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18

A tale of two cookbooks

April 18, 2007 |

WARNING: This post ~~may~~ will induce deep slumber.

Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan and Cooking at Home with Pedatha by Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain are our recent culinary acquisitions.

Our responses to these two cookbooks have been mixed. Here, we recreated a recipe each from these books, both featuring the green (raw) mango.

This fruit has an amazing nutritional profile. A cup of the fruit has just 104 calories, and 76% of one’s daily Vitamin C requirement. Ripe mango, on the other hand, has different flavour characteristics and nutrients. Read all about it here.

We carefully followed the instructions for Raw Mango Rice from Cooking at Home with Pedatha and were quite happy with the results. It is delicately flavoured, aromatic, and balances the tart-sweet taste and texture of the mango with the creaminess of the coconut and the heat from the ground mustard.

It would have helped, however, if the recipe stated all measurements by volume or weight, instead of ‘one medium sour raw mango’. How much is ‘medium’? We found that our rice was not sour enough - something that was easily fixed with a tablespoon of lime juice in the end. Overall, a good recipe.

Raw Mango Rice with Mango Thokku, Chilli Garlic Powder, and Mini Pappadams

We cooked sona masoori rice for the first time, inspired by Indira’s amma mudda. These rice balls, fed by moms to their little ones are called urula in Malayalam. Our previous attempt at cooking this rice yielded a mess. We got it right this time. Thank you, dear Indira, for your patient instructions.

Mamidikaya Annam (Raw Mango Rice)

Ingredients
2 cups rice
1 medium sour mango (we got 1.5 packed cups grated)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
salt

The paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
2 green chillies
1 tbsp coriander leaves

For tempering
1.5 tsps chana dal (bengal gram)
2 heaped tsps split urad dal
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 red chillies
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
10-12 curry leaves
2 tbsps roasted peanuts

Method
1. Boil the rice with turmeric powder and salt until cooked but not mushy. The grains should be separate. Set it aside to cool.

2. Wash, peel and grate the mango.

3. Grind the ingredients for the paste into a smooth consistency using very little water.

4. Heat the oil. add the grams, when they turn golden, pop the mustard. Lower the flame and add the other tempering ingredients.

5. Add the grated mangoes, stir for 2 minutes, then add the coconut paste and stir for another minute.

6. Add the rice, mix well and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with some crunchy pappadams or vadiyalu and a glass of buttermilk.

The title description of Cooking at Home with Pedatha is “Vegetarian recipes from a traditional Andhra kitchen“. The book makes no further claims. What you see is what you get. There are just 61 recipes, but no one dish is like the next. Each recipe is accompanied by an outstanding picture, and the instructions are very reliable. We tried half a dozen recipes, and ended with flavours that are comforting and very satisfying. In all, a great book. Our favourite recipes in this collection are the podis and spice mixes.

Some recipes from this book illustrated online:
Vankaya Muddha Kura (Brinjal Pasty Vegetable) at The Cook’s Cottage
Arati Ava Pettina Koora (Mustard flavoured Green Plantains) at Mahanandi
Rasam Podi at Jugalbandi
Sambar inspired by Pedatha’s recipe at Jugalbandi

Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan, on the other hand, didn’t impress us as much. We tried two recipes so far, and both had to be salvaged midway by referring to other sources. The first was Karuveppilai Kuzhambu. The flavour was too turbo-charged and bitter for our liking, so we changed course midway using a fellow blogger’s recipe. More about that in another post.

Next was the Mango Thokku. Pedatha has a Thokku recipe too, with jaggery. We wanted it fiery red and hot, Tamilian style, as depicted in the picture in Dakshin. Chandra Padmanabhan’s recipe starts with ‘4 large green mangoes’. Again, how large? We were using just one mango, so we quartered the ingredient measures. Five minutes into cooking we realised that the spice measurements were off. Waaaay off.

