Cooking up a new syntax for vegetarians
Reviewed by Geetu Vaid

Diva Green. A Vegetarian Cookbook
by Ritu Dalmia.
Hachette. Pages 224. Rs 699

vegetarianism may be the latest trend but the general belief is that choice is a luxury that a vegetarian's plate and palate can hardly afford. It is this myth that celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia sets out to bust in her Diva Green. Vivacious and ebullient queen of Italian cuisine in India, Dalmia picks up the modest vegetarian ingredients and gives them an exotic and mouthwatering twist with her recipes. So here you have your humble potatoes, eggplant, carrot, pumpkin, beetroot etc transformed into exotic souffl`E9s, gnocchi, roesti et al. Soups, salads, ceviche, risotto, dips and sauces, she lays out a delectable global fare for the gastronome.

By her own admission, her recipes are a result of her experience in restaurants abroad where most chefs thought "a vegetarian would only eat vegetables" and straightaway refused having anything to serve to a vegetarian. Wholesome, delicious full meals for vegetarians, thus is her goal in this endeavour to refine and redefine vegetarian dishes. Each section and each recipe has a vegetarian ingredient that is the "hero" around which she weaves a sumptuous menu. Dalmia, who runs Diva restaurant in Delhi, is known for her innovative streak and vegetarian recipes in her third collection stand testimony to this fact. She innovates by blending ingredients and flavours.

So you have a pumpkin pie and tortelli with pumpkin, beetroot risotto and beetroot soufflé, mushroom flan and a host of other such interesting combinations. There is one section devoted to fruits and it has some worth-trying combinations. Easy-to-follow and no-fuss recipes make this cookbook practical. Simplicity is the biggest appeal of this book in which pictures, too, have been used with an interesting twist. If choosing a vegetarian menu has been a challenge, then Diva Green is a must have for you.

HOME