Before I went vegan, I did not particularly care for Indian food. Ethan however was a big fan. He never pushed me to go out for it, but everyone once in a long while, I would begrudingly go with him. However, after going vegan, my palate began to change and I grew to love Indian food. In fact, I was often the one suggesting it for dinner. As both my love for Indian food and my desire to amass a collection of great vegan recipes grew, I discovered Richa Hingle’s blog Vegan Richa. While the blog isn’t entirely Indian food, it is filled with wonderful recipes for tasty meals. When she announced that her book Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Vegan Heritage Press, LLC. May 2015) was coming out, I knew I had to have it. When it arrived, my mouth began watering just from the cover photo alone and I knew this was going to be a culinay adventure.

Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen makes Indian food accessible for any cook, regardless of skill level. Richa simplifies seemingly complex techniques and shows you how to transform your food using combinations of spices and textures. Whether you want to really delve into Indian cuisine, or simply add some new twists on old favorites, this book will guide you. Before opening this book, I only ever thought about Indian food as lunch or dinner fare. Was I ever wrong! There are breakfasts, snacks, desserts, and so much more. If you’re like me, your spice rack isn’t outfitted for Indian cooking, but fear not, Richa provides a grocery list to ensure that you have the basic spices and pantry items on hand to tackle all the recipes in this book. Richa even offers suggestions of where to start based on you skill level: beginners should start with more familiar and predictable tastes and textures like Chana Masala and Naan, while the more advanced can jump into Dal Makhani and Gobi Musallam.

The first chapter of the book gives a review of the spices of Indian cooking, Dals (lentils, peas and beans) and even the different grains and flours used. Richa offers substitution suggestions, so if you cannot find the exact ingredient, you will not be halted from following a recipe. Moreover, within the recipes, Richa indicates replacement spices wherever possible, providing alternatives and variations so you can be creative with the spices called for in the recipes. In addition to all the recipes for main dishes and desserts, there is a section devoted to chutneys, spice blends and basics which will enable you to whip up and Indian feast in a moment’s notice or simply add some exotic flair to one of your own recipes.

While the recipes alone are enough to make this book wonderful, the photography will have your eyes beaming and your taste buds dancing. Once you see the wonderful meals you will be able to make, you will want to jump in and start cooking. Here is a sample of what you can make (reprinted with permission from Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen, Vegan Heritage Press, LLC 2015):

In connection with our review, we are raffling off a copy of Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen. Click here for details. But if you cannot wait, and who could blame you, you can buy it now. Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen will be a welcome addition to your cookbook collection. Your taste buds will thank you.