The mix looked pale yellow, and tasted nothing like a potential thokku. We’re wimps on the chilli scale, but found ouselves tripling the amount of cayenne recommended. We referred to the jar of MTR Mango Thokku in the refrigerator, and added the ingredients from that list, estimating volumes by the order in which they were listed. To be fair, Pedatha’s Thokku also lists ‘4 raw mangoes’, not even medium or large, but her tips such as ‘use two rumani and two malgova mangoes’ give clues.

Dakshin has a whopping 131 recipes. If you are looking for authentic TamBrahm fare with sambars (8 varieties), an array of poriyals, rasam, kuzhambus, sweets and crisp munchies, this is the book for you. However, the title is quite misleading. It claims to showcase “Vegetarian Cuisine from South India“, and the intro talks of the common culinary tradition “shared by Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Pondicherry”.

In other words, it purports to represent south Indian cusiine as a whole. However, the cursory nod to Bisi Bele Huli Anna and Pesarattu aside, we don’t see much in terms of cuisines from the other states, and certainly nothing from the rich tradition of Konkani cooking. Heck, there’s not even a mention of the signature vegetarian dish from Chettinad - vadakkary.

The first sentence in the first chapter says, “Thick and fiery, sambars are the first course in any South Indian meal”. Between us, we represent three south Indian states, and while that may be true in Tamil Nadu, it is not always the case in other regions.

This claim follows immediately after:
“Sambar powders are an essential item seen on the spice shelf of any home in south India.”

Simply not true. See this post for details. When one reads such statements, one winces, like one does when some north Indians refer to everyone south of the Deccan as ‘Madrasis’.

Chandra Padmanabhan’s other book, Southern Spice attempts to remedy this with truly representative recipes from all over south India. If the title description of Dakshin said, “Tamil Brahmin Vegetarian Cuisine” or even “Tamil Vegetarian Cuisine”, it would not have been a problem.

That said, the recipes are authentic, and the snack and dessert sections are outstanding - atleast from the pictures.

A few recipes from the book:
Eggplant Rasavangy at One Hot Stove
Carrot Cashew Payasam at One Hot Stove
Vengaya Pakora (Onion Fritters), Basundi, Sambar Podi.

Green Mango Thokku (Grated Mango Pickle)

(ingredients and volumes approximated from the label on MTR Mango Thokku)

Wash, peel and grate 1 green mango.

Thokku is supposed to be creamy and melt-in-your-mouth, so peeling is recommended. (We skipped that step and realised we were wrong). We got 1.5 packed cups of grated mango.

Toast 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds until brownish (30-40 seconds in the microwave on HIGH works), and powder it fine in a mortar and pestle.

Heat 1/4 cup sesame oil (the light variety, not the dark toasted type used in Chinese cooking).

Add 1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds. When they pop, lower the flame and add 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder and 1/4 tsp cumin powder.

Stir for 10 seconds. Add 2 tbsps red chilli powder (we used 1 tbsp each cayenne and Kashmiri chilli powder for a brighter red). Also add 1/4 tsp. turmeric. Stir and add the grated mangoes and about 1.5 tbsps salt.

Cook for five minutes uncovered on medium. Then check the seasonings. You may need more salt and cayenne powder. We added another tablespoon of cayenne and 1 tsp salt. It depends on how hot and salty you like it. Cook it for another ten minutes or so on medium-low. As it cooks, it gets more red and starts releasing oil. Finally, when it is creamy and comes together, and the oil leaves the mass of mango, it is done.

Put it in a sterlised glass jar (we just microwave the uncovered jar for a minute or two to sterilise it). Cool it and refrigerate it. It will normally last a month. Our recipe yielded 2/3 cup.

