On Saturday, 19th September 2026, I had the pleasure of conducting a hands-on and interactive Anglo-Indian cooking class with Jennifer from Bangalore.
It was a wonderful cooking session, and Jennifer enjoyed the experience immensely. She was extremely eager to learn not just how to prepare each dish, but also the methods, techniques, and traditional procedures behind the recipes.
The session was filled with cooking, learning, conversation, and, of course, the wonderful aromas of freshly prepared Anglo-Indian food!
A Hands-On Anglo-Indian Cooking Experience
During the class, Jennifer actively participated in preparing each of the dishes. She was particularly interested in understanding how simple ingredients could be combined to create dishes that are rich in flavour without being complicated to prepare.
One of the things I enjoy most about conducting these cooking sessions is being able to share the simple, homely cooking traditions of the Anglo-Indian community with others.
After the cooking session, Jennifer carefully packed the dishes she had prepared and took them home to share with her husband for lunch that day.
I was delighted to hear that both Jennifer and her husband enjoyed the delicious food and were amazed at how simple the preparation was. It was especially satisfying to know that the recipes we prepared together could be enjoyed at home and shared with her family.
Dishes We Prepared
During the cooking class, I taught Jennifer how to prepare four delicious and traditional dishes.
1. Anglo-Indian Coconut Rice
Anglo-Indian Coconut Rice is a fragrant and mildly flavoured rice dish that makes a wonderful accompaniment to an Anglo-Indian meal.
Fragrant Basmati rice is simmered in diluted coconut milk along with ghee, a touch of turmeric, bay leaves, and a few whole spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.
The result is perfectly cooked, aromatic rice with a delicate coconut flavour and subtle fragrance from the spices.
It is a wonderful rice dish that provides a mild and subtle base for an Anglo-Indian meal, allowing the accompanying curries and side dishes to shine.
2. Chicken Pepper Fry
Chicken Pepper Fry is one of the easiest chicken recipes to prepare.
It uses only a few simple ingredients and requires very little effort, yet the finished dish is packed with flavour.
The combination of onions and freshly ground pepper gives the chicken its distinctive taste. There is no need for a complicated mixture of spices or an overwhelming number of ingredients.
Sometimes, the simplest combinations create the most memorable flavours, and this Chicken Pepper Fry is a perfect example.
3. Anglo-Indian Chicken Curry
The Anglo-Indian Chicken Curry is a simple yet flavourful curry that is wonderfully versatile.
It can be served with steamed white rice, spiced rice, or Indian breads such as roti, chapatti, and naan.
The curry demonstrates the characteristic Anglo-Indian approach of creating a comforting and flavourful dish without making the preparation unnecessarily complicated.
It is the kind of curry that works beautifully as part of a traditional family meal.
4. Fried Cauliflower Side Dish
The Fried Cauliflower Side Dish is another simple and flavourful addition to an Anglo-Indian meal.
The cauliflower is prepared as a tasty side dish that pairs particularly well with rice and curry.
It can also be served alongside Indian breads such as rotis and chapattis, making it a versatile accompaniment for everyday meals.
Despite its simplicity, it adds another texture and flavour to the meal and complements the main dishes beautifully.
Sharing Recipes and Anglo-Indian Culinary Heritage
At the end of the cooking session, I gave Jennifer copies of all the recipes she had learnt to prepare, so that she could recreate the dishes at home.
I also presented her with a copy of my cookbook, A Collection of Simple Anglo-Indian Recipes.
For me, these cooking sessions are about much more than simply teaching someone how to cook.
They are an opportunity to share the food, traditions, memories, and culinary heritage of the Anglo-Indian community with others.
Many Anglo-Indian recipes are wonderfully practical and use everyday ingredients. They are recipes that have been prepared in homes and passed down through generations, often with each family adding its own little touches.
A Wonderful Cooking Session
I was indeed very happy to have been given the opportunity to teach Jennifer some of my community’s traditional recipes and dishes.
It was particularly rewarding to see her enthusiasm throughout the session and her eagerness to understand the process behind each dish.
Knowing that she took the food home to share with her husband — and that they both enjoyed it — made the experience even more special.
Cooking has always been one of the most wonderful ways of bringing people, cultures, and traditions together.
I hope Jennifer continues to prepare these dishes at home and enjoys sharing them with her family, just as these recipes have been shared within the Anglo-Indian community for generations.
It was a pleasure having Jennifer at the cooking class, and I look forward to sharing more Anglo-Indian recipes, dishes, and culinary traditions with many more food enthusiasts in the future.
