Not Your Average Kitchen: Fusion Foods , 3 Women, 3 Recipes
“Cooking is a survival skill, everybody needs it!” We are excited to kick-off our global recipes series, Not your Average Kitchen. For this edition, we have Fusion Foods with three amazing chefs, Sandhya Nadkarni, Shilpi Ranjan and Kiran Kewalramani From the air-fryer to sweet & savory, they bring three yummy recipes for all taste-buds to try this weekend. They share how they found their passions for cooking, and the stories and traditions behind their best recipes! Enjoy Not Your Average Kitchen, Fusion Foods Edition!
Kiran Kewalramani, Sandhya Nadkarni, and Shilpi Ranjan
1. Tell us your background! What inspired you to start cooking?
Kiran: Like many chefs, my love for food and cooking can be traced back to my childhood. While my friends were out at the playground or at a social event, I dreamt of food. The one place where I really felt at home was in my mom's kitchen. It was where I could lose my inhibitions, be myself and create something I cared about and also tasted delicious. My mother’s cooking fascinated me because quite simply, it made people happy. I wanted to be like her, to have that ‘super power’ that gave so many people joy. When I started cooking, I would try to copy my Mother’s traditional Indian recipes and sometimes tried to add my own twist and zing to those. I would often try new recipes and make my friends try the same. After immigrating to the US, it took me a while to start working because of my visa status . I made use of that time to work on my culinary skills. I worked as a Senior Manager Finance for 4 years but after my first child was born, I decided to quit my corporate job and dedicate all my time to raising my child. It was during that period that I went back to my love for cooking. Initially, friends and family were my core audience but it wasn’t long before I started taking on catering orders. As my cooking got recognized through word of mouth, I started getting requests for cooking classes. And before I knew it, I was flooded with catering requests through the week and was offering cooking classes through the weekend. I am blessed to have a supporting network of friends and family who recognized my skills and encouraged me to spread my wings.
Sandhya: Would you believe that growing up I was a very picky eater? Looking back, I think it was because I took the most delicious food for granted. It was an everyday thing for me, because my Aai (mom) was an amazing cook who taught cooking classes and also published two cookbooks, Ruchi and Zanzaneet non-veg, in Marathi. I got a solid foundation in cooking from her, so when I came to the US, I was well equipped with a stockpile of her traditional, multi-regional and international recipes and the tips, techniques etc. to make a dish memorable. Indian food became much more important when I became part of a diaspora away from India. Later my motivation also came from my keen desire for my two children to experience the festivals, the culture and the heirloom recipes that I grew up with. Pretty soon I realized that I am an architect by education and a foodie by passion! I also savor foods from various countries and cultures. So, my repertoire grew and eventually I started developing fusion recipes. As my family would tell you, I am a health nut and reading about nutrition and Ayurveda is a favorite hobby of mine. So, my focus has always been to develop scrumptious recipes that are healthier, use local ingredients and to streamline the recipes, so they are simple to make. I am lucky to live in a multicultural town like Lexington, MA where my friends from my art and book clubs encouraged me to start my cooking classes 10 years ago. Pretty soon I was teaching in gourmet clubs in many locations. Not only did they enjoy the food we made, but it also helped dispel their myth that Indian food is very heavy. About 7 years ago I started publishing my food blog INDFUSED which stands for Indian and Indian fusion cooking. It has been very well received in over 190 countries! I launched INDFUSED products including spice and recipe kits, a few months ago which further enhance my vision of healthier, delicious food, that is very convenient to make. The spice and recipe kits and the spice blends have been popular as unique and quality gifts and have also made it easier for people joining the cooking classes. I have enjoyed each step of my cooking journey!
Shilpi: I am blessed to be gifted in the art of cooking and have always loved teaching, but I gave up my full-time middle school teacher position to take care of my special needs son, who needed my time and attention. I still had the fire to teach and pondered what I could do such that I could have flexible time of work and care for my son. My family and friends always ‘compliment’ me on the creative Indian dishes I prepare with what is available at American grocery stores. So, I decided to leverage my love of cooking and teaching to start Indian cooking classes. My teaching philosophy is that everyone should be able to cook dishes to their taste, with the ingredients they love and can readily find around them. Since all of us are unique people, one recipe does not fit all. I guide my clients to tailor the dishes to their comfort level. After all that is what home cooking is all about - comfort food! EZ Compliments, Indian cooking classes offer the pleasures of cooking Indian food at home. It’s an insight into Indian culture and food, dispelling some of the myths and misconceptions commonly held about the cuisine. I invite my clients for a feast of the senses. The class begins with an introduction to the wonderful world of spices, herbs and other ingredients used in Indian cooking, followed by the theme/menu for the day. Historical, cultural and religious impacts on the cuisine is also discussed. The class is hands-on, everyone is encouraged to participate in all activities including prep, blend, cook, taste.
2. You also engage in teaching people how to cook. What's the most fun part of teaching cooking and sharing recipes?
Shilpi: I love to share the joy of Indian food and culture with my guests in the kitchen. Throughout my life, I have traveled across continents, and lived in cities across India and the United States. While breaking bread with local people in new places, I get to know them, their culture, and their ideas over a shared meal. I love the social aspect of my job the most. My guests come as strangers (now virtually because of the pandemic), but they leave as friends! During our time together, there is learning about spices and food – but alongside it, customs and cultures behind the dishes we prepare. Most of all, there is love of food and passion to learn and happiness from food and being together in person or virtually.
Sandhya: I am a people person and connecting with people over food is such a joy! My mother imbibed in me the value of sharing the knowledge. I make it a point to share the information about a particular dish and provide the step by step guidance from sourcing to cooking to presenting.It is especially rewarding to see the participants recreate the recipe in real time in our online Cook Alongs and gain the confidence of recreating them over and over again. Online cooking classes have also created a community of enthusiastic and discerning cooks who join us from all over the US. The Cook Alongs have been an excellent vehicle for friends and families to connect over cooking and are also sought after by corporations for team building and holiday events.
Kiran: Cooking is a survival skill, everyone needs it. It not only contributes to a healthy lifestyle but is also a fun way to relieve stress. Teaching to cook helped me create a culture of giving and receiving positive energy to the people around. It also gave me a chance to understand various cultures, customs and flavors.
THE FUSION FOOD RECIPES!
Sandhya’s Recipe: Baked & Air Fryer Sutarfeni in 3 minutes!
Complex recipe for Sutarfeni now simplified and made without deep frying!
- INDFUSED
Ingredients –
3 heaped cups kataifi dough, defrosted according to package directions. For the sugar syrup-
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon cardamom seed powder
A pinch of saffron threads
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ghee plus some to grease the baking tray lightly
Slivered almonds and pistachios for topping
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients listed under sugar syrup on medium heat. Stir just until the sugar is dissolved and remove from heat. Let the syrup cool.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.In a ziplock bag or a bowl, gently combine the 3 cups of kataifi with the one teaspoon ghee to coat the strands of dough with ghee. The dough needs to be covered if you are not using it right away or it will dry.
Arrange the dough in circles and bake for 10 minutes or until the dough is cooked. Baking at this low temperature assures that it will retain its color.
Remove the baked circles onto a wire rack placed over a tray. Drizzle the cooled sugar syrup all over the baked sutarfeni making sure you cover it all over and immediately top with the slivered nuts.
Store the Sutarfeni in between sheets of parchment paper, in a covered container, so it stays soft and luscious!
To make the sutarfeni in an airfryer- In Step 3 of recipe above, arrange the dough circles in an airfryer at 300 degrees for 2 minutes. Flip the dough and air fry for 1 minute more.(photo above) Proceed immediately with step 4 in the recipe above. Timings are based on my oven and airfryer. The dough should be cooked but retain its white color.
Kiran’s Recipe: Sindhi Kadhi/Curry
A tangy accompaniment that tastes marvelous with steamed rice. It can be made using tamarind or with tomatoes . The Kadhi tastes best with steamed white rice, Alu Took ( spiced double fried potatoes ) and sweet Boondi . There are various versions of Sindhi curry depending on which region of Sindh you belong to . Sindhi cuisine belongs to the land of Sindh which is now located in Pakistan and it undoubtedly got influenced by the Indus Valley Civilization. With time and tide, Sindhi cuisine got influenced by Mughlai, Arabian cuisine as well. To sum up, Sindhi cuisine is a grand and vibrant cuisine. As much as Sindhi people love eating Daal and Chawal, Sindhi Kadhi rests in their favorite book of food as well.
Ingredients
1/2 cup gram flour (besan)
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds )
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
Approx. 10 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
Approx. 3 tablespoons tamarind pulp (imli)
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
2 potatoes big pieces
8 okras cut inch long
1/2 cup green beans cut inch long pieces
Handful cluster beans (Guvar) cut into inch long pieces
2 stems of drumsticks cut finger size
1/2 cup lotus stems
1/2 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup bottle gourd
5 cups of water
The vegetables are optional ! You can choose to put all or some .. add any other vegetables of your choice . Some ppl even put eggplant
Instructions
Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat, add fenugreek seed, and cumin seeds, as seeds crack and curry leaves stir for few seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium and add gram flour (besan). Roast the besan stirring continually till the besan has become golden brown and aromatic (about 4-5 minutes).
Add about 4 cups of water slowly, stirring continuously to avoid forming lumps.
