Indian Cooking Experience Tour

                                            A base for any Indian dish, wet red masala paste, and onion!

I am proud of this blog because all the images are mine, am the photographer (smiley face)

Indian cuisine is one of the most loved cuisines in the world, mainly for its bright vibrant colors textures, and most importantly, its undeniable flavors that absolutely bring the heat! Indian cuisine is truly warm and family-oriented, the large portions are perfect for family gatherings and weddings.

To fully experience a country, you must experience its people and its people

are the food they eat! Take a plate and feast on a South African cooking experience, that celebrates Indian culture!

This cooking experience took place in

Johannesburg South Africa, starting from the historic oriental plaza, a shopping

a center that caters to all things Indian from samosas to fabric, this center has thousands of stores, which are owned by Indian families, the plaza (as its popularly called) opens its doors to thousands daily, most being Indian customers who predominately live in the surrounding areas, seeking spices, fabrics, carpets and even just some pair of shoes.

The plaza is also home to business owners especially fashion

designers in search of a variety of fabrics! But the plaza remains a

favorite destination for most South Africans A little stall inside the plaza (selling artificial flowers & homemade baskets

One interesting stall that can be found right at the center of the oriental plaza, is called samosa den, a den full of the yummiest bites!

Eight (8) amazing guests participated in this cooking experience, a perfect bunch, excited happy thoughtful, and open-minded group. The guests took a tour from the oriental plaza where they learned about Indian spices and the history of the plaza, after which all guests went into a tour bus and traveled to Lenasia, Lenasia is an Indian township located in the South of Johannesburg.

This cooking experience provided an engaging environment, were

guests asked questions, chopped tomatoes, took notes, and had

plenty of tasting!

                          Cooking experience guests take a selfie and enjoy chili bites at the oriental plaza

The cooking experience was facilitated by the lovely Sabera, she started cooking at the age of 11, her mother was a working woman, who left Sabera alone at home with only a piece of paper with instructions, Sabera always had an interest in food, she watched her mother every-time she cooked, so with no help at all, little Sabera found her way in the kitchen and never got lost.

Sabera holds a bowl of crushed onions & chilies

I asked her, what makes a good meal, she told me it takes a little bit of spice and a whole lot of love.

The cooking experience tour started with a lesson on the origin of spices, most spices can be found in the wild. Indian cooking is known to be very spicy and oily, but health-conscious Sabera has mastered the art of cooking with

minimal spices and oils yet still keeping the flavors!

Wet red masala paste. 

Masala is the hero of a meal, great as a marinate or making a sauce it brings out the best of anything

 Cinnamon sticks used in the rice

Curry Leaves- used in every single                   

curry, vegetarian/vegan 
chicken or beef          
curries

Basmati rice is plain rice that can be prepared in

many different ways, the fun part is that you can color the rice, yellow being a common color for this rice.





The most interesting part about this cooking experience was the warm welcoming feeling Sabera gave, her passion for food cooking and people, made the experience truly enjoyable 

                      Guests have a look as Sabera cooks her wet masala and onion base 

Sabera prepared a variety of vegetarian/vegan meals using the famous onion green chilies and wet red masala base!

                                           Spinach Masala Curry- A favorite

This mouthwatering dish left the guests licking their plates, the spinach masala boasts green chili and masala flavors, Sabera carefully fried onions green chilies on a hot pan, she then added a pinch of salt, tomatoes, and finally spinach, continually stirring the curry until cooked!

Spinach masala curry was definitely a favorite, it was cooked to perfection and did not lack flavors, the colors were equally perfect.

Spinach masala curry can be served with rice!

                                             The guest holds a bowl of spinach curry.

The menu was vegetarian, and the options were plenty!

The guests were treated to an amazing table of food, vibrantly colorful and truly Indian style, pan-fried potatoes, balsamic rice, spinach Masala, salsa, and two soup options (Kari & Dhal)

When I think vegetarian I think boring green vegetables, but I was totally blown away by how flavorful the meals were, I did not feel like I was eating vegetarian meals. It was delicious!

The table was beautifully set, with warm brown tones,

a beautiful floral detailed clothing table, and vintage dark brown dining chairs to create an authentic Indian living experience

The guests came with laughter jokes and did not forget their appetites, they could not wait to feast on meals that filled the house with beautiful aromas.

Finally, at the table, guests opted to have the full Indian experience by using hands instead of knives and forks, the better to lick off all the goodness. Seconds were the order of the day, it was no surprise either that plates were wiped clean by the guests.

                                  Guests chat away after enjoying their meals

The fun bunch took turns to introduce themselves, sharing personal stories, successes, failures, and joys. The guests had such diverse professions, 3 General Doctors, stay-at-home mom business owners, and yoga instructors, but they all had one thing in common, and that's their love for good flavors!

I tasted the Mugh for the first time, and it will not be the last. It's so easy to prepare, boil mugh and keep aside, in a pan heat the oil, add onion, jeera, and curry leaves and fry, add the rest of the spices and braise for a few minutes, add tomatoes, green chilies and serve.

Can be served with roti or rice. It's a colorful fun plate that is easy to eat and very tasty!

food and meeting new people

The pan-fried potatoes was another favorite

The perfectly fried potatoes were covered in wet red masala, Sabera added salt for taste and red chilies for flavor, with all this, one would be convinced the meals were hot, but the meals were not too spicy, no one choked or asked for water whilst at the table, the meals were just spicey enough.   

Guests could not have enough of the food, they were extremely happy when they received takeaway packs.

Their joy could not be contained, dances and smiles graced the room

                   The amazing 8, also stood up to sing birthday songs to the birthday girl!

and had a dessert to celebrate the birthday and close off, the tasty sweet treats were accompanied by an Indian tea, when the host mentioned masala tea I was a little hesitant, I thought spicy tea? but when she poured the tea into my cup, it smelled delicious and when I drank it, it was not spicy, it was fun to drink.

 

What the guests said about the cooking experience

"I loved the authenticity of the cooking experience and most importantly the taste of all that we cooked! Yummy" Tshego

"I had a blast, met lovely people" Khanya

"I loved that the food was healthy yet very tasty, meals you can't find anywhere in Sandton (wink)" Keke

To experience South Africa, you must experience its Culture, people, and traditions, all served on a plate through a cooking experience!