Chandra Padmanabhan

A beautifully illustrated introduction to the vegetarian food of South India (Dakshin is a Sanskrit word meaning South.) South Indian food is very distinct from what is served in your 'standard' Indian restaurant (although that is changing as more South Indians immigrate to the West.)

Typical dishes include sambhar, a hot and sour lentil-based soup, a variety of lightly-spiced dry curries and pungent rice dishes, and the ever-popular dosas, a form of rice- or lentil-based crepe. Some of the recipes can be challenging for the novice, but many of the spices and cooking techniques reoccur throughout the book, making the learning curve relatively smooth. These are (to the best of my knowledge) quite authentic recipes, which can be too spicy for the unaccustomed palate. But that's easily fixed!

Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in vegetarian cuisine, Indian or South Asian food, or simply broadening their culinary repertoire. Happy cooking!… (meer)