COOKING CLASS

A summer stew of chicken and sweet corn

I love stews any time of year. They are easy to make, there are always left overs and feel so comforting.

Spicy Roadside Chickpeas

I love chickpeas – they are so versatile, high and protein and delicious. Following is a simple recipe – have them with parathas, puris or rice. @font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Spicy Chickpeas – Serves 6 2…

Carrot Halwa

  Carrot Halwa is the perfect winter dessert.  Carrots are plentiful and healthful.  Use a grater or a food processor and you are on your way.   Put your friends to work – hand them a glass of wine and have them grate the carrots.  Look how happy this guy is.        …

Mussels in Coconut Broth and Fresh Curry Leaves

When it is this hot outside, I want to be in the kitchen as little as possible.

Turning on the oven is out of the question!

What do I turn to for the easiest and most impressive way to please a crowd?

Mussels in Coconut Broth and Fresh Curry Leaves.

Stuffed Gobi (Cauliflower) Parathas

I am often asked what a typical Indian Sunday brunch is.  This is a difficult question for me to answer, because there is no such thing as a typical anything in India, as far as I am concerned. One popular weekend brunch is Cauliflower filled Parathas (flat breads).  Parathas can also be filled with other…

Cooking without Recipes!

Long Beans and Japanese Eggplant Following is an “impromptu” dish that I cook up during many of my “Little India Shop and Cook” classes.  Impromptu – because we add to the recipe whatever we find at the market that is good and interesting, or fosters a lot of interest in the students. I have seen…

A Pinch of Salt

There has been much talk in the press about salt lately. As a chef instructor (and an avid home cook), I have often found myself saying that salt is very important in cooking.  It brings out the flavor of everything, and I mean everything.  A pinch of salt can bring things to life.  A little…

Cooking for kids – little S in particular

Until I came to the United States at the age of 16, I had never heard of special meals for kids – except maybe for really small kids who had 2 teeth or less. We got to eat everything that the adults were eating. I feel bad for kids who are made to eat “special”…

Street Foods of India – Gol Gappas, in particular

May 1st, 2009 I am so excited because I taught the Street Foods of India class again. Once again it was a hit amongst the students. I had a great time too. What made me the happiest was the ease with which all the students accepted Gol Gappas. A gol gappa or pani puri is…