We will cook 2 dishes. You will get a 3rd recipe from the menu and it’ll be easy to cook it on your own, since you’ll have learnt the basics of Indian cooking in the class. 

You can choose a menu from those listed below.

Contact me to discuss options (vegan, gluten-free, special diets or vegetarian dishes you would like to learn that are not listed here, etc) or an online demo. instead of a full-fledged cooking class.

STANDARD MENUS

MINI THALIS : North Indian Favourites (can be made with spices found in regular groceries):

  • Veg. Pulao (spiced rice dish with veggies and nuts)
  • A curry or gravy dish, like Veggies in Butter Chicken Sauce, Vegetable Korma, Chana Masala aka spicy chickpeas.
  • A dal, lentil dish or a sabji, dry veg. dish, or raita (salad with yogurt) or a vegan, cucumber salad or a starter like Bhaji/Bhajias, vegetable-chickpeas flour fritters, a mouth-watering snack or a dessert.

Here are some other typical North Indian dishes (can be made with spices found in most regular groceries):
* Dal Soup North Indian style * Mixed veg. sabji *Aloo-Gobi (Potato-Cauliflower) *Aloo Matar (Potato-Peas) *Stuffed Green Peppers  *Dal Makhani, creamy black lentils  *Saag (a curry with leafy green vegetables) We can add cheese/paneer or tofu  *Rajma, a hearty Red Kidney Beans Curry *Baigan Bharta (Roasted eggplant salad, in season), *Masala Chai (spice tea) *Mango Lassi *Sweet Lassi *Salt Lassi. *Saffron Milk Shake with Dry Fruits & Nuts *Golden Turmeric Milk (Yoga-special & super healthy)

Special spices made be needed for the menus below, involving a visit to an Indian grocery or ordering online (Totally Worth It!)

Popular regional options: *Tawa Pulao, colourful, uniquely spiced rice dish with cooked and fresh veggies *South Indian Style Pulao; *Rassa, Maharashtrian mixed veg curry with the divine Goda Masala (we will also make this spice mix in class), *South Indian Coconut Curries, *Dhansak, yummy Parsi dal (lentil) dish with fenugreek. (We will also make the spice mix for this dish.) *You can also buy ready made papadums and I’ll show you how to bake or fry them

*Coriander Chutney *Tamarind Chutney *Raitas — spiced yogurt salads — beetroot, spinach, potato, etc, *Kachumbar, spiced salads without yogurt, cucumber, carrot, etc. Desserts are listed right at the bottom.

MINI THALIS: Indian Regional Mix (recommended):
Explore Indian regional cuisine & 3 different spice mixes

  • A dal (lentil dish) Bengali style with Panch Phoran, a regional spice mix
  • A Poriyal, veg dish, South Indian style, with Coconut, asafoetida and mustard seeds & Madras Curry Powder
  • A Pulao, North Indian style rice dish with veggies & Garam Masala.

Indian Classics
*Khichari: rice and lentil dish with spices and veggies with a dollop of ghee, Indian clarified butter. One-dish meal; plant-based protein, popular all over India and Western yoga folks.
*Kadhi: A yogurt soup with chickpea flour, spices and veggies
*Flaxseed Chutney from Veena’s Table Or *Golden Turmeric Milk

Flaxseed Chutney is full of flavour, healthy and easy to make!

South Indian Special

Must try: deletable 1. Uttapams – rice-lentil pancakes with 2. Coconut Chutney and 3. Sambar, aka South Indian spicy lentils with veggies, Madras curry powder & tamarind. Slurrrrp!

MINI THALIS: South Indian Flavours: Less well-known, but must try!
* Sambar, South Indian spicy lentils with veggies, Madras curry powder & tamarind
* Poriyal, South Indian style veggie dish with shredded coconut, asafoetida, mustard seeds & Madras Curry Powder.
* Tomato or Coconut Chutney, or Cooked, or Spiced, Squash Salad with yogurt in season (Fall/Winter)
All the above eaten with Basmati rice.

