Today we were in a commercial working farm in Langley for an Indian cooking class hosted by two home cooks: Dimpu and Naz.
They hold classes monthly, each one a different theme. Today it was Indian street food. Three courses prepared as a group then eaten in succession. I won’t be writing about the specifics of the recipes and how to make any of the following, instead, I invite you to take one of their classes yourself. To be able to learn these practical skills for yourself, to then be able to replicate them in your home for yourself, friends, and family.
The class includes live cooking demos, a guided hands-on cooking experience, spice blending and technique rundown, the ability to sit-down and enjoy the foods of your labour, a copy of all the recipes, unlimited masala chai, and the ability to enjoy the scenic locale.
I have eaten a lot of Indian food, but this is my first time preparing it. And I might be biased, but it is some of the best I have had. This also could be because we were able to see everything going into the meal, noting how everything was all natural using simple ingredients.
The class began with all participants dawning on aprons and gloves and prepping all the vegetables and herbs needed to cook our three courses. This was like a community class, you aren’t just making your own serving, everyone is taking part in the activity as a whole, and the food is prepared family style. Each person takes up individual roles to help complete the end goal. There isn’t enough tools for everyone, which means you are able to do as much and take part as much as you want.
We began with the chopping, slicing, and dicing of vegetables, chicken, paneer, and herbs. And pausing to watch demos, while asking questions.
I liked the concept of the class, but felt that it could be better organized. Seeing as they were looking for volunteers for everything, there was a lot of idle time and standing around. There was also an awkward balance between wanting to help and having to let others have a turn. I felt a lot of not wanting to step on toes, while others took command seeing as many more did not step up.
Here, I would recommend numbering individuals and assigning them into groups. One to chop the vegetables, the other to slice chicken thighs and paneer. (We actually worked on the latter.) This would ensure that individuals stayed engaged and that the work would be done on time. Whereas this class went beyond the advertised 3 hours, which is already a long time for any class. And truthfully once the pace slowed down and we were allowed the rest, we no longer wanted to engage the same.
We also started later, allowing stragglers to join on their time. This time was spent mingling and enjoying masala chai. This was a nice add on, but once again it only delayed the class. Which in the end meant we missed out on dessert, having only allocated 3 hours for the class and the one hour it to drive there and the another to then get home.
On the menu was Kathi Rolls with marinated chicken and paneer, slaw, and homemade chutneys. This was like a thin airy wrap filled with either grilled Indian Cottage Cheese or tender chicken marinated in a blend of spices, herbs and tangy yogurt. Each person made their own, weaving through a buffet line of build your own bite to customize it to your liking.
Speaking of customizing, our instructors were great at accommodating, but I would advise letting attendees know that there are no substitutions considering this is a community class. As a result additional time was spent making one of items for the person who needed gluten free patties, the other who wanted absolutely no spice, and the person who had a cilantro allergy and needed to be away from it. Part of the waiver should be acknowledging that the food is prepared outdoors and as a group, so there is no way to guarantee protection from allergies or preferences.
We were unable to eat until 2 hours in and by then we were bordering on hangry, arriving to the event without eating much to be able to fully indulge here. Something I took into consideration, seeing as they were unable to allow anyone to pack anything to go for safety reasons. So you had to eat as much and what you could in the here and now.
Our first course was actually the Aloo Tikki sliders. The patties are made from half farm-fresh potatoes and the rest supplemented from Costco. Attendees were asked to peel and then mashed potatoes, chop ginger, and slice green chillies. We would then combine them all, hand rolling and squishing out these potato patties to be fried on the griddle. Lucky the grilling process was quick as the patties were made with cooked ingredients and you were basically heating them and giving them a good level of char. This too you build to eat, patty in soft buns topped with spiced chickpeas and chutneys. Luckily they made the latter ahead of time, understanding the time constraints, but we were walked though how to make both mint and tamarind chutneys, ourselves, at home.
What we missed was the Shahi Tukda, Indian Bread Pudding with Rabri. This was golden-fried bread slices soaked in sugar syrup, topped with thick, creamy Rabri, and garnished with saffron, rose water, and slivered nuts. This would have been an interesting floral palate cleanser, but once again we would never know. As a customer this felt like we were not getting the full benefit of the class, and it was not our fault that the time was not better kept.
There were also lots of logistical issues throughout the event. I understand to an extent that there can always be complications and unknown variables that may unexpectedly arise, especially when engaging in a pop up like this. However they have been doing this for a year now, so I would expect a stronger execution and better organization of space and time. There was the need to have helpers pass them spices and utensils, and to have ask what they need, rather than having everything better planned out geographically and operationally. It would be nice to see this all more streamlined with less hiccups, learning from past experiences.
I did like how we had the ability to roam the farm during the class. We took walks in between sessions when we needed a social break or got too listless. We enjoyed the whimsical garden decor, collection of antiques, and the ability to walk their fields.
As a whole, I liked the event and thought it a fun way to learn more about Indian cuisine, have a meal, and enjoy some time outdoors, I just wished it was all done smoother.
Dimpu & Naz Cook n Bake Cooking Workshops
1065 224 Street, Langley Township, BC V2Z 2W6
dimpunazcooknbake.ca
