Sharmini's Inspirational Indian Cuisine

  I had an unforgettable experience at Sharmini's Inspirational Indian Cuisine at the Yorkshire Wolds Cookery School. Sharmini lived up to the title - she was truly inspirational!
... read more /> The day started off with a hands (and nose!) -on introduction to spices which was informative and fun. The cookery workshop which followed was excellent. We learned how to prepare and cook an impressive array of dishes and Sharmini created a very relaxed and informal atmosphere. The Yorkshire Wolds Cooking School is also very impressive and provided a state of the art environment with individual work stations and equipment to hand.

Sharmini demonstrated each step of the preparation before we were let loose on the ingredients. Dishes ranged from Butter Chicken (Murg Makhani) to Lamb Jalfrezi and onion pakoras to desserts like Carrot Halwa (which was delicious!) , plus side dishes. Somehow we managed to fit in time to have an enjoyable lunch and chat too!

Sharmini was so good at explaining techniques, how to produce perfect rice as well as explaining a bit about the history of dishes and ingredients, what the names meant and how and when they were enjoyed in India. It was a truly authentic experience as Sharmini is not only an experienced tutor and teacher, she has also always cooked traditional Indian food for her own family.

The dishes I cooked received an enthusiastic response from my own family. I have used the recipes many times since at family events and dinners when guests are always suitably impressed. I can also heartily recommend Sharmini's excellent cookery book: Sharmini's Inspirational Indian Cuisine which has clear recipes that are easy to follow and wonderful photos.

  I was thrilled to have come across Sharmini's food posts on Instagram and to have learnt that she teaches Indian Cooking in York. I do love eating Indian food... read more but I didn't love the idea of cooking it. Needless to say I signed up anyway.

Before I could attend my class I received an email from her enquiring about allergy related information, etc. She was thoughtful enough to offer a substitute to the ingredients I was allergic to and even ensured that the snacks she provided during the course were free of the said ingredients.

Coming to the course itself, we spent about 6 hours and she taught us around 6-7 recipes which I thought was great value for money. Some of us (mostly me) required extra assistance and we were immediately attended to by her or her helpful assistant Helen! Some dishes which I would otherwise find very daunting (eg. fluffy rice) turned out to be really easy and it blew my mind!

I would definitely recommend this course because there is so much you can learn apart from just the recipes. The introduction to spices and their health benefits, the tips to getting the base for a curry right, the secret behind a perfectly crisp onion pakora..i could go on!

Also I highly recommend buying the spice box and the recipe book! so so useful!! I love it and have ordered a few more for my friends!!

  Sharmini is an inspirational teacher. She is so knowledgeable and makes cooking fun. I have learnt so much from her and regularly use her recipies.

  Such a good day. Learnt so much about using spices and understanding how they grow. Lots of great demonstrations and plenty of time for having a go myself. Came away... read more with so much more confidence about cooking Indian food than I had on arrival. I bought the cookery book and spice tray on the day and I'm looking forwards to recreating these dishes, and many more, in my own kitchen. (And so is my partner - the feast I arrived home with didn't last long!) I would highly recommend Sharmini's classes.

  My wife booked me this course for my birthday & it was thoroughly enjoyable and informative. As a relative beginner in the kitchen, I was made to feel at ease... read more and learnt so much from the day - roll on Saturday curry nights in our household from now on!

  Attended Sharmini's Cookery class today with my wife - Christmas present and birthday present respectively. We both had a great time - quality of the menu and ingredients was excellent... read more - locally sourced meat and lovely fresh spices and herbs. Just 10 in today's class which made it feel really comfortable and very friendly. Excellent tuition from Sharmini and her ladies-in-waiting Helen and Rachel. Chicken dish was eaten at lunch (who would have thought cabbage and carrot would compliment a chicken curry so well??) and we look forward with great relish to the lamb dish for tomorrow's lunch. Final word has to go the carrot dessert and ice cream - just fab!! If you get the chance just go!

  I attended one of Sharmini's courses and as its title suggests, it truly was Inspirational. Sharmini was warm and friendly from the start putting everyone at ease. The day started... read more with a very informative discussion about the origin and uses of spices. Sharmini then demonstrated...More

  My first cookery course i felt a bit nervous but there was no need to worry sharmini makes you feel comfortable and confident in what you are doing. She explained... read more everything and I learnt lots regarding the spices you use and the stages that you...More

  Sharmini is a lovely teacher and I learnt so much in such a short time! The course was really well organised and went very smoothly. Friendly environment and delicious dishes!... read more Would definitely recommend!