REVIEW: The Delicious Book of Dhal

 The Delicious Book of Dhal
Author: Nitisha Patel

I am trying to improve my work/life balance so coming up with new hobbies and ways to enrich my state of being. I enjoy cooking. It's useful, but relaxing and interesting for me at the same time. Because I live in a large metro region now, I can easily find nearly any ingredient I need or branch out into any sort of cuisine. 

I chose Indian food first. Mostly because...well.....yum! 

I grabbed this book at my local library and sat down to just read, browse through the recipes and look at the full color photos. 

I generally check out a cookbook.....find some recipes to save and try.....review the book....and return it to the library. I enjoyed this one so much I added an extra step. I put the book on my wish list to buy a copy. 

There are more than 50 vegetarian or vegan dhal recipes in this book. The ingredients are simple and the instructions are clear. And -- the food is amazing!! 

For anyone who doesn't know what dhal is....  Dhal refers to dried lentils, peas and beans. The word is used both for the dried ingredients and a dish made from them. It is surprising just how varied cooking with dhal can be.....everything from side dishes and soups to main courses and desserts. There are so many different kinds of lentils, peas and beans. Very colorful and they store like magic! 

I didn't find a single recipe in this book that made me pause and think...."Ohhhh this is just too complex for me to want to try it" or the dreaded "I don't even know what these ingredients are"   Nope -- instructions are straightforward, and there is also an Introduction that has details about the different types of dhal and a list of spices. Most of the ingredients I already had in my pantry! 

The recipes are varied. Several different types of dhal and also paste and chutney, plus desserts! The choices are vegan and vegetarian. If someone wanted to add meat, they could. And the vegetarian recipes could easily be changed to vegan by switching out milk and cheese ingredients to vegan options. 

I have a finite amount of space for physical cook books, but this book earns a spot on my shelf! 

Yum!! An excellent place to start.....great basic book to have on hand.