MINI THALIS: Go South, stay South!
* Chana Dal Wadas, yummy lentil fritters with real curry leaves in them, plus other stuff
* Veggies in flavourful Coconut milk curry or Avial, a summer favourite, veg. curry in a coconut milk yogurt sauce.
* Lemon Rice, Or Basmati rice & Flaxseed Chutney from Veena’s Table
Variation: *South Indian style pulao instead of Lemon Rice

FUN WITH BAKED SAMOSAS: All Samosa classes will be 3 hours and cost more. We will make one type of baked samosas from the ones listed below. *Plus a wicked Tamarind Chutney. Choose from:
*Potato-Chickpea or Peas, North Indian style, the standard or
*Peas, coconut flakes & a special spice mix that we will also make (from Western India, my region) or
*Kale-Potato Samosa with Madras Curry Powder (South Indian inspiration)

Or

A SAMOSA FOR THE SWEET TOOTH: *Coconut-based Sweet Samosa, really yum (from Western India, my region) plus Bhaji/Bhajias, vegetable-chickpeas flour fritters, a mouth-watering snack

CELEBRATING STREET FOOD: YESSS!
I.
Misaal, spicy black-eyed bean stew layered with potato, tomato, onion, yogurt (optional for vegans) and
* Two chutneys, tamarind and coriander; plus a Chilli-Garlic Sauce
* Masala Chai (Indian spice tea)

II.
*Pav Bhaji, spicy, mixed veggie spread with a complex masala (spice mix) served on buttery buns. This spice mix is available in Indian stores *
* Masala Chai (Indian spice tea) Or
* Shallow Fried Bananas with coconut and cardamom; yum!

III.
* Bhel, Rice crispies (yup!) with potato & onion, peanuts and two chutneys, Tamarind and Coriander, plus a Chillie-Garlic Sauce – may sound weird but is delicious!
* Masala Chai (spice tea) Or
* Shallow Fried Bananas with coconut and cardamom

All the above is Bombay/Mumbai street food.

A Maharashtrian Meal from Veena’s Table (Regional Cuisine)
Zesty, shallow-fried, lightly spiced eggplant slices (in season; late summer)
Rassa, mixed veg. curry with Goda Masala, a lovely, regional spice mix which we will make ourselves
Green peppers and chick-pea flour veg. dish
Served with Basmati Rice or store bought naan.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: Fast, Anytime Indian from Veena’s table (Regional Cuisine: Maharashtrian)
* Pohe, a flavourful flat rice dishe with veggies and peanuts
* Chickpea & rice flour pancakes with veggies served with
* Coriander Chutney or Tamarind Chutney (kick-ass!) *

NEW and UNIQUE: An Anglo-Indian menu; a British legacy
*Mulligatawny Soup: A pleasing, peppery veg. soup
*Kedgeree: Ango-Indian version of the above-mentioned Khichari
*Eggstraordinary Egg Curry: hearty, high flavour dish with a complex gravy that can be made for a special weekend meal or a celebration

A ROYAL FEAST – a great way to celebrate an occasion
(There is a $25 CN supplement for this menu as it is time-consuming to make Biryani; around 3-hours)
*Dal Soup
* Hyderabadi Biryani, a rich, rice dish with veggies, spices, yogurt, nuts & dry fruits, partially baked
* Decadent Swiss Chard Raita with dates and walnuts or Saffron Milk Shake with Dry Fruits & Nuts

Indian starters: 2-3 hours depending; let’s talk
Choose from 1. Bhaji/Bhajia,vegetable-chickpeas flour fritters; 2. Chana Dal Wadas, yummy lentil fritters, 3. Zesty, shallow-fried, lightly spiced eggplant slices, 4. Spicy Potato-Corn Patties, 5. Cocktail Samosas, 6. Coriander Chutney, 7. Tamarind Chutney, 8. Bengali Grape Chutney on crackers; 9. Squash Raita on crackers (seasonal), 10. Chai Masala (Indian spiced tea), 11. Sweet or Salt Lassi (yogurt drink) 12. Masala Papadums (fried papadums with toppings)
Ideal class for a weekend afternoon!

Another weekend afternoon class is to make 2-3 desserts. The desserts I teach are healthy, and you can control the amount of fat and sugar in them!

Desserts *Semolina Halwa, *Carrot Halwa, *Zucchini Halwa, *Shallow fried bananas with coconut and cardamom (Vegan version possible), Indian Rice Pudding in Coconut Milk (Vegan) or Milk  *Coconut-cocoa ladoos * Stuffed dates with spices, super easy & yum *And don’t forget sweet drinks like Masala Chai, Mango Lassi, Saffron Milk Shake with Dry Fruits & Nuts and GoldenTurmeric Milk