Mamidikaya Annam and Mango Thokku - our entries for Nupur’s A to Z Vegetable Challenge at One Hot Stove under ‘M’.
______________________________________________
Reading list:
The Power of the Pickle
__________________________________________________

**EDITED on April 23, 2007. Last weekend we tried three recipes from this book - Mor Kuzhambu, Enna Kathirikkai and Masala Beans Poriyal. They all turned out well. Will post about them soon. **

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40 Comments so far

Sig on April 18, 2007 10:56 pm
That plate of rice looks so yummy!!! Is that chilli garlic powder homemade?

yeah, but made in our Maharashtrian friend’s home. - b.
Santhi on April 18, 2007 11:20 pm
ah…just when I was thinking what to do with those raw mangoes in the fridge…will let you know after trying the raw mango rice and the thokku..:-)have only made tomato thokku till date..this mango thokku is a must try..thanks bee…

psst….don’t tell anyone…i prefer MTR Thokku to this one. - b.
Indira on April 18, 2007 11:42 pm
This post induced hunger pains.

Pedatha cookbook is really an emerald. No wonder the book won total 6 prestigious Gourmand awards.

Blogging about sona masuri rice was on my to do list after your comment, Bee. Glad to see the beautiful sona masuri grains cooked and in Urula shape in that pretty picture of yours.

I hope I was really helpful to you. You are as always kind and generous. Thanks Bee!

at that time of the night, even if i look at a wall, i get midnight snacking urges if i’m awake, indira. :-D - b.
sia on April 19, 2007 3:34 am
glad to get the review. i checked dakshin in one of my friend’s place and was quite impressed with the number of recipes listed and the photoes. now i know not to judge the book by its cover;)
mmm…isn’t rasam with palyas the first course in most of south indian meal? all confused;)

maybe we chose the wrong recipes to try out. we’ll try some more recipes and see. - bee
Nupur on April 19, 2007 4:15 am
As a non-South Indian, I love having “Dakshin” around as a handy guide to so many dishes that I love to eat, but don’t always have reliable recipes for. I’ve tried a few other dishes from this book, and they usually turn out just great.

i know, nupur. the ones you posted about do look very good. we’ll keep trying. - b.
Suma Gandlur on April 19, 2007 5:52 am
Bee,
Mangoes always rule.You stole my post for Nupur’s event.:-) Just kidding. Your dishes look great.
I borrowed “Dakshin” from our local library recently. I was amazed by the beautiful pictures (and most of the recipes were known ones to any South Indian, I thought). I never tried any recipe from that book though.

we just got unlucky, i think. do try some dishes and post about them, suma.
asha on April 19, 2007 6:01 am
Oooh! I have both books and I love Dakshin!!!

The other book has most recipes I know already,so I was a little disappointed when I read it.

Plate of food looks great Bee:))

asha, could you post the recipes you have tried and liked? maybe we’ll try those next. i find the flavours too strong and overwhelming, but that’s a matter of personal taste. - b
sandeepa on April 19, 2007 6:25 am
Bee
Lots to learn from this review. Its hard to write a cookbook I guess. Specially when you mention “One medium” thats what I do always when I write down the recipes. I realize its hard specially if you have never tasted/seen the food before. Like for a Bengali recipe I am ok to work around a given framework even if the measurments are not perfect.
But for a dish I have not even seen, it would be hard to get the look and taste right. In fact I make a sambhar which everyone at home likes but I am sure a pucca South Indian would never even consider it a sambhar.

that’s why i like the baking sites and recipes where the amount of flour, etc. is given by weight. one can’t go wrong. in baking, esp. it is important. indian recipes are quite adaptable and flexible, but accurate measurements do help the novice. - b.
Dee on April 19, 2007 8:27 am
Bee , I have both the books and see the pedatha fares well at home and I always assumed may be Im partial to it being a andhrite myself. I have bought dakshin a few weeks back and have only tried the snacks and so far its been a decent experience. I havent still ventured into pickles or main course of dakshin. Good review and great pictures as usual!

dee, could you let us know what you have tried from that book? - b.
Mythili on April 19, 2007 9:18 am
Bee,
Dakshin was my first ever cook book some 18 months back and I was so fascinated by it. But I do agree with your point - it not being entirely South Indian. Its only and only Tamil Nadu cuisine and in my mind it will always be the same.

