One of the best experiences I had in India, hands down, was attending a cooking class at Sita Cultural Center. I firmly believe food lies at the heart of any culture. I’m also an exceptionally greedy person, so naturally I’m very biased about feeing this way.
Led by the warm and bubbly chef, Shafeya, we spent the morning and afternoon shopping for ingredients at a local market, preparing our meal, and then sitting down to feast on our spice-laden creations.
To begin with, Shafeya went through all the menu options with us, allowing us to select the meal we wanted to cook. After some deliberation, we agreed upon green stuffed paratha and chettinad potato peas fry for the side dishes, coconut milk fish curry for the main course, and masala chai for the dessert.
I was excited. Before the cooking class had begun I was already salivating at the thought of eating the culmination of our labour!
Food market tour
After we made our selections, Shafeya led us to Goubert food market. Here, we shopped for the necessary ingredients and she highlighted interesting sections and wove in stories about traditional and cultural practises relating to food and cooking.
It was intoxicating for the senses and an opportunity for us to experience the fast rhythm of local life at the market where thousands pass through each day.
Read more: Exploring The Labyrinth Of Goubert Food Market In Pondicherry
What often strikes me about cooking in other countries is how the food still centres on locally available ingredients and seasonal produce.
In England, where almost everything seems to be imported, and where the farmer’s markets are the expensive alternative to supermarkets, the idea of cooking with only fresh, local ingredients seems almost like an extravagance. In India, and other parts of the world, it’s the norm.
The cooking class: learning how to cook Indian dishes
Once we were stocked up, we headed back to Sita Cultural Center and got into the kitchen, where we were really put to work! We were in a group of only four people – Elsa, myself and a lovely mother and daughter duo who were travelling the world for a year. Quite a bold adventure, eh?
They said they really wanted to immerse themselves into each place they visited by doing an abundance of cultural activities. I think this really is the essence of what slow travel is about. I wish I could do more of it, but for the time being, I’ll have to settle for shorter trips while trying to cram in as much as I can.
The preparation
Each of us were responsible for all the chopping, rolling, and cooking. I couldn’t help but feel I was the most inadequate in the kitchen. Shafeya seemed somewhat amused by this and came over to monitor me like a naughty child. While I was peeling the garlic, which seemed to be taking forever, she showed me a hack.
Pro tip: You simply bash the head of the garlic on a chopping board, pop them into a jar, shake them about, and hey pesto, the outer peel more-or-less just falls off. Magic, eh?
Making the coconut milk
The first lesson of the day was how to make coconut milk for the fish curry which was surprisingly laborious. You shred fresh coconut in the blender with water, transfer it into a cloth, then squeeze it into a sieve using your hand or a spoon. After you repeat the process a few times and eventually you have coconut milk!
I asked if I could just use canned milk because sometimes fresh coconuts can be difficult to find in London. By Shafeya’s reaction, it was like I offended one of the Gods. The answer was no. Shafeya lamented the importance of cooking everything from scratch, even if the process is time consuming.
(Although I do love this philosophy, I’m not going to lie… I probably won’t do this at home. I’m pretty sure I’ll buy my coconut milk from my local Tescos or M&S when it comes round to making this dish at home! I know, I’m a cheat!).
The great debate: Spicy or not?
Shefeya taught us the preparation that needed to go into each dish and she tried to adapt certain aspects of the dishes to suit our palate. However, one question caused division between the group: hot or not?
I love hot and spicy food, and so does Shefeya so I voted for spicy. However, the others in the group wanted the spice level to be mild-medium. We had been out voted so we went with mild-medium (fair is fair). In the end I think it was the right choice.
Something I noticed about Indian food is that the preparation for each dish can be quite long when you do everything from scratch. However, the actual cooking time is quite short. For example, the fish was only on the flame for a couple of minutes on each side, but we marinated it for 25 minutes first. Then, after being fried we tossed it into the curry a few minutes prior to serving.
Stuffed paratha – my favourite!
Another dish I really enjoyed making was the green stuffed paratha. For those of you who are not sure what it is, imagine a buttery, flaky, and crispy flatbread, a little bit similar to chapati but usually made with filling.
They are simple and fun to make. You shape the dough with your hands before using a rolling pin to ensure the dough is even before adding the filling. Parathas are often made to accompany curry, or you can eat them for breakfast or as a snack all on their own.
Then after all the work was done, came the feast. The moment we had been looking forward to right from the start!
Everything was perfectly delicious and doubly satisfying, given the work we had put into making it.
As we ate, we continued to ask Shafeya about Indian customs and traditions. She showed us the technique for eating curry with just the right hand so we wouldn’t drop a single grain of rice. By the end of it, we felt quite accomplished and equally stuffed to the brim!
You might also like: 11 Cultural Activities to Experience in India
I would highly recommend a class at Sita Cultural Center to anyone traveling to Pondicherry. Our instructor Shafeya was wonderful and the food was delicious.
Most importantly, I came away having greater knowledge about Indian cooking, the cuisine I love the most. I also have the confidence to replicate the dishes I learnt in my own kitchen in London. At least, I hope so…
