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INDIAN COOKING MADE EASY...AND DELICIOUS

By Hiedi Christensen

If you're like me, you love Indian food but have never quite been able to make it yourself. Oh, I graduated from McCormick's Curry PowderÑthat obnoxiously yellow beige stuff in the spice section at the A & PÑto the pricey little jars of paste at the gourmet shop. I've bought spices and tried to make it from scratch and shopped for spice mixes (masala) at the Indian stores in the upper twenties on the east side. But it just wasn't the same; I knew I was missing something fundamental about the technique or ingredients. In fact, I had just about given up when I discovered that Veena Shetty was giving classes on Indian cooking. More than a class, it's a hands-on workshop culminating in a delicious five-dish meal (six, if you count the papad she brought).

While each class has a different menu, in this one we focused on the four spices fundamental to Indian cooking. There are nearly a dozen other spices that vary by region and by dish. We learned how the spices look, smell and taste when you buy them and prepare them. By the way, there's no such thing as a "curry" or "curry powder" at least in India: the term was coined by British imperialists who exported it to the West along with the food.

In an easygoing, friendly atmosphere Veena covered many cooking basics (soaking the rice before cooking and preventing chopped potatos from browning) as well as more advanced techniques (preparing coconut milk and when and how to add spices most effectively) that are useful whether you're preparing chicken vindaloo or chicken soup. I was also impressed by Veena as a teacher. She expertly fielded every questionÑbasic or obscureÑand maintained a fun, dynamic atmosphere from beginning to end.

Speaking of the end, not only did we enjoy a great meal, but we got spice packets to get us started. I've been experimenting this last week, and I can finally say that I can cook a good, basic Indian meal.

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