Kurma

Oh, better no doubt is a dinner of herbs,
When season'd with love, which no rancour disturbs
And sweeten'd by all that is sweetest in life
Than turbot, bisque, ortolans, eaten in strife!

But if, out of humour, and hungry, alone
A man should sit down to dinner, each one
Of the dishes which the cook chooses to spoil
With a horrible mixture of garlic and oil,
The chances are ten against one, I must own,
He gets up as ill-tempered as when he sat down.

- Lord Lytton (Edward Robert Bulwer Lytton) ("Owen Meredith")
Source: Lucile (pt. I, canto II, st. 27)

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Here's some vision from my Saturday class in Wingham - my fourth in this charming New South Wales Mid North Coast town. It was a semi hands-on, semi demonstration class, and it worked very well.

Rolling potato balls stuffed with chili and ginger, fresh coconut, coriander and a hint of chopped raisins ready to be battered and fried to crispy perfection.

These six friends drove a substantial distance to be at the class.

This was our menu, by the way:

“Classics from the Subcontinent”

South Indian Mustard-infused Lemon Rice with Cashews & Fresh Coconut
Classic Fresh Panir Cheese with Spinach & Cream (Palak Panir)
Herbed Fresh Tomato and Yogurt Salad (Raita)
Crispy Battered Potato Puffs (Aloo Vadas) with Fresh Mint Chutney
Gujarati Fenugreek-scented Pumpkin Curry with Flame-toasted Pappadams
Succulent Saffron Milk Dumplings in Rose, Cardamom and Star-Anise (Gulab Jamuns)

We served all that in four separate tastings, with cooking in between, over 4 hours, as per the demonstration style. Students sat while I cooked, but the added hands-on meant more interaction and fun. That mixed style of presentation doesn't work in every kitchen, but it sure did in this one.

A bit of help with the final stages of cooking our freshly made farm-milk panir with spinach and cream.

Andrew and Jenny have attended every one of my classes at Wingham and derive newer and newer inspiration each time. And yes, everyone chose to eat standing up, so I went with it.

In fact Andrew just wrote me:

"Dear Kurma, Thanks for a great class on Saturday. Jenny and I came home enthusing about the dishes we ate. The gulab jamuns were sublime!!!! I made the lemon rice dish tonight and had it with a potato dish and a raita. Yes I'm inspired; so thanks again and keep up the great work with your blog and web site. Regards Andrew".

Discuss (1 response) Comment [1] Trackback [0] Wingam Weekend

Not born, but from a Mother's body drawn,
I hang until half of me is gone.
I sleep in a cave until I grow old,
Then valued for my hardened gold.

What am I?

Discuss (3 responses) Comment [3] Trackback [0] What Am I?