INDIAN COOKING WITHOUT FAT: The Revolutionary New Way to Enjoy Healthy and Delicious Indian Food

Baljekar takes traditional Indian recipes and revises the ingredients and preparation methods to lower the dishes' fat content. By dry roasting spices instead of frying them in ghee (clarified butter); using low or nonfat yogurt, sour cream and coconut milk; and grilling or baking meats instead of deep frying them, Baljekar sidesteps saturated fat pitfalls. The drawback to the techniques is that many of the recipes can be labor intensive. Shopping for a comprehensive spice list and special ingredients, prepping (grinding and roasting spices, pureeing ginger and garlic, making broth) and then making the recipes themselves is a time-consuming process. Preparing some of the ingredients a day or so beforehand helps—the purees can be stored for two weeks in the refrigerator and the roasted and ground spices last for 10 to 12 weeks. The rewards are flavorful, low-fat dishes: Chicken Tikka Masala is fresh tasting and creamy, Spiced Mixed Lentils is fragrant with pungent black mustard seeds and Karnataka Potato Curry is bright and savory. They might not be as rich as the high-fat versions served in Indian restaurants, but they're perfect for the calorie-conscious diner; this is an excellent book for intermediate to advanced cooks looking to spice up healthy eating. (Jan.)