Cooking Classes

Holiday Comfort Foods Cooking Class

When: Saturday, December 9th 2023

Time: 6pm-8pm

Where: Pondicheri Bake Lab + Shop (located right above Pondicheri) 2800 Kirby Drive, Suite B240

Roasted Lamb Shanks roasted with vegetables inspired by the legendary saffron, chile and cardamom-spiced Kashmiri Roghan Josh. Cauliflower will also be roasted in the oven with a peanut dipping or drizzling sauce. A decadent Macaroni and cheese using fresh pasta and 3 kinds of cheeses. We will guide you in making paratha, a layered flatbread and Kashmiri greens with caramelized onions and black cardamom.

Recipes:

Roasted Lamb Shank Roghan Josh with root vegetables

Calcutta Cauliflower

Masala Mac’n Cheese

Carrot Paratha

Kashmiri Greens (Haak Saag)

NOTE: There will be no substitutions based on dietary restrictions. The menu for the class is set.

January: The Essential Pantry

We launch the series with the fundamentals ~ the importance of good fresh seasonal ingredients. We will go over what a well-stocked pantry would need, why the age and quality of your spices matter and how best to store foods, from masalas to breads. We’ll be making the following prep items at the end of which, to inspire you to cook more intuitively, we will feed you a simple no-recipe dinner made with some of those ingredients.

Caramelized Onions

Minced Garlic

Ginger Puree

Green Masala

Coconut Masala

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, January 19th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, January 20th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, January 21st 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

February: The Five Elements

As we get into cooking, we’ll spend a few moments talking about what to eat and why it is important to know how to cook. Understanding how the five elements of the universe affect us and our balance as humans is the first lesson to learn about why we should care about what to eat. Then, we’ll follow up with recipes that enhance each element…

Moong Sprouts Salad | ether

Citrus Salad | air

Prawn Balchao | fire

Fresh Paneer Sabzi | water

Mushroom Walnut Pilaf | earth

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, February 9th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, February 10th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, February 11th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

March: Six Tastes of Food

The six tastes of food (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) are present in all foods, but in different permutations and combinations. Bitter is one the elements missing from the American diet but very integral to the Indian meal and we’ll explain why and how. When used in food in appropriate doses, these six tastes can bring balance to our bodily systems to yield happiness and good health.

Masala Chai

Nigella Steak

Cardamom Roasted Broccolini

Cumin Carrots

Chocolate Chile Cookies

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, March 8th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, March 9th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, March 10th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

April: Transitioning Into Spring

Season changing is a time when our body is most susceptible to disease so we should learn to tread carefully at this time. Foods that heal, are easy to digest and are light on the body are best.

Red Beet Soup

Patra Fish

Khichri

Jain Cabbage Salad

Grilled Asparagus with Yogurt

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, April 5th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, April 6th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, April 7th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

May: The Quintessential Spice Pop

Blooming, or popping whole spices like cumin, mustard or coriander in hot oil or ghee is one of the oldest techniques native to Indian cooking and is the best way to extract their flavor. This can be done at the beginning of a dish, at the end and to make a salad dressing or a sauce. Whole spices or crushed aromatic spices can be popped.

Uppma

Mango Tomato Avocado Salad

Punjabi Cauliflower

Goa Pork

Banana Raita

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, May 3rd 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, May 4th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, May 5th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

June: Light Summer Foods

Summer is the time to enjoy raw foods, bright salads, quick stir-fries, and the street foods of India. We’ll run through the mechanics of how to make a simple chaat at home and other such foods.

Chaat Mother Sauces: Cilantro Chutney, Tamarind Chutney and Cumin Yogurt

Black Channa Salad

Chicken Chaat Salad

Chile Masala Shrimp

Peach Crumble

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, June 7th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, June 8th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, June 9th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

September: Beckoning Fall

Fall is the time to start enjoying stews, warming soups, and crispy naans to welcome cooler weather. Heartier grains like millet can be easily digested as can heavier meats like pork and beef.

Millet Pilaf

Buttermilk Soup

Vindaloo Ribs

Masala Garlic Ghee

Royal Naan

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, September 13th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, September 14th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, September 15th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

October: Dosa Dreams

If you like beans, this is your class! Dosas, South India’s glorious, fermented rice and lentil crepes are a canvas for all sorts of cooking. They can transform into breakfast, lunch, and dinner and dosa crackers even make great snacks! Learn how to make this batter and incorporate it into your everyday cooking.

Variations on Dosa

Grilled Cheese Uthappam

Coconut Crab with Sesame Dosa

Classic Bean Salad

Sindhi Moong Dal

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, October 4th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, October 5th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, October 6th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

November: The Curry Class

The best curries are those where a smattering of spices infuses flavors and aroma gradually. Once you learn the basics of a curry, you can adapt that to make curries are home from anything from vegetables to eggs to seafood and meat. Learn how to make Anita’s ultimate vegetarian curry from Gujarat, the oondhiya.

Kerala Crawfish Stew

Homestyle Butter Chicken

Oondhiya

Carrot Roti

Saffron Citrus Rice Pilaf

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, November 8th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, November 9th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, November 10th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

December: Celebratory Foods

The holidays are the time to let your guard down and partake in some indulgent foods. From the black cardamom scented Kashmiri kebabs which are super simple to make to the more complex biryani, this class will cover it all. The Moonlight milk chaat has been adapted from a very famous street food served only during the cold months in the narrow market streets of inner Delhi.

Kashmiri Kebabs

Roasted Wild Quail

Sindhi Lamb Biryani

Brussels Blueberry Salad

Moonlight Milk Chaat

Cooking Class Dates

Friday, December 6th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

Saturday, December 7th 11am-1pm Zoom (link)

Sunday, December 8th 6pm-8pm In-House (link)

If you buy an in-person class for each month (10 months), you get a gorgeous hand-made brass Masala Dabba ($250 value) on us! Send us e-mail at eat@pondicheri.com

In House Cooking Class Information

All classes are held in our Bake Lab + Shop located right above Pondicheri. 

Each class includes 3-4 recipes of your choice to prepare along with dinner & dessert. 

Classes are scheduled evenings, between the hours of 6 pm and 9 pm. Each class lasts approximately 2.5 hours.

Classes are crafted for a minimum of 12 people so that everyone can get hands-on time. However, we have done classes with many more where some guests get hands-on and some enjoy viewing. 

Classes with Anita:

Minimum 12 people at $175/per person + tax. 

Classes with our Head Chefs:

Minimum 12 people at $125/per person + tax. 

Feel free to send us a message at eat@pondicheri.com and we would be more than happy to answer any questions and curate your next culinary adventure.