“Chitra Agrawal’s Vibrant India is a beautiful personal history and distinct guide to vegetarian South Indian cooking. Her perspective as a second generation immigrant shapes her approach to South Indian cuisine, making this book both a definitive guide for the home cook and an inspiring family narrative.”
—Preeti Mistry, owner of Juhu Beach Club
“Vibrant India is exactly what my cookbook shelf has been missing all this time. Chitra’s fresh, enticing, and accessible recipes are certain to transform the way I cook, from rethinking salad and yogurt to really understanding the principles of South Indian vegetarian cooking and its key ingredients.”
—Lukas Volger, author of Bowl
“There is so much I love about this book: the family history; the glimpse at life and daily cooking in South India; but most importantly the recipes. They’re poetic in their beauty and simplicity, surprising and yet perfectly intuitive. This book opens up a world of sublime vegetarian Indian food that I didn’t know existed.”
—Louisa Shafia, author of The New Persian Kitchen
“Already a successful entrepreneur for her delicious pickles from Brooklyn Delhi, here Chitra shares her deeply personal story of her family’s journey from Southern India to Brooklyn. In Vibrant India, her first cookbook, she explores colorful and flavorful recipes passed down through generations. Chitra is truly a mistress of spices and shares her knowledge with proficiency and detail. There’s no better way to discover how delicious the world of Indian vegetarian cooking is than through this book.”
—Nik Sharma, food writer, cook, and photographer
“Chitra Agrawal takes us inside a true South Indian kitchen, lovingly rendered for the everyday household. The results are gorgeously simple, bold—and yes, vibrant—flavors that anyone can lend to their cooking.”
—Cathy Erway, author of The Food of Taiwan and The Art of Eating In
“In Vibrant India, Chitra grants the reader not only an intimate look at the food of her family, but also an invaluable master class in the flavors and pantry of South India. Bold yet balanced, and touched with modernity, her food celebrates the diversity and breadth of the cuisine. On a personal level, as I share some of her background, Chitra has given me failsafe renditions of the recipes I crave from my childhood; her shredded carrot and lentil salad hits all the notes it should, the idlis are perfect, and the lemon peanut rice a new staple in my home. And as expected, her deft hand with chutneys and pickles—condiments that will elevate any meal—is worth the price of admission alone.”
—Tara O’Brady, author of Seven Spoons
“Chitra Agrawal is the perfect tour guide for this fascinating journey into the heart of South Indian home cooking. Through family stories and detailed recipes, written with such passion and clarity, she reveals dishes steeped in tradition but refined for a modern audience. You’ll want to dive right in and experience this amazing balance of sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and savory flavors.”
—Diana Kuan, author of The Chinese Takeout Cookbook
“… Agrawal offers page after page of hits with dishes such as steamed lentil and herbed dumplings, root-vegetable and Asian-pear salad, stir-fried corn with basil and leeks, and the must-try cardamom oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate and raisins. … There’s enough variety in this superb debut to please Indian-cuisine newbies and veterans, and Agrawal’s dishes are hearty and flavorful enough to please even the toughest carnivore at the table.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
1 Introduction
3 Family Ties
6 South Indian Food Traditions
9 From Bangalore to Brooklyn
15 How to Use this Book
17 Indian Cooking Techniques and Tips
21 The South Indian Pantry
34 Kitchen Tools
37 1 | Breakfast and Light Meals
38 Rice and Lentil Crepe Dosa
43 Mung Bean and Quinoa Crepe Pesarattu
44 Mixed Lentil and Oatmeal Crepe Adai
