Pondicheri
Restaurant In The Home Series: Pt. 2
For the second installment of our Restaurant In The Home series, you'll be learning the ins-and-outs of Indian cooking with one of Houston's – and the entire country's – most recognizable purveyors of Indian cuisine: Chef Anita Jaisinghani. Trained as a microbiologist in her native India, Chef Anita Jaisinghani switched from the scientific to the culinary upon moving to the US, earning countless James Beard nominations for Best Chef Southwest – and one for Best New Restaurant – in the process. Pondicheri is Chef Jaisinghani's renowned all-day canteen (featured on Eater's "38 Essential HTX Restaurants" List, as well as Thrillist's “12 Essential Houston Restaurants” List), offering authentic regional dishes like yam balls spiced with green chile, ginger, and peanuts, lentil-stuffed poori, masala rice pancakes steamed in banana leaves, and the city’s most unusual fried chicken, sprinkled with garam masala and dried mango powder. Chef Jaisinghani will be welcoming us into her home for this class where she'll be teaching us how to cook a 3-course meal showcasing several of her favorite Pondicheri dishes. We're honored to be collaborating with her!
About the Host:
Anita Jaisinghani
Executive Chef & Owner
Chef Jaisinghani's culinary career began as a pastry cook at Houston’s famous Café Annie. From there she went on to open two wildly popular restaurants in Houston: Indika and Pondicheri. She is a five-time James Beard Best Chef Southwest nominee whose restaurants have frequently been listed among Houston's best.
The Class Details
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What does my ticket get me?
In addition to getting access to the live-streamed class, where Chef Jaisinghani will run cooking demos for each of the 3 courses and participate in a Q&A with attendees, you will receive a PDF booklet with step-by-step cooking instructions for each course. You will also receive a full video recording of the class the day after its completion.
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What will we be cooking?
1st Course: Yogurt Raisin Dip
2nd Course: Lentil Kofta Curry
3rd Course: Apple Crumble -
How long will the class take?
We're planning for between 1hr and 1hr 30min from start to finish; roughly 30-45 minutes of cooking demos and 30-45 minutes more of discussion/Q&A.
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What will the yield be?
The quantities of ingredients outlined below will serve 2 people. If you'll be participating alone, you'll only need half the quantities of each ingredient.
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What kitchen utensils/appliances will be used?
- Stockpot or Dutch Oven (2-3 qt.)
- Small Frying Pan (6-7")
- Two Mixing Bowls (6-8 cup)
- Two Round or Square Baking Sheets (6-8")
- Grater
- Cutting Board
- Large Sharp Knife (i.e. Chef's Knife)
- Measuring Cup & Measuring Spoons -
What ingredients will be needed?
In addition to the following usual kitchen staples (butter, chili powder, olive oil, pepper, salt, sugar), try to acquire the following ingredients:
- Ground Lamb, Chicken, or Beef (your choice)
- Raisins, Dates, Apricots, or Prunes (your choice)
- Lentils
- 2 Apples
- 4 Medium-Sized Onions
- Tomatoes (Canned/Chopped or Fresh)
- 1 Large Egg
- Plain Yogurt (at least 10 oz,)
- 1 Lemon
- Chips, Crudités, etc., to pair with the dip (your choice)
- Rolled Oats or Whole Buckwheat (your choice)
- Roasted Almonds
- Fresh Cilantro, Basil, Mint, or Rosemary (your choice)
- Unpeeled Ginger
- Mustard Seeds
- Coriander Seeds
- Cardamom Seeds or Pods
- Cumin Seeds
- Cinnamon
- Garlic
Pondicheri
2800 Kirby Drive
Houston, TX 77098
Class FAQs
- What does the ticket price cover?
- The ticket price covers access to the livestream class, as well as the discussion/Q&A session. The ticket price DOES NOT cover the cost of ingredients, as you need to acquire the ingredients separately through whatever means you prefer.
- What is the refund policy?
- Tickets are fully refundable up until 24 hours prior to the start of this class. Refund requests made within 24 hours of this class's start time will not be honored.
- What do I need to do in preparation for this class?
- If you don't already have it, you'll need to download the free Zoom application to your smartphone, tablet, or computer (whichever you'll be following along on during the class) and make sure to create a free zoom account. And, please ensure that you have a good internet connection so that you don't have any issues streaming the class. Additionally, if you plan on cooking along with the chef during the class, please acquire all of the necessary ingredients in the appropriate quantities (as outlined in the grocery shopping list email we send you), and make sure you have all of the necessary cooking utensils/appliances outlined above.
