Indian Cooking Class

On January 17th of this year, Phung of Asian Market (located on Wabash Avenue in Terre Haute, IN), invited me to teach an Indian Cooking Class.  She wanted me to cook a rice and curry recipe with lots of vegetables.  Because the temperature was only 15 degrees outside the Lentil Soup with Warm Roasted Pitas were a big hit.

We tried the following recipes from my blog:

"Biryani Made Easy"

"Masala Chickpea Chole"

We also made "Cool Cucumber Raita" and "Lentil Soup."

With the Lentil Soup, I taught the class how to make "Warm Pocket Pitas." If you have an electric stove, you cover the burners with a grill and warm the pitas.  This can also be done in a toaster oven.  Pitas will puff up and will be toasted and roasted.

During my class, there were a few questions I answered that I though I would share with you:

Q: One Gentleman: "I was given a jar of Dry Mango Powder and was wondering how to use it?"

A: Dry Mango Powder can be used as a substitute for sour things like lemon juice, but it will change the color by darkening it.  It can be used with lentils and chickpeas, also. 

Q: A Nurse from Chicago: "Nursing mothers sometimes do not eat well and have a difficult time producing enough milk.  What can help with this problem?"

A: Cumin seeds and a glass of milk helps with breast-feeding.  If the cumin seeds are too old, they will not work, so they should be very fresh.

More photos from our cooking class:

If you live in the local Terre Haute, IN area and would like more information about future cooking classes, please feel free to email or call me!:

This Week's Healthy Tip:

Benefits of Taking a Cooking
Class

From: http://www.lacookingclasses.com/2010/07/benefits-of-taking-a-cooking-class/

If you enjoy cooking taking a cooking class, it is something that you should consider because of the many benefits that it provides. However, cooking classes are not just for people who enjoy cooking. Cooking classes are also quite popular for people who are learning how to cook. There are many different styles of cooking classes, such as different levels and different styles of cuisine. In order to maximize the benefits that you will be receiving from your cooking class you want to ensure that you choose the best cooking class for your needs.

Learn to Cook New Dishes

One of the biggest benefits from taking a cooking class is that you are going to learn how to cook a specific type of cuisine. For example, if you take an Italian cooking class you will learn all about preparing Italian dishes. The type of dishes that you learn to prepare is going to vary based on your cooking skills prior to taking the class. If you don’t know anything about a specific type of cuisine you will want to take a beginner’s class, but if you have already mastered the basics you will want to take one of the harder classes because you can learn more from the harder classes. The best part about learning new dishes is you can take them home and introduce them to your friends and family. They will be impressed with your new found culinary skills!

Learn Culinary Techniques

Another great benefit to taking a cooking class, even if it is just a beginner’s class is that you will be learning some new techniques. The great thing about learning new techniques when it comes to cooking is that you often reuse your techniques in other types of cooking. You can easily take the new techniques that you learn in a specific cooking class and apply them to your own style of cooking. For example, breading is used in a variety of cuisines. The Japanese use panko breadcrumbs for breading, which are a lighter style of breadcrumb. Breading is also used in Southern cooking, but they often use regular or seasoned breadcrumbs, which are thicker than panko breadcrumbs.

Save Money!

Taking a cooking class will also help you save money especially if you are accustomed to dining out. Although taking a class will cost you money, in the long run you will be saving money by not having to eat out as much as you used to. This is especially true if you live in a large city like Los Angeles, where the average restaurant bill is $25 per person for dinner. By taking a cooking class in Los Angeles you can cut down on dining out and also eat healthier since you have total control of the ingredients going into your meal.

Work with New, Unique Ingredients

Finally taking a cooking class is going to teach you about working with unique ingredients. This is important because you will be working with ingredients that you have never heard of before so learning how to work with them will allow you to use them correctly in other recipes aside from the ones that the class teaches you. When it comes to using unique ingredients you will be introduced to ingredients that are only used in a few select dishes because of how unique they are. However, you will also be introduced ingredients that you can use in a variety of dishes. Learning how to properly use these ingredients can give you an idea of how they might be used in other dishes that you cook to help bring new life to an old recipe.

While taking a cooking class is going to provide you with a lot of benefits the only way you are going to benefit is if you take the right class. To ensure that you are in the right class you will want to evaluate your current skills closely. You will also need to be honest with yourself so you can choose a class that is going to teach you, but also provide a bit of a challenge.