A digital copy of the book was purchased by me from Google Play Books. Photograph Taken From Google Play Books : Chutneys Adding Spice to Your Life! by Aparna Mudiganti Parinam
Exploring the Flavors of 'Chutneys Adding Spice to Your Life!' - A Cook Book Review
All living species in this world takes food to survive. Food provides us energy and if we spice-up the entire preparations, it enlightens our taste buds. The flavour of the black mastard seeds in the frying oil along with bay leaves, cardamon pods and use of other spices for tempering in a pan are mostly used in Indian traditional dishes. Many of the foods served in a platter had their origin based on the availability of spice items. Delicious mouth watering dishes like Chutneys have their origin many years ago and has been derived from the Hindi word ‘Chutni’, which refers to a freshly grounded savory. This is generally a side dish which is prepared with various items namely idlis, dosas, rotis, vadas, uttapams and bread. These mouth watering delicious luscious tasty food is a type of dip sauce which adds taste to the entire food consumed.
The author Aparna Mudiganti Parinam in her book ‘Chutneys — Adding Spice to your Life!’ has written about 50 traditional South Indian Chutneys handed down over generations. In this book, She has written about different forms of Chutneys like coconut based chutneys, curd based chutneys, leafy vegetable based chutneys, vegetable based chutneys, fruit based chutneys and many more. The obvious question arises is whether our environment influences our foods or the preparations. In South India, the climate is warmer and hence does the use of these Chutneys help in digestion, is a area of research. In the Himalayan colder terrain, people tend to eat more spicy food to keep themselves warm. Sometimes, I feel that the preparation and making of a food also depends on the surrounding environmental factors.
The book also shares dishes like Upma, Rava Upma, Minappa Roti, Ragi (Millet Dosa) etc which are not chutneys but other South Indian dishes, whose preparations enrich culinary skills. Aparna Mudiganti Parinam is a pharmacist by profession and cooking is her devotion. The love for cooking inspired by her mother Ramani and her mother-in-law Rama Devi has helped her to move forward in this sector. A wonderful and interesting read as per my personal opinion.
Interestingly it was Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755–1826), a French Lawyer and Politician who once said that ‘Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are’.
If I have to rate the book on 10 stars and 10 being the highest, I will give the book 9 stars.
(Please Note: The above are my own personal thoughts after going through the book. Your views and opinions after reading the book may differ)
This is all from me in this article. Hope you have liked my personal thoughts and opinions.
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Thanks and Regards:
Mainak Majumdar, Book Critic
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