Ayurvedic-Inspired Indian Home Cooking
A hands-on in-person cooking class culminating in a dinner served with wine and beer. This class is limited to 14 students. Review our registration and cancellation policies here.
Discover the healing power of cooking in this class, designed to bring balance and wellness into your everyday meals. This class will guide you through crafting delicious, nourishing dishes that are customized to restore balance and vitality. While Ayurveda's medical philosophy should be practiced with certified practitioners, its holistic principles are foundational to everyday Indian cooking. Ayurveda treats food as medicine and identifies how spices and ingredients impact one’s body, mind, and spirit.
This class celebrates home cooking classics that suit the winter season, when our bodies need warmth, nutrients to offset excesses from the holidays (or to heal from a cold!), and easily digestible foods that don’t tax the body. Spices can stimulate the body in addition to adding a ton of flavor. Spices like turmeric, ginger, cumin, and asafoetida aid digestion, boost immunity, and warm the body. Ingredients like lentils, rice, and vegetables are rich in nutrients, easily digestible, and offer comfort during these winter months.
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Rasam – A tangy, spicy South Indian soup made with tomatoes, tamarind, and aromatic spices like cumin and black pepper. Perfect for boosting digestion and warming the body.
Khichadi – A comforting, porridge-like dish made with rice and lentils, spiced with turmeric and cumin. This Ayurvedic classic is gentle on the digestive system and deeply nourishing.
Sautéed Spinach with Coconut – Fresh spinach lightly sautéed with grated coconut, mustard seeds, and curry leaves, creating a vibrant, fiber-rich side with a hint of sweetness and earthiness.
Moong Dal Chilla – Savory pancakes made from moong dal (yellow lentils) batter, spiced with green chilies and cumin. These protein-packed chillas are crisp on the outside and soft inside—a perfect light meal or snack.
Coconut Cilantro Chutney – A refreshing blend of coconut, cilantro, green chilies, and lime, creating a bright, creamy condiment that pairs well with almost any dish.
Green Moong Curry – A wholesome, hearty curry made with green mung beans, simmered with spices. This dish is both grounding and nourishing, ideal for a balanced meal.
This menu contains no major allergens. However, if you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to cook along, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket.
Let’s Cook Together!
Through her company, Crimson Kitchen, Meghna Agarwal teaches Indian cooking classes, caters parties, runs her private chef business, and occasionally feeds the hungry souls of San Francisco’s numerous startups. When asked about her culinary background, Meghna notes with a smile that she comes from a culture that has been focused on food for the past five thousand years! With a heritage of food as the epicenter of most occasions, she is driven to find and replicate the countless traditional tastes of India – from Mumbai’s modern restaurants to the street food of tiny villages.
Meghna regularly visits India, where she works with Indian restaurateurs and chefs to keep abreast of their evolving cuisine. Upon return to her San Francisco kitchen, she infuses the latest trends with ancient traditions and techniques to pass along to her students. Meghna can now be found teaching cooking classes in collaboration with 18 Reasons, San Francisco Cooking School, The Civic Kitchen and her own company Crimson Kitchen. You can find more information on her at www.crimsonkitchen.com or follow her food journey on instagram @crimsonkitchen.