45 Steamed Semolina Cakes Rava Idli
48 Steamed Rice and Lentil Cakes Idli
50 Steamed Lentil and Herb Dumplings Nuchinunde
52 Vermicelli Noodle Stir-Fry with Carrots, Edamame, and Scallions Shavige Baath
55 Spiced Spring Vegetable and Coconut Polenta Uppittu or Upma
57 “Hotel” Scrambled Eggs
59 2 | Salads and Yogurts
61 Shredded Carrot and Lentil Salad Hesaru Bele Carrot Kosambri
62 Red Cabbage and Citrus Coleslaw Yalekosu Kosambri
64 Root Vegetable and Asian Pear Salad
66 Cucumber, Sprouted Mung Bean, and Pomegranate Salad
68 Chickpea Salad with Summer Vegetables and Avocado Kadale Usali
69 Summer Squash in Herby Coconut Yogurt Curry Majjige Huli
72 Beet Yogurt Raita
74 Radish Yogurt Raita
75 Kale Yogurt Raita
76 Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Yogurt Raita
79 3 | Stir-Fries and Curries
80 Potato Stir-Fry with Onion and Ginger Alugedde Palya
81 Cabbage Stir-Fry with Lemon and Curry Leaves Yalekosu Palya
82 Green Bean and Coconut Stir-Fry Huralikayi Palya
85 “Vangi Baath” Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower
87 Stir-Fried Corn with Basil and Leeks Jolada Palya
88 Scallions in Spicy, Sour, and Sweet Sauce Eerulli Kavu Gojju
90 Pineapple and Peppers in Red Coconut Curry Ananas Gojju
94 Kerala Coconut Vegetable Curry Avial
95 Karnataka Coconut Vegetable Curry Saagu
99 4 | Rice and Bread
100 My Parents’ Steamed Basmati Rice
101 Simple Basmati Rice
103 Lemon Peanut Rice Nimbehannu Chitranna
104 Lime Dill Rice with Pistachios Nimbehannu Sabseege Soppina Baath
106 Fragrant Eggplant and Green Pepper Rice Vangi Baath
108 Coconut Rice with Cashews Kayi Anna
110 Yogurt Rice with Pomegranate and Mint Mosaranna
112 Yellow Lentil and Rice “Risotto” Khara Huggi or Pongal
115 Thin Flatbread Chapati or Roti
116 Spicy Sweet Potato Buns Khara Buns
119 Green Chile and Herbed Cheddar Shortbread Masala Biscuit
121 5 | Soups, Stews, and Lentils
122 Basic Toor Dal
123 Basic Red Lentils
125 Spicy and Sour Tomato Lentil Soup Tomato Bele Saaru or Rasam
127 Lemony Lentil Soup Nimbe Saaru or Rasam
128 Roasted Kabocha Squash and Coconut Milk Soup
131 Potato, Carrot, and Red Lentil Stew Tharakaari Huli or Sambar
134 Roasted Butternut Squash and Lentil Stew Kumbalakayi Huli or Sambar
137 Black-Eyed Peas, Greens, and Lentil Stew Alasande Kallu Soppina Huli or Sambar
139 Creamy Yellow Lentils with Tomato and Ginger Hesaru Bele Thovvay
143 6 | Festive Bites and Snacks
145 Lettuce “Dosa” Wrap with Curried Potato and Chutney
147 Ben’s Curry Leaf Popcorn
148 Stuffed Shishito Pepper Fritters Bhajji
151 Pan-Roasted Masala Peanuts Congress Kadalekayi
152 Spicy Bitter Gourd Chips Haggala Kayi Hot Chips
155 Festival Trail Mix Ellu Bella
157 7 | Sweets and Drinks
159 Chia Pudding with Roasted Jaggery Blueberries Sabbakki Payasa
160 Summer Peaches in Sweetened Yogurt Shrikhand
163 Apple, Ginger, and Coconut Hand Pies Kadabu
164 Cardamom Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Golden Raisins
166 Dried Fruit and Nut Dessert Balls Ladoo
167 Banana, Coconut, and Cardamom Ice Cream Balehannina Rasayana
168 Mango and Coconut Milkshake Mavina Hannina Seekarne
170 Turmeric Almond Milk Badami Haalu
171 Savory Spiced Yogurt Drink Majjige or Buttermilk
172 Chile Watermelon Juice with Lime and Mint Leaves
175 South Indian Drip Coffee Filter Coffee
177 8 | Chutneys and Pickles
179 Cilantro Coconut Chutney
181 Ma’s Tomato Chutney
183 Caramelized Shallot, Almond, and Red Chile Chutney
185 Meyer Lemon Pickle Nimbehannu Uppinakayi
188 Rhubarb Strawberry Pickle
189 Spicy Cranberry Relish Thokku
190 Chutney Powder Chutney Pudi
193 9 | From Scratch
194 Saaru (or Rasam) Powder Saarina Pudi
196 Huli (or Sambar) Powder Huli Pudi
198 Vangi Baath Powder Vangi Baath Pudi
199 Roasted Fenugreek Seed Powder Menthyada Pudi
200 Yogurt Mosaru
202 Indian-Style Clarified Butter Ghee or Thuppa
204 Hands Over Forks and Knives
205 meal planning and sample menus
206 where to buy ingredients and equipment
207 Starter grocery list