Pedatha is a totally different story. It is our day-to-day cuisine and more … it is the story of an enlightened soul, I think:)

Good reviews of the books.

there are some recipes from dakshin i plan to try though, and i know will not be too overwhelming for me. but i’m not touching those sambars with a bargepole. - b.
Kanchana on April 19, 2007 10:29 am
Bee,

I can’t believe you don’t like sambar!!! That is too funny. Glad you found a recipe you like.

Kanch

i’m not alone. sig doesn’t like it either. yay. - b.
Reena on April 19, 2007 12:01 pm
bee, those were good reviews. i don’t own either so can’t comment on it but was your disliking for ‘dakshin’ cropped from not loving sambhar:)):))? but i see what you mean because if something says ‘dakshin’ or ’south inian’ it should have a balance of recipes from all over south. again i won’t know as i don’t own these books.

bttw your plate looks yum and urula reminded me of childhood:).

yeah. could be. it has lots of pictures with brown stuff, and i can’t tell one apart from the other. i like to see what veggie or other ingredient is inside the dish. i don’t like to see things that are drowning and need a life jacket. j drools at the brown stuff, though. however, both the recipes i tried from there didn’t turn out how i expected. maybe i chose the wrong ones. - b.
musical on April 19, 2007 12:16 pm
Those mamidikaya annam mudde look mouthwatering, Bee n’ Jai.

i don’t have a single cook-book so far!! sounds blasphemous? i dunno’. though i love reading your cookbook reviews. Going by reviews, i guess Ammini’s book might be my kind of book, because that blends stories about culinary heritage with recipes…..those kind of stories would be my motivation for buying a foodie book. i guess everyone’s idea of good cook-books differs a lot…..i know one of my friends has a whole shelf dedicated to recipe books :-D and i agree (going by your review) that the title of Dakshin is sort of a misappropriation.

and i refer to the MTR and other achaar labels all the time :-D

i agree. there are some books you’ll enjoy even if you don’t prepare a single thing from them. we have a book on chocolate, which is just for drooling. the recipes in it sound like too much work and too many calories.
ammini’s book is a great read. it’s much more than recipes. i must say, though, dakshin is a great book for those trying to learn and perfect traditional tamil veggie cuisine. i would have liked some more explanation and cultural info, however. j looks at the murukku and laddoo pics from that book and he’s in heaven. - b.
Aahaar Vihaar on April 19, 2007 12:37 pm
Hi, You have an amazing site. Mango rice and Mango thokku, Mmmm… are heavenly. I own Pedatha’s cook book and her recipes are so unique. That plate with mango rice and sides looks delicious.

welcome, AV.
swapna on April 19, 2007 1:37 pm
Hi bee
I don’t have any book ..:-(will definitely try to have them afetr reading ur post..thanku..
Dee on April 19, 2007 2:58 pm
bee, I made cabbage vadai and potato dosa and they turned out to be pretty decent, will post them soon!
indosungod on April 19, 2007 4:38 pm
Bee, I am drooling over your Mango Thokku. Indian cooking and measurements is personal to a large extent but to the unintiated this lack of exact measurement must be daunting.
Latha on April 19, 2007 8:06 pm
Hey bee,
Yours reviews are good! I checked out amazon and the pedatha book is available for $19.99.. Just ordered myself a copy.. Thought a lot before i did that! I have tons of books related to food and all i do is pour through them and hardly ever cook from them… call me picky! But after your review, I just wanted to see what all the hype was about
:-) Next on my list is the book by Ammini Ramachandran.
Your mango rice looks tasty and familiar! Not sure about the mango thokku though! You’re right mango thokku tastes much better with sour mangoes.. maybe thats what was wrong.. its not the book its the mango i guess ;-)
Good review. Enjoyed reading it and the lovely pictures!
roopa on April 19, 2007 8:42 pm
i still have on my list to buy pedatha book, as far as dakshin i have a older revise and i feel it is quite good for beginners and i love it too! So not sure of this recipe though!
Sharmi on April 20, 2007 6:17 am
what a lovely writeup Bee!! I feel like getting myself one of those books. I loved the pics of ur mango annam and thokku. By next week I am posting a andhra mango thokku pachadi my MIL makes.

warmly
sharmi
Sarada on April 23, 2007 2:08 am
Hi,

I visited your blog few times. Today I want to add a small comment.

