From the book blurb
The Slim Punjabi is a
delightful collection of Punjabi food recipes, information on Punjabi culture
and of course the most famous love stories from Punjab. And NO, it is not just
about how to make Butter Chicken and how to do ‘Balle! Balle!’! It’s a lot more
than that! This is an important book that will help preserve some of the finer
details about an exquisite cuisine of India.
· The recipes are for people in their mid-twenties to thirties,
working and staying away from home and somehow managing to cook. From the basic
daals and rotis to snacks, chutneys, and chaats, this book has everything one
can possibly associate with Punjabi food!
· It showcases cooking as a de-stressing activity. It’s an attempt
to make bachelors cook, and unwind, and enjoy wholesome Punjabi meals.
· The book takes brief side tours to give fascinating information on
everything, Punjabi music, religion, culture, love stories, traditions and much
more.
Author
Harmeet is a marketing
professional based out of Bengaluru, born and brought up in Delhi. She has been
an ardent lover of arts and culture since her childhood. She loves to paint,
read, write, cook, and explore everything around her. Working first in the
fashion industry and now with food has helped her combine her interests with
her work. The Slim Punjabi combines her passions for writing, cooking, fashion
and culture.
To know more
What I think
To
begin with, the cover page is vibrant and catchy. It is pink and girly. The
patterns are so Indian and I am sure that it gets full score as far as
attracting a potential reader is concerned. Secondly, the book blurb is concise
and conveys what is in store. The prologue nicely elaborates the story behind the
conceptualization of the book. It also briefs about what can be expected.
The
book is nicely divided into five sections, each section carries a river’s name
that flows through Punjab. They talk about the culture, food, festivals,
traditions, arts and also the famous love stories.
The
narrative flows with ease. The language used is very simple. Retelling is never
easy because you have to be very careful to not to tamper the essence. And, the
author has done fair justice.
I
loved the parts which narrated the famous tragic love stories of Punjab – The story
of Heer-Ranjha, Sassi-Punnun, Mirza-Sahiban, Sohni-Mahiwal. These stories touched
my heart.
In
spite of born and brought up in South India, I can moderately understand
Punjabi. With due thanks to Bollywood, Punjab and Punjabi culture has reached a
wider audience. I love Pattiala salwar,
joothi and flamboyance of Punjabi. I really
wish that I attend a Punjabi wedding someday. I can do balle-balle and enjoy the bhangra
style of dance. I am glad that this book helped me to understand the same
in a better manner.
I
enjoyed the last few pages that gived tips to starting a bachelor(ette)
kitchen. I am planning to set my own and this would be really helpful, I bet. I
also liked notes on author’s personal experience with each Punjabi cuisine along
with the recipes.
I appreciate
the author for this well-researched and well-presented book. It gives a glimpse
of Punjabi culture in a very vibrant and yummy manner.
But...
The
cover page could have been yellow or orange, the color of Punjab instead of
pink, which is largely perceived to be the color of Rajasthan.
No
other complaints!!!
Should you read it?
Without
any doubt!
Rating
4/5
Thank you
This book review is a part
of The Readers Cosmos Book Review Program. To get free books log on
to thereaderscosmos.blogspot.com
Thanks Anita.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure to know and read your words :)