Kurma

M from USA writes:

'Can you post a recipe for a good creamy salad dressing, as opposed to a thin oily one. Maybe something with honey and mustard. I'm basically looking for something sweet but with a slight tang to it.'

My reply:

'Let me see....my creamy favourite would be 1 part freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 3 parts extra-virgin olive oil, 1/8 - 1/4 part honey or maple syrup, 1 part thick greek full-fat yogurt, a sprinkle asafetida, a few flakes sea salt, a good grinding of black peppercorns, ground and soaked mustard seeds or bought mustard to taste. Put in a jar and shake, or whisk if thick.'

M replies:

'Thanks so much, tried it out and was just what I was looking for :)'

Lee from Melbourne writes:

'Hi Kurma, I would really appreciate some advice on how to prevent my falafels disintegrating to almost nothing when I deep-fry them. The same thing happens to my chickpea cutlets.'

My reply:

'Hi Lee, The answer is quite simple and you will kick yourself when you hear why: You are using cooked chickpeas, maybe from a can.

Falafel are made from RAW chickpeas. Cooked chickpeas will always make your falafel disintegrate.

You must not buy cooked ones, or cook raw ones. You must buy raw, dry chickpeas from a grocer, soak them, drain them, grind them, then proceed with the salt and herbs and spices, roll into balls and deep-fry.

Same with the chickpea cutlets. You can make chickpea cutlets from cooked chickpeas, but if you do that you must pan-fry them in a little oil, not deep-fry them. Hope this sheds light. Best wishes, Kurma'

Lee replies:

'Yes I have been using organic canned chick peas. One kick for me. Thank you so much for such a prompt reply. Warm regards, Lee.'

The year was 1980, and the place was Malvern Road, Prahran, Melbourne. Downstairs was a dry cleaners, and upstairs was an early incarnation of the now famous Gopal's Vegetarian Restaurant.

The manager at the time, Brihaspati, pulled me aside one day and suggested we should run some cookery classes, since my daily cooking was eliciting very favourable comments. Some of the guests had even asked for the recipes, he said. At this time I had not written any cookbooks, nor had I ever put on anything that vaguely resembled a cooking class.

I was horrified with the suggestion. Me? In front of a crowd. I was petrified; Public speaking was not my forte. But Brihaspati kept nagging me about it. The clincher was this: he suggested we call the classes 'Cooking with Kurma'. It sounded appealing...

Not long after, the posters went up, the enrolments rolled in, and we held our first 6-week demonstration course, on a wednesday evening. 80 people were booked; it was a grand success.

We held many many more courses at all the different Gopals addresses since then - Flinders Lane, Elizabeth Street, and finally the current venue, 139 Swanston, opposite the Town Hall. I wrote books, did my TV shows, and hit the road. The rest is history.

In celebration of those heady years, I'm returning to Gopals for more classes. The first of these all-inclusive hands-on cookery workshops, concluding with a grand feast, will be held on Sunday 12 October. For bookings call 03 8555 0361.