Cookery Class with East India Café Cheltenham

Easter Sunday is usually the time where you and your family get together over a hoofing lamb roast, stuff yourself full of Easter eggs and watch some kids film on the telly. This year I strayed from tradition because I was invited to a cookery class at Cheltenham's East India Café.

The Anglo-Indian place on the prom has been on my radar for quite a while; word of mouth, I've only ever heard good things, so it was great to be able to get in on this lunchtime experience (cheers Honeybourne Line!).

Truth be told, The Chap and I were pretty hungover after a few too many bank holiday beverages on the Saturday night, but boshing a hot cross bun and a pint of tea for breakfast sorted us out, and off we went.

East India run their 'Cookery Masterclasses' on the last Sunday of every month, with the themes and menu changing each time. Their general cooking style is a bit different to your average Indian, with their inspiration coming from the years of the British Raj (1858 - 1947). The lifestyle - particularly the dining - of the British Raj was said to be incredible, prompting East India to dip into the recipes and creations of that time, giving them a slightly more updated twist.

The class that we attended was all about the colonial dishes that originated from the kitchen of Dak Bungalow - guest houses erected by Indian rulers. With four courses to make (and eat), we started swiftly.

Non-alcoholic Shorbot drinks in hand - a herbal concoction originally used for medicinal purposes - we took to our seats. Although brightly coloured, it was actually delicately flavoured with rose and lemon, and it had added texture with soaked chia and basil seeds floating around in there too.

The set up was different to other cookery classes I've been on (here), this was much more like a demonstration as opposed to a hands on kind of thing... Though I did fry some onions like a pro! An induction hob on a table was the makeshift kitchen, with eight of us observing from our tables - all facing outwards, it was a little like being an X-Factor judge for the day. Prep work was fully explained and shown for each course, with the kitchen team assembling the full dishes behind the scenes. You're basically guided through the foundations of the recipe before being presented with the finished article to tuck in to - no lengthy waiting around for things to cook. Plates cleared, then onto the next one.

Dish 1: Samosa Chaat. The ultimate street food snack, it's essentially a deconstructed samosa, or a sort of scrambled samosa, mixed with extra filling and veg. It makes it a bit healthier than just munching on the deep fried goods alone, and looks much more appetising than a few beige triangles on a plate. With a combination of fresh ingredients, herbs, spices, and the most amazing mint sauce I've ever tasted, it felt like a great way to start to an Indian feast, and is something I'll definitely recreate at home.

Dish 2: Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Steak. A super easy recipe that would be perfect for a summer BBQ (if the sun ever gets a look in). All that's required is marinating the fish overnight in a mixed pickle and mustard-y sauce, then searing both sides on a grill, and you're done! They tarted the plate up with a parsley and coriander gremolata, tartare sauce, and mango, along with a few strewn leaves. It was probably my favourite course of the day, and it's on their a la carte menu if you fancy it too.

It was at this point we had a palate cleanser of Mango Sorbet with Lemon Jelly, and I ordered myself a White Negroni. This was nothing like any White Negroni I've had before; less boozy and more sweet than usual, I presume to pair up to the spices in the food better? It certainly gained points on its beauty nonetheless.

Dish 3: Chicken Jalfrezi. A classic, made with both chicken drumsticks and breast strips, along with a healthy amount of peppers. Taste-wise, amazing (and definitely kicked out our hangovers), but my only qualm would be on the presentation. It came in a cabbage leaf bowl, which we were instructed not to eat, and then had three little buckets on the side; one with a fragrant lemon rice (yes), one with a bengali spice salad (double yes), and one with extra jalfrezi (huh?). I can see that East India are trying to be a bit different, but it just felt clumsy to eat, especially trying to cut chicken off the bone in a cabbage leaf.

Dish 4: Chilli Chocolate Truffle. Chilli and chocolate are a dream team, and when you throw in some rose flavoured jam and a handful of chopped nuts... Now you're talking. I've already hunted down some of the rose spread they used; I expect I'll be making these truffles a lot. We had a mini cup of Chai made with soy milk too just to round things off.

So, not only did we enjoy four courses of Colonial Indian food, we also got the chance to learn about Indian cookery and intermittently don an apron.

The classes at East India Café are priced at £49.95 and it lasts about 4 hours. I'd maybe say that it's aimed more at people who dabble in cookery, or those who love Indian food but never attempt to make it at home - the long lists of ingredients can be quite daunting! I feel that adventurous cooks would probably be familiar with a lot of the processes that were explained, but they'd still gain some exciting recipes and get the chance to eat some lovely food with a group of people too.

Our hosts were incredibly funny, though I'm not sure it was always intentional, and couldn't have been more welcoming. The Chap and I left with our recipe sheets, goodie bags containing spices and chai tea, and a new motto;"be your own chef".

Check out Lewis Loves blog post of the event too. 

Fast Days & Feast Days with Elly Pear

Last October I won a competition with Harper Collins for a cookery class with Elly Curshen, better known as Elly Pear, at The Bertinet Kitchen in Bath.

But what did I know about Elly Pear?

Firstly, she owns Pear Café in Bristol, serving up the most jazzy looking fritatas, soups and hoofin' sarnies (the Chicken and Avocado Caesar with Chicken Crackling was listed as one of Buzzfeed's 17 Must Eat Sandwiches Before You Die). So I'm told, they also make the best brownies in town - Butterscotch & Plain Chocolate! 10 years it's been open, and sadly I've not tried any of the above because the café's only open Monday - Friday... I'll make it one day!

Elly is friends with all the good food folk, and will often be seen hanging out with them at the coolest bars and restaurants in London/elsewhere. Well jel.

She used to run the Basement Supperclub with her mate Dan (@essexeating - who manages Grillstock in St Nick's Market and has his own BBQ book out).

Elly loves sherry. Fino shez and salty snacks are her fave, and Tio Pepe's where it's at.

When not in her chef's apron, she's usually spotted in a Boden striped breton and Grenson shoes.

Decent bread, avocados, pickles, radishes and a runny egg always feature on Elly's colourful Instagram feed. There's lots of fish too (she's not a meat eater), and tofu... Don't ever say a bad word about tofu.

Probably the most important thing to note is that she's the queen of the 5:2; that "diet" - though lifestyle choice is probably more apt - where you can eat what you want for five days and restrict yourself to just 500 calories for two.

Despite always being conscious of weight, I've never been one for counting calories. Slimming World was my diet of choice in my late teens; it was all red and green days - no calculations involved. I managed to lose 3 and a half stone, and even with all my current eating adventures, thankfully it's not crept back.

My parents and a few friends have dabbled in the 5:2 with some great results, so I was interested in trying it out. But it wasn't until I went to Elly's class that I realised how easy it could be. You don't have to skip meals and starve yourself all day, you've just got to be clