Classes coming soon to the Bay Area in California!

Private Cooking Classes

I would love to be part of your next “Cooking Get Together” in the San Francisco Bay Area, no experience required.

Cooking together can be an intimate experience amongst friends or a great  team building exercise amongst colleagues.

Drop me a line and I’d be happy to discuss the many possibilities of how we can make this a great event for you. Looking forward to it.

Previous Cooking Classes I’ve taught

Indian Vegetarian Class (3)

Our instructor will show you fun and easy ways to cook vegetarian meals using simple spices from her masala dhaba (spice box). Make Batata Vadah, a spicy and crunchy potato burger in a chickpea batter squashed into a bun and slathered with tamarind chutney and other condiments; Pani Poori, a tangy garbanzo bean curry enclosed in a pastry, filled with pepper water and popped whole into the mouth; Sevya, a sweet creamy dish made with Indian vermicelli, dried fruit and almonds; and finally, Chaa, an Indian tea made with milk and sweet spices.

Indian Vegetarian Class (2)

Think vegetarian food is boring? Well you guessed wrong! Shamim will show you fun and easy ways to cook vegetarian meals using simple spices from her masala dhaba (spice box). You will make ‘Mircha fry’, Anaheim peppers stuffed with chickpea flour and yogurt; ‘Saag paneer’, a spinach curry dotted with paneer (a homemade Indian cheese); and ‘Chana Masala’, garbanzo beans sautéed in a tangy tomato curry. She will go over the various spices and their properties, as well as some cooking techniques used in Indian cooking. This is a hands-on class.

Indian Vegetarian Cooking

Think vegetarian food is boring? Well you guessed wrong! I’ll show you fun and easy ways to cook vegetarian meals using simple spices from her masala dhaba (spice box). You will make batata fry, a turmeric spiced and cumin scented potato curry; dhaar, a spicy lentil dish infused with curry leaves; and vigaarya, sauteed bell pepper, chilies and tomato spiked with mustard seeds. Prior knowledge of spices is not necessary for this class. This is a hands-on class.

Cooking Authentic Indian Food at Home

Let me demystify the realm of Indian spices for you. I will teach you how to make a complete Indian meal using specific spices that by the end of the class you will feel comfortable enough to replicate at home. I’m a Zimbabwean-born-Indian who is absolutely passionate about food. Most importantly I love to share my knowledge about Indian Food made at home from scratch. I learned all I know from my Mum and both Grandma’s and would love to pass these wonderful secrets on to you. This is a demo class involving discussions of the various spices used in an authentic Indian kitchen and what makes them special.

I will prepare a meal that includes bhajia, a deepfried savory fritter; dhunya chutney, a cilantro dipping sauce; murgi jo sinu, a chicken curry; kachumbar, an onion salad; and seview, a milk and vermicelli desert Prior knowledge of spices not necessary for this class.

Indian Spices 101

Tap, tap, tap goes the sound of your foot on the floor in front of the spice aisle in a grocery store… and then you walk away confused. After this class, you will be able to confidently pick up at least a couple of spices at the store before sauntering off! Learn about individual spices used in Indian cooking and their properties. Don’t let the spices daunt you. Learn how to work with them to compliment the dishes you make. Each student will be making a curry at the end of class to share. This is a hands-on class.

Cooking Authentic Indian Food at Home (1)

Let me demystify the realm of Indian spices for you. I will teach you how to make a complete Indian meal using specific spices that by the end of the class you will feel comfortable enough to replicate at home. I’m a Zimbabwean-born-Indian who is absolutely passionate about food. Most importantly I love to share my knowledge about Indian Food made at home from scratch. I learned all I know from my Mum and both Grandma’s and would love to pass these wonderful secrets on to you. This is a hands on class involving discussions of the various spices used in an authentic Indian kitchen and what makes them special.

We will prepare a meal that includes bhajia, a deepfried savory fritter; dhunya chutney, a cilantro dipping sauce; murgi jo sinu, a chicken curry; kachumbar, an onion salad; and seview, a milk and vermicelli desert.

Indian Food at Home – Spices Demystified

Where: Olive Branch Oil and Spice Company, Woodbury, MN

I will teach you how to make a complete Indian meal using specific spices that by the end of the class you will feel comfortable enough to replicate at home. I’m absolutely passionate about food. This is a demo class involving discussions of the various spices used in an authentic Indian kitchen and what makes them special.

And there you have it a little something, something of what I can teach. Oh, and btw I have taught a cooking class on stage at the Minnesota State Fair that was so much fun!!!

For the love of Ghee

Shamim