DINING

Spice of life: Cooking instructor shares recipes for Indian cuisine at Central Collective class

Mary Constantine
Mary.Constantine@knoxville.com

Jes Thomas learned to cook out of necessity.  She is of Indian descent and her mother kept to those culinary roots when feeding the family. Thomas said it was in college and subsequently while working in New York City in the world of advertising that she was introduced to other ethnic cuisines.

Chef Jes Thomas, center, demonstrates during a Taste of India cooking demonstration at the Central Collective in Knoxville on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016.

"We would order food for clients that included Afghani and Korean foods," she said.

Piqued by that experience, she was eager to sample dishes from other countries as she traveled to various states for her husband's job.

The last 15-plus years she has lived in Jellico, Tenn., where she and her husband are raising three children while he serves the community as a physician. She loves the area but admits there is a limited number of restaurants from which to choose. Because of that she taught herself how to make her favorite dishes.

"I love eating, and in order to eat I must cook," she said.

She is active in her community, always willing to teach a class at church or provide dishes for other functions, including her children's school.

Last year she decided to start her own business. She chose to name it Soul Food: A Personal Chef Service.

"I feel like food nourishes the soul -- not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Good food is good for the soul.  My goal is to use food to nourish people's soul by cooking for them, teaching them how to cook and creating environments (like the cooking class) where people are filled up holistically," she said.

On Sunday evening she held a hands-on cooking class at The Central Collective with eight students eager to learn the secrets of Indian cuisine.

She offered a vegetarian menu featuring raita, a condiment made with yogurt and cucumbers; vegetable basmati rice flavored with cardamom pods, cumin seeds, cloves and garlic; mango lasse using frozen mango, ground cardamom seeds and rose water; roasted aloo gobi, featuring roasted potatoes and cauliflower drizzled with a mixture of coconut oil, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cayenne and garam masala; aloo paalak tamatarr (potatoes, spinach and tomatoes) prepared on the stove with  coriander, cayenne, turmeric and cumin seeds for flavoring; and kabuki chana dal (chickpea dal), a sauce made with ground chickpeas, garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, ginger and cumin seeds.

From left, Roasted Aloo Gobi, Chickpea Dal (Kabuki Chana Dal) and Potatoes, Spinach and Tomatoes (Aloo Paalak Tamatar) made by Chef Jes Thomas during her Taste of India cooking demonstration at the Central Collective in Knoxville on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016.

She said spices are big in Indian food for a variety of reasons. One is that many of the spices -- such as turmeric, ginger and black pepper -- are grown in India. She also said some of the spices helped to preserve foods when there was no refrigeration system.

"I don't know if they knew this in the olden days, but it seems like the media has caught on to the health benefits of various spices," she said.

Thomas's college-aged son Jonathan helped during the Central Collective event, assisting his mother in the making of the mango lassi.

The beverage teased the students' taste buds with flavors of cardamom and rose water. It was so good that a couple of students took it upon themselves to prepare an additional blender full of the beverage for the group to enjoy for dinner.

In the kitchen Thomas recruited help from students, asking them to cut potatoes, chop onions, and press garlic, which was added to a dish of sauteed onions and potatoes on the stove.

They also kept Thomas on track, following her every move while keeping an eye on the recipe. Occasionally Thomas would divert from the written recipe and questions would arise. In each instance she had quick answers -- be it using canned tomatoes in place of fresh tomatoes due to the season, or that sometimes extra juice is required depending on how the recipe comes together.

She "eyeballed" a few measurements instead of being precise; that's something she encouraged her students to practice.

"If you know you don't like the flavor of a certain ingredient then use less or add a little more of the spice you enjoy. It's important to tweak these recipes to make it yours," she said.

Guests fill their plates with vegetarian dishes made by Chef Jes Thomas during her Taste of India cooking demonstration at the Central Collective in Knoxville on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016.

At the end of her cooking lessons, students assembled a buffet line. Conversation across the dinner table fell to complete silence as they took the first few bites. Then conversation started again centered around the goodness of the dishes.

