Masala Social

Indian vegetarian cuisine

More and more people are turning to vegetarian foods as part of a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Since India has a large vegetarian population and multiple distinct regions, it offers a variety of delicious vegetarian options that are not only full of enticing flavors, but also packed with nutrition.

My classes will familiarize you with a few basic ingredients and cooking techniques adapted to the needs of the modern American kitchen. You’ll discover that preparing Indian vegetarian cuisine gives you lots of room to experiment - and it will bring out the cooking enthusiast in you in unexpectedly creative ways. The possibilities are endless: it’s a journey that will reach deep into all five of your senses and beyond.

Sunita’s story

We all love the foods we grew up with. In my case, I watched my grandmothers, mother and aunts prepare elaborate meals every day. It made me think, “Wow, they’re really dedicated to this.” But they did it out of a sense of duty to feed their family a good, wholesome home-cooked meal. Cooking for special occasions was a visual treat as well: all the ladies from the community gathered to cook the meal — chopping vegetables, preparing masalas, exchanging tips and, of course, gossiping. And perhaps even fixing up right matches for eligible young people of marrying age!

After immigrating to New York City in 1988 from my home town of Surat, I found that authentic Indian vegetarian cooking was hard to come by. My craving for good Gujarati food (from the western state of Gujarat), led me to master my own cooking. I started experimenting, not only with the cooking I grew up with, but also with foods and techniques I encountered in other parts of India and around the globe.  

Another passion of mine is applying traditional Indian cooking techniques to create healthy, balanced and simple to prepare meals that make imaginative use of ingredients and spices. After years of savoring these creations, my family and friends had one question: “Can you teach me?”

So here I am, looking forward to sharing my passion for delicious, healthy–yet imaginative–vegetarian cooking from the different regions in India. You will learn how diverse yet versatile Indian vegetarian food is. And it will perhaps forever change your view of "Indian Food" or vegetarian food in general.