You have given two nice Recipes from two Famous Cook books.

I feel Chandra Padmanabhan should have given the title as Tamil Nadu Vegetarian Recipes instead of Dakshin.

In the four South Indian States we have many excellent Vegetarian Recipes. But no one can include Vegetarian Recipes of all four South Indian states in a single book. The differnet Regional Fare has to be accommodated in separate Cook books.

By seeing the title Dakshin if the Reader thinks that the Recipes of Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala are included in the Cook book along with the Recipes of Tamil Nadu the reader is mistaken.

Wishing you all the best

Sarada
Pritya on April 23, 2007 4:37 am
Dear Jai & Bee,
First of all, many thanx for your detailed & encouraging words about our book. We are truly warmed by it & do feel rewarded for the love that went into its making. But…dear Bee & Jai…as much as we are warmed by your positive response to our book, we are also a bit taken aback about your estimate of Dakshin. It is a book that both of us cherish very dearly. “I, Pratibha, received this book as a birthday gift in 1992. It was perhaps my first introduction to South Indian cooking…and I started making many dishes from Mrs. Chandra Padmanabhan’s book. A couple of years later (I still remember it so clearly), I actually made a feast of almost 15 dishes from the book for a party of 30 people! We are North Indians but have lived in South for so long that eating from a banana leaf was never strange. I do like her Araitha Sambar very much. And her Karivepilai Sambar is a family favourite, since we are lovers of anything made with curry leaves. The only rule has been that the curry leaves be tender and fresh from the backyard. I also recommend her Bitter Gourd Pitlay, Mustard Seeds Rice, as well as the Ven pongal very highly. Hope you will try her other recipes and discover the same.”
We can see your point about the title, but that apart, Dakshin has been be a good starting point for many initiates.
At Pritya, we like your blog a lot and the way you write, and have therefore felt the comfort in putting our point of view across.
Keep the posts coming :).

dear pratibha and jigyasa,
welcome to jugalbandi. jai has been trying a lot of dishes from dakshin over the weekend, and they all turned out well. will post about them soon. - b.
Masala Beans Poriyal » jugalbandi on April 30, 2007 8:51 pm
[…] our whinefest about Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dakhsin, we tried a few more recipes from the book. They turned […]
Patoli (Parippu Usli) » jugalbandi on May 10, 2007 8:33 pm
[…] recipe is from Cooking At Home With Pedatha, with minor modifications. The original has French beans. Other candidates for this dish are broad […]
Steamy Kitchen on May 15, 2007 9:59 am
oh wow, this looks so good! I do have a question for you: I recently bought a spice from http://www.spice-appeal.com called Mango Amchur. Any suggestions on how to use?

it’s sour. add it at the end of the dish in lieu of lime to give it a tang. i use very little of it, like 1/3 tsp at a time. to be honest, i prefer lime.
Rama Murthy on May 19, 2007 11:28 pm
I very much like to purchase a copy of “Cooking With Pedatha”.
I live in Melbourne,Australia.Is it possible at all to buy this cookbook online?Do please let me know soon.By the way what is the price payable?
Regards
Rama

