Samayal: The Pleasures of South Indian Vegetarian Cooking

Rating:
Summary: A Perfectly Authentic Cookbook!
Review: I have always been fascinated by Indian food. This book is different as it has the southern aromas of India. A well thought out book the author has spent an immense amount of time bringing out the best flavors of 2 cuisines - as it says 'tanjore' and 'palghat'.
I thoroughly enjoyed the photographs and have also tried out a few recipes that turned out delicious. Most of the vegetables and the ingredients that go into making the southern dishes, are available in the indian groceries.
The book is a steal for the price! It remains one of the treasures of my cookbook collection!

Rating:
Summary: A Finely Written Cookbook!
Review: I have been trying out recipes from 'Samayal' and found it to be an excellently written book. The recipes are ancient and authentic (as my grandmother used to prepare them in her homely kitchen in our village in Tanjore)!
Truly the authenticity of the recipes endeared me to the author who must be cooking them for years. I have tried out the vegetable gravy dishes and discovered that these cuisines (Palghat and Tanjavur) have a whole range that is unbeatable - low in calarories and truly healthy if eaten in right quantities. The spices used are mild unlike the popular north Indian recipes that are normally so strong.
I really wish Ms. Varadarajan would go a long way to make this unknown cuisine more popular as a healthy Indian cuisine! 'Samayal' is a wonderful buy!

Rating:
Summary: Best Buy for South Indian Cuisine!
Review: I purchased this wonderful book recently. Cannot tell how useful it has been. It contains a whole lot of my husband's favorite recipes!
The enormous variety of vegetable recipes are truly amazing. The photographs are gorgeous and and tempting. One can see that the author has loved to share the recipes with the reader. That's impressive. Last weekend I already called a whole host of my friends and entertained them with recipes from 'Samayal'. They loved it and it was an instant hit.
'Samayal' would be a favorite buy for Indians across the US

Rating:
Summary: A Well Written Cookbook!
Review: I really enjoyed this cookbook. Actually a gift from a friend I was truly surprised to see such a beautifully illustrated vegetarian cookbook. Indians will be delighted to buy a cookbook of such a superior quality. The format is simple and easy to follow.
The 'rasams' (the south indian lentil soups) are so authentic and simple to prepare. Just reminded me of my childhood days spent at my grandmom's kitchen. Kudos to Ms Varadarajan!

Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Cookbook!
Review: I truly loved this book! The section on rasams (the famous south indian soup) had me longing for home food. Have already tried some of them and found them easy to prepare.
The sections on 'kootus' (vegetables in mildly spiced gravies) has a huge list. Basically this cuisine is healthy as it is not pungent at all. The spices are well chosen for an 'Ayurvedic' form of life. I find that most of the Hindu monasteries prepare dishes from this cuisine. Not many people are aware of this fact.
'Samayal' is well written with excellent photographs. The author has done a good job!

Rating:
Summary: An excellnt cookbook for all vegetarians
Review: I was surprised when I came across such a well written easy to follow cookbook. I am familiar with most of the dishes in Samayal. Anybody who needs to learn authentic south indian vegetarian recipes should buy this book and enjoy making the recipes. The most complicated dishes are made so simple and easy to make!
The photographs are visually stunning and it could easily make a good coffee table cookbook. A must for anybody who wants a variety in vegetarian cooking!

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book On Keralan Recipes!
Review: In all the 10 years that I have been cooking I have not found another book that has vegetarian recipes interpreted the Palghat (Kerala)way! 'Samayal' gives these recipes and much more in a very easy way. The calorie chart after each recipe makes it more interesting.
My mom who is an excellent cook jotted down a few of the recipes that she thought I would try and learn. But this book has made it so simple for me that I need not them learn anywhere else. These days my husband loves what I make and the photographs make it more tantalising.
I would highly recommend this book to a novice interested in learning these cuisines (Palghat and Tanjore)!

Rating:
Summary: A must have for South Indian cooking
Review: It is a great resource for beginners and advanced cooks. The recipes are easy to follow, and taste wonderful. The food stirred a wonderful sense of nostalgia, of a childhood long gone. This book introduced me to the nuances of good South Indian cooking.

Rating:
Summary: Rare recipes a must buy!
Review: Just got this book last month and am frequently trying out the dishes. Being a bachelor in the US necessity has made me a decent cook. What I like about 'Samayal' is that the dishes are simple and uncomplicated to prepare. Feel really good about it!
Indian recipes in the US restaurants are only mostly North Indian dishes that are greasy and quite often unhealthy for the palate. The rare Udipi restaurants in CA and Houston do not sustain quality which is pretty sad.
Which is why I recommend this book to all and sundry and even those who are unfamiliar with this cuisine. These recipes were not invented a few years back like the paneer for instance. My maternal aunt was married to a tamilian from Tanjore and she is a great cook! Tho' we have a good number of healthy dishes in the Maharastrian repetoire nothing seems to beat the variety in this Kerala and Tamil cooking. I do not find any flaws in this book at all!

Rating:
Summary: 'Samayal' is a Well Written Cook-book!
Review: Just sharing my thoughts with other cookbook collectors. The author has dealt so well with these cuisines (Tanjore and Palghat) I have no hesitation in saying that I thoroughly enjoy cooking the recipes from 'Samayal'.
Lucid and perfect in her explanations these authentic dishes handed down from generations of grandmoms are delicious to cook. Easy to prepare, the 'rasams' are a steal! Ms Varadarajan has used various devices to prepare them that gives a wide option of learning. The photographs are gorgeous and the book is well worth the price. I find this a good gift to any Tamil bride who has scant knowledge of these treasured, healthy, low-fat recipes!