Deepa's Secrets: Slow Carb New Indian Cuisine

If you are new to Indian cooking or low carb concepts, this pretty book will be a nice beginning guide. If you have been around the low carb or Indian blocks, this book won’t be revelatory.There’s no denying that the pictures are gorgeous and the author’s personal story interesting, but these days most diabetics and weight conscious people understand that rice and bread aren’t great food choices. The author’s discovery is clearly recent. The recipes here are not a big departure from the Indian food I’ve been cooking for years and probably not from what you’ve been cooking too if you’re into that cuisine. Overall, Indian food is reasonably low carb until you throw in all the bread and rice.A staple of Indian meals is dried dal aka lentils prepared a myriad of ways, providing protein for the many who don’t eat meat. Because dal is fiber rich, the carbs are more slowly absorbed and there’s less of a blood sugar spike. The biggest disappointment to me about this book is the lack of dal recipes. While there are a few recipes using beans (Meat Lovers’ Indian Chili, Black Eyed Peas) the dal centerpiece here is “Dals for Dummies” - a pretty basic chana dal recipe. There’s nothing much about alternate protein sources (pro or con) like TVP (textured vegetable protein), bean curd, or soy. There is but one quinoa and one farro recipe each. Nothing about alternate pastas or faux rice -which admittedly are not Indian but could function similarly to rice. Spiralizers? Konjac noodles? Nutriwell pasta rice? Anything similar or better? Nothing.There’s nothing overtly wrong with this book. My point is only that my hopes and expectations were aimed at something truly new, and this collection seems to be reinventing the wheel. It’s nice and easy to follow, just be clear about what you want from it before purchase.

I love this cookbook. I’ve taken numerous Indian cooking classes and this is the first time I feel like I am creating the same flavors I have tasted. And, these recipes take a reasonable amount of time. The bonus is the photography and narratives are like you’re in the kitchen with Deepa.

Wow, this is a real find....If you had just one Indian Cookbook....this should be it. It is not standard Indian Fare-it has an incredible range of taste and texture. In a class by itself really......Did the Dash Diet, used this book, and have lost 10% of my body weight in 2 months while dropping blood pressure from high...right back into the regular zone-while eating better than ever.This is the real deal-sits right next to my second volume of Joys of Cooking......it is that essential.

This book is perfect for foodies and soul searchers alike as it nourishes both your taste buds and one's heart! The recipes are absolutely scrumptious and are beautifully outlined and photographed. It's totally unique as a cookbook for not only was I extremely excited to cook everything but was engrossed and inspired by the heartwarming story Deepa writes.For a recent dinner party I made the Smashed Chickpea and Toasted Peanut cakes accompanied by the Chutput Ketchup along with the Fennel, Radicchio, Fresh Berry Salad and the New Indian Cacciatore. My guests thought I was a genius! Sadly not, it was all Deepa's Secrets.

I've been engaged in Indian cooking for a little while, and really enjoy it. I'm one who likes to learn and understand techniques, ingredients, spice paring and why certain ingredients get along, and then use recipes as guide lines to create my own, only because always following recipes is to stressful to me. This book put all that together for me and now I can " "free lance" Indian cooking with good results. I have followed many recipes in the book and they all turned out great, and maybe someday some of mine will be as good as Deepas.

While the book is beautiful put together, written and photographed, the actual recipes are not terribly interesting for me. For me, "Aarti Party" is a much better book for Indian flavors (and a phenomenal one at that). Low carb does not have to be uninteresting (or overly complicated).

This is a beautiful book and could easily find a home on your coffee table except that you'll be using it in the kitchen to cook up some really terrific meals. It helps if you have an Indian grocery store near by as there are lots of spices and other goodies that you might not have at the Piggly Wiggly. Buy the freshest ingredients possible, many are available at Amazon if you don't have direct local access. Tastiest and most interesting slow carb, diabetic friendly book I have seen.

I was a bit disappointed. Almost all the recipes, it seems, are dependent upon creating a few basic spice mixes or other base seasonings. I don’t like to do that, because I’m generally only planning a meal or two, and the rest of the seasoning goes to waste. So I haven’t actually made any of the recipes yet. I work two jobs and having to come home and start up before I can start up is a lot of trouble. On the plus side, it really is a beautifully made book and the photos are gorgeous.

Good big glossy book. Could do with more meat curry recipes though.

Not useful

Here's the deal: this is a beautifully produced book with luscious pictures of tantalizingly appetizing food.But here's my grouse. For the Indian reader or the frequent browser of low carb recipes there might not be a lot of new information or very unfamiliar recipes. I'd expected more novelty when I decided to buy this, going to learn something new. That said, I believe the test of a decent cookbook is for it to have at least a dozen recipes that I'd like to try and this book does succeed in that respect.Either way, I don't regret buying this, of nothing else it's made for a beautiful addition to my cookbooks.

Best cookbook in a while. Easy read; great recipes & healthy Indian food - not easy to find. Only complaint is that author buys some ready made items (Chaat Masala, Garam Masala) - those complex spice mixes could be forgiven. Not forgiven - recipe for buying papadums (good idea) and instructions for frying (it’s on the package). That being said, book is worth the $, with great recipes & a nice story shared.

Too many ingredients in the recipes that I don't have and don't know where to buy them. Not staples in my kitchen. The book is great on pictures and history,