we bought our copy online - from amazon.com. -j
Tondlichi Bhaji with Goda Masala » jugalbandi on June 4, 2007 3:18 pm
[…] Scanned picture from Cooking At Home with Pedatha , where these spices appear in the Vangi Bath (Eggplant Rice) […]
Yennegai » jugalbandi on June 5, 2007 9:32 pm
[…] an idea what to do with them. We found the Enna Katthirikkai recipe in Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dakshin, and tweaked it just a little. Our addition: crushed […]
Mor Kuzhambu (Mystery Veggie - III) » jugalbandi on June 26, 2007 6:05 am
[…] original recipe has ash gourd/winter melon. It is from Dakhsin by Chandra […]
Spicy Kidney Bean Burgers » jugalbandi on July 15, 2007 9:28 am
[…] by the fabulous Red Bean Chipotle Burgers from FatFree Vegan. We replaced the Chipotle sauce with our favouite mango pickle, and added a protein boost with almonds and nutritional yeast. (More about nutritional yeast HERE). […]
Black Canyon of the Gunnison » jugalbandi on July 16, 2007 6:56 pm
[…] is Karuveppilai Kuzhambu (Curry Leaves Curry) from Dakshin. Tastes acrid, like someone shoved gunpowder up your […]
Peppers stuffed with Potatoes and Peanuts » jugalbandi on July 28, 2007 8:56 pm
[…] this recipe, we used the stuffing for baby eggplants from Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dakshin. (See that recipe HERE). Our addition: boiled potatoes and crushed peanuts. The peppers used here […]
A beautiful mind » jugalbandi on August 1, 2007 7:25 pm
[…] foodies here: Sainath is a food connoisseur with a decided weakness for fine chocolate. Pedatha of Cooking at Home with Pedatha fame is his maternal […]
E-D of Indian Vegetables » jugalbandi on August 29, 2007 7:13 pm
[…] Mamidikaya Annam and Mango Thokku (Andhra Pradesh) […]
Strong Black Pumpernickel Bread » jugalbandi on September 16, 2007 12:12 pm
[…] or Hand Grains, Green and Grated Coconuts The Complete Gujarati Cookbook Fresh Flavours of India Dakshin Cooking at Home with Pedatha Bread […]
Theeyati Chaaru (Sweet Rasam) » jugalbandi on October 1, 2007 7:56 pm
[…] soup from Andhra Pradesh is from Cooking At Home With Pedatha. We followed the recipe to the letter. The recipe does not call for straining the rasam, but we […]
Padmini Natarajan on February 2, 2008 8:48 pm
Hi

It was interesting reading your reviews. I am a culinary editor and your comments will help in my work.

I have edited three books for Viji Varadarajan and a lot of the content, commentary is mine while she has provided the recipes, tips etc. These books are real Tam bram cooking. Please look at it and tell us what you felt.

‘Samayal’ by Viji Varadarajan
‘Festival Samayal’ by Viji Varadarajan
‘A Healthy Taste of Indian Culture, Cooking with Yoghurt’ by Viji Varadarajan

These three books have been chosen by Gourmand for their awards for 2007–a total of four awards. It will now contend with other books in the world and the results will be announced in May.

Look forward to your feedback.
Pedatha – Nandan’s ‘Naamapoo’ & Blog Awards « whose food we eat, their song we sing on May 25, 2008 9:38 am
[…] Jai & Bee of Jugalbandi who have ardently tried many recipes, encouraging us with their compliments such as - “The title description of Cooking at Home with Pedatha is “Vegetarian recipes from a traditional Andhra kitchen”. The book makes no further claims. What you see is what you get. There are just 61 recipes, but no one dish is like the next…” […]
nags on August 1, 2008 3:28 am
came here while researching on dakshin. and looking at these pictures i have to say your pics have become trillion times better now. the second pic even looks blurred to me! in one way i am glad cuz that means some day even i can take pics like you do today

that’s a very passive aggressive thing to say.
Madhuram on August 24, 2008 9:01 pm
Have you tried Meenakshi Ammal’s Iyengar Samayal for tamilian recipes? It’s so good with all the basic recipes for thogaiyal, podis, sambar, rasam, tiffin, bakshanam and pickles.

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A tale of two cookbooks

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