Raj Patel said he found out about the class while searching online for photos of Knoxville's India Fest.

"I am a single dad with two children, and I'm not a great cook. That's why I'm here," he said.

Morgan Fleming said she had been looking for a class on Indian food and was excited to find this event. One of her favorite dishes on the menu was the dal.

"It's delicious," she said.

Thomas is available to serve as a private chef and to teach cooking classes. Learn more about her business at http://soulfoodpersonalchef.weebly.com/ or email her at soulfoodtn@gmail.com

Below are the recipes that she prepared.

Aloo Paalak Tamatar (potatoes, spinach and tomatoes)

Yields 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 medium potatoes, boiled and cooled

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 medium onions, sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger

2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt to taste

1 (10 ounce) bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves

DIRECTIONS

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir-fry until they turn medium brown, about 20 seconds. Add the onions, garlic and ginger. Stir for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, chili powder and coriander. Add salt to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the spinach and mix well, stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the garam masala. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve.

Kabuki Chana Dal (chickpea dal)

Yields 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 (15-ounce) cans garbanzo beans

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small onion, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS

Remove 1 cup chickpeas including the liquid from one can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and drain. Coarsely chop the beans. Open second can of chickpeas and add to food processor (including liquid), along with the remaining chickpeas in first can.

Process in blender until smooth. Set aside.

In a nonstick pan heat oil over moderate heat. Add the cumin seeds and stir until they begin to turn brown, about 10 seconds. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Stir until the onion is translucent. Add the turmeric, coriander and red pepper. Cook, stirring about 20 seconds, making sure not to scorch the onion. Add the tomato sauce and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 minute. Add the chopped and pureed chickpeas. Cook, stirrin,g for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat. Add lime juice and stir. Serve over the vegetable basmati rice. This is best made one or two days in advance.

Cucumber and mint Raita Ñ Kheere ka Raita Ñ made by Chef Jes Thomas during her Taste of India cooking demonstration at the Central Collective in Knoxville.

Kheere ka Raita (cucumber and mint raita)

Yields 2 1/2-3 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 cups plain yogurt or Greek style vegan yogurt

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or 1 teaspoon dried mint

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin, plus 1/4 teaspoon for garnish

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika for garnish

DIRECTIONS

In medium bowl beat yogurt until smooth. Add cucumber, salt, pepper, mint, garlic, 1/8 teaspoon cumin and stir until well blended. Place into serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle with concentric circles of cumin and paprika before serving.

Roasted Aloo Gobi

Yields 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

3 tablespoons olive oil or melted coconut oil

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

3 russet potatoes, washed, cut into 1-inch pieces

salt to taste

chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Place aluminum foil over a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix spices with oil. In a bowl toss cauliflower and potatoes with spiced oil. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes.

Vegetable Basmati Rice

INGREDIENTS

2 cups basmati rice, well rinsed

8 tablespoons oil, separated

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 3/4 cup finely chopped onions, halved

12 clove buds

4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl soak the rice for 30 minutes in warm water to cover.

In a medium saucepan heat 4 tablespoons oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, about 5 seconds, or until they pop. Reduce heat to medium. Add half the onions and cook, stirring frequently, 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Drain the rice and add to the saucepan. Add cloves, cardamom, garlic, peas, salt and water to cover. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes or until the rice is soft and fluffy. Let sit covered for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 4 tablespoons oil in medium skillet and add remaining onions, saute over high heat until well browned, about 10-12 minutes. Top rice with browned onions and serve.

Mango Lassi

Yields 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cubed mango, frozen

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds

1/2 tablespoon sugar (to taste)

1 cup fresh or canned mango pulp

2 cups vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup water (or to desired consistency)

Splash of rose water (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Place frozen mango pieces, cardamom and sugar in blender and pulse until combined. Add all other ingredients into blender and puree until smooth. Add extra ice cubes if desired.