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Indian Thali Cooking Class Recipes

Here are all the recipes from our most recent cooking class with Sirisha Bhandaru! Cook along in your kitchen while learning how to make a colorful and flavorful multi-course Indian dinner from scratch. This culinary arts class was paid for by the City of Urbana's Arts and Culture Grant with the purpose to inspire home cooks to create artistic culinary dishes in celebration of this multi-disciplinary art form. In this class, we will explore preparation and cooking, flavors and textures, styling and plating, while blending traditional Indian recipes with locally grown ingredients.

 

The menu includes:

  • Paneer Makhani - seasoned tomato and cream sauce with cubes of paneer cheese
  • Cilantro Spinach Pulao - basmati white rice with cilantro and spinach
  • Laccha Pyaaz - sliced sweet onions and pepper with lime juice and roasted spices
  • Beet Raita - chilled yogurt sauce with a naturally bright pink color
  • Mango Shrikhand - a sweet dessert made with mango puree and yogurt

 

 
What You'll Need
  • Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Mixing bowl
  • Saute pan
  • Stock pot
  • Cheesecloth

 

Class Workflow
  1. Overnight or at least 3 hours before class, strain the yogurt for the Mango Shrikhand.
  2. Wash and soak rice (Spinach cilantro pulao)
  3. Start boiling water for blanching spinach and soaking paneer (Pulao and Paneer Makhani)
  4. Chop paneer (Paneer Makhani)
  5. Make Shrikhand and refrigerate it
  6. Blanch spinach (Spinach cilantro pulao)
  7. Cook rice (Spinach cilantro pulao)
  8. Blend/chop spinach and cilantro stems (Spinach cilantro pulao)
  9. Make Paneer Makhani
  10. Make Pualo
  11. Make Raita
  12. Make Laccha Pyaaz
  13. Toast Naan
  14. Plating
  15. Enjoy!

Ingredients
Beetroot Raita
Stonyfield plain yogurt
1 cup
Medium beet, steamed & smashed
1/4
Water
~1/3 cup
Salt
To taste
Roasted cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon
Kashmiri chili powder
1/4 teaspoon
Thai chili, slit lengthwise but not split
1
Jalapeno, finley chopped
1/4 teaspoon
Oil
1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon
Fresh curry leaves
1 sprig (~10 leaves)
Laccha Pyaaz (Sliced Onion Salad)
Sweet onion, thinly sliced and layers separated
1
Medium lime
1/2
Masala Mix (chaat masala, kashmiri chili powder, and roasted cumin powder)
1/2 teaspoon
Snacking pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
1
Steamed Rice
Aged basmati rice
1 cup
Water
2 cups
Ghee/oil (optional)
1 teaspoon
Salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon
Spinach Cilantro Pulao
Aged basmati rice
1 cup
Raw cashews, split in half
16
Fresh spinach
5 ounces
Cilantro
1 bunch
Oil
2 1/2 tablespoons
Bay leaf
1
Cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon
Star anise
1
Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon
Cardamom pods
3
Garlic cloves, finely chopped
3
Thai chilies, slit lengthwise but not split
2
Ear of corn, kernels removed
1
Medium lime
1/2
Salt
To taste
Ghee
1 tablespoon
Fried onion crisps (optional)
3 tablespoons
Paneer Makhani
Paneer cheese
4 ounces
Tomato puree
3/4 cup
Raw cashews, soaked in hot water & made into a paste
1/3 cup
Heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup
Ginger, grated
1/2 tablespoon
Garlic, grated
1 tablespoon
Kashmiri chili powder
1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder
1 1/2 teaspoons
Coriander powder
1 teaspoon
Turmeric
1/4 teaspoon
Kasoori Methi
1/2 tablespoon
Oil
2 tablespoons
Salt
1/2 teaspoon
Water
3/4 - 1 cup
Mango Shrikhand
Fage plain yogurt
1 cup
Indian frozen mango puree, thawed
3/4 cup
Powdered sugar (optional)
3-4 tablespoons
Cheesecloth
Beetroot Raita
  1. Add yogurt to a bowl and beat it with a spoon or fork until it is smooth.
  2. Add around 1/3rd cup water to dilute it slightly and whisk.
  3. Add the mashed beet, salt, cumin powder, chili powder, and chopped jalapenos if you like some heat.
  4. Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
  5. When they start sizzling, add the slit chili and fry lightly.
  6. Reserve a small section of the seasoning for garnish later. Add the rest of the seasoning to the yogurt and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. It should be mild and soothing to taste.
  7. When serving, add a little seasoning on top to make it look pretty and get some contrasting colors.

 

Laccha Pyaaz (Sliced Onion Salad)
  1. Slice and soak the onions in a bowl of ice-cold water. This removes any strong flavors and makes the onions crisp.
  2. Make salad right before eating and consume within an hour, otherwise, the onions will not retain their fresh crisp texture.
  3. Sprinkle the masala mix and taste, adjust seasoning and serve as a side.
  4. This goes great in wraps, served along with naans, or any kind of kebabs/grilled meat/vegetable.
 
Steamed Rice
  1. Wash rice thoroughly in water for a few rinses until it runs clear.
  2. Soak rice for 20-30 minutes (optional, but ensures that rice is soft and fluffy).
  3. Drain the water. In a pot, add 2 cups water and the rice. Add salt and ghee/oil if you like.
  4. Let it come to a rolling boil, then simmer and cover and cook for around 10-15 minutes until the water is completely absorbed and rice is cooked.
  5. Let it rest for 5 minutes. 

 

Spinach Cilantro Pulao
  1. Cook rice (see above).
  2. Wash spinach and cilantro. Chop cilantro stems and set aside.
  3. Blanch spinach, soak in ice-cold water to prevent overcooking and changing of color. 
  4. Make a smooth puree of spinach and cilantro stems (you can also very finely chop everything).
  5. In a wide pan, add oil. Add split-open cashews and fry until lightly golden. Next, add the whole spices (bay leaf, cumin seeds, star anise, and cardamom). Once they sizzle, add garlic and saute until no longer raw.
  6. Add slit green chili, spinach puree, and corn kernels and saute it for a minute. Add turmeric and salt.
  7. Add cooked rice and mix well. Add lime juice and ghee.
  8. Add the finely chopped cilantro and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy as is or with a raita.

 

Paneer Makhani
  1. Cube the paneer and soak it in hot water.
  2. In a pan, add oil, grated ginger, and garlic and fry until the raw smell is gone.
  3. Add the tomato puree and let it cook until it starts bubbling.
  4. Add turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, chili powder, and salt. Mix well.
  5. Add the cashew paste and let it cook for a few minutes. Add water to adjust the thickness of the sauce.
  6. Add the paneer cubes and some of the heavy whipping cream and let it cook until it starts bubbling.
  7. Now, crush the kasoori methi between your palms and add it to the gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more cream if you want a richer gravy.
  8. Enjoy with naan/roti/rice.

 

Mango Shrikhand
  1. Take a wide bowl, and place the cheesecloth in the bowl.
  2. Put the greek yogurt in the cheesecloth and bring all the ends of the cheesecloth together and squeeze gently.
  3. Spin it around in one direction to wind it into a ball. Place in a colander with some weight over it or hang it on a stick and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours. This drains the excess moisture from the yogurt.
  4. Mix the strained greek yogurt and thawed mango puree and whisk well.
  5. Taste and add powdered sugar as per taste.
  6. Spoon some shrikhand into your plate or bowl. Top with a little mango puree and swirl it to make it look pretty.

 

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