks for the tip about Cher Saran. I will definitely get at least one of his books. The okra recipe sounds delicious.

[Primal Papa]

Hi everyone, this week I was looking at my pre-primal cookbooks and was surprised to find out that the 3 cookbooks that I have from Suvir Saran (Indian Home Cooking, American Masala and Masala Farm) have more than plenty of delicious recipes Primal friendly. The sections on vegetables are great and found out a substitute for french fies: Fied Okra! I did it and was more than happy. Even though there is the use of grains, canola oil (I just substitute it coconut oil) and sugars in many recipes there are so many that do not use any of those. I find a good companion cookbook in my new lifestyle.

One of the 3 books is discontinued, American Masala, which is a shame because the recipes are just great. The ingredients Chef Saran uses in his 3 books are a supermarket trip away, not the kind or ingredients that are impossible to find, and each and every meal I prepare using his recipes are ALWAYS a hit. And now that I rediscovered them I'm sure I will treat myself to Indian food at least once a week.

Here is the recipe for Crispy Okra found in American Masala by Suvir Saran:

Serves 4
Coconut Oil
1 pound of Okra, stemmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium or 2 small tomatoes, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 chaat masala

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot to 350 F. add a third of the okras and fry until browned ans crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining okra, making sure the oil temperature comes back to 350 F before frying additional batches.
In a large bowl, toss the okra with the onion, tomato, cilantro, lemon juice, salt and chaat masala. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

discontinued, maybe, but:

Amazon.com: Used and New: American Masala: 125 New Classics from My Home Kitchen