Add turmeric, salt, drumsticks , lotus stems ,potatoes, cauliflower, bottle gourd and green beans .
After Kadhi comes to boil, lower the heat to low medium and let it simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. If needed add more water, this should be running consistency but not watery.
Add okra and tamarind pulp to Kadhi, after kadhi comes to boil, let it simmer for another 6-7minutes over medium low heat.
Serve hot. Sindhi kadhi taste great with rice or serve as a soup
Shilpi’s Recipe: Vegetable Xacuti
Goan cuisine, is an interesting amalgam of the food of the coastal Konkan state of Goa, and the Portuguese colonizers who left over 50 years ago. Xacuti, a meaty, satisfying stew, characterized by a complex mix of spices, is one of the popular recipes born of this union. This is a vegetarian version of the famous Goan curry – Xacuti which is usually made with chicken or with beef. Servings: 8
Ingredients
12 cremini or button mushrooms, halved
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 medium potatoes like red or yellow, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1-inch piece of ginger- grated
3 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds (Shahi Jeera)
3 green cardamoms
3 cloves
1/2-inch piece of cinnamon
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 dry red chilies
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp raw cashews
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 cup coconut milk (canned or made fresh)
Cilantro for garnish
1 tsp tamarind paste
4-5 tbsp- cooking oil
Instructions
Dry Roast red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin, fenugreek, caraway, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, poppy seeds and cashews and sauté until they are fragrant and is slightly darker, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool and grind it to fine powder.
Sauté Mushrooms till golden brown; and sauté Potatoes till tender and keep aside.
Puree onions, ginger, and garlic in a blender.
In a large deep pot, heat oil. Add cumin seeds, onions, ginger, and garlic puree and continue to sauté until the onions change color. Add turmeric, the roasted ground spice blend, chili powder, vinegar, tamarind, and 1/2 cup of water. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. If it is, add a little water.
Add the mushrooms, potatoes, green peas and red peppers. Add some salt to taste, sugar, and cover and let the stew cook another 15 minutes.
3. As the platform for women dreamers, what are your next big dreams?
Kiran: America has always been a desired destination for people around the world looking for new opportunities. My dream is to form a support system that immigrant moms can leverage to start their business. I aim to bring together home chefs from various diasporas, who will gain access to mentoring, kitchen space and peer-based knowledge sharing as they set off to start their own food businesses from home. I aspire to work with hardworking women, talented chefs and budding entrepreneurs as they realize their culinary dreams.
Shilpi: I dream of reaching as many people as possible to debunk myths about Indian cuisine and culture. I often find myself explaining to potential clients that all Indian food is not necessarily spicy, that eating is not just an activity but an important social ritual, and that food unites the family culture as generations gather, cook and eat traditional meals together. My clients often ask me to teach restaurant favorites like Chicken Tikka Masala and Saag Paneer – which are delicious, but there is so much more to South Asian cuisine! My mission is to expand my guests’ palates and understandings of the Indian Subcontinent through food.
Sandhya: Let me start by saying that I am deeply humbled to be invited to share my journey on the Women Who Win’s Dreamcatchers platform. I have been blessed to have two strong women role models in my life. My mother whose passion for cooking I inherited and my sister, Dr. Sharmila Rege, a renowned women’s studies scholar in India. She personified empathy and was a fierce champion of women and the underprivileged. Cooking brings people from all backgrounds together and nourishes us all. Cooking and eating together is at the heart of most cultures and helps us understand each other and create happy memories. My dream is to share my knowledge of Indian heritage and culture through its cuisine here in the US and beyond and also learn about other cultures. I am still evolving, learning, but making sure that I take steps towards fulfilling my dreams!
Thank You Ladies for Sharing Your Stories & Recipes with Us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!
Bios: Shilpi Ranjan, the owner and instructor of EZCompliments Indian cooking classes, is a passionate cook, educator, wife, and a mother. She has been teaching Indian cooking in the Greater Boston area since 2009 and has received many compliments from her patrons, friends, and family.
Sandhya Nadkarni is the creator and owner of INDFUSED LLC, which offers INDFUSED branded online products including spices and recipe kits, cooking classes and a food blog dedicated to Indian and innovative Indian fusion recipes. She is an architect by education and her love for design and color coordination has found its way into food presentation too. Like her mother, Mrs. Vaijayanti Rege (author of Ruchi and Zanzaneet Non-Veg), Sandhya is passionate about cooking and sharing her knowledge with her students. She is actively involved in the community around Boston, where she lives. She is the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee at the Shishu Bharati School of Indian languages and Culture, where she has been volunteering for over two decades.
Kiran Kewalramani studied Finance MBA at Bundelkhand University. She is a passionate cook and mom residing in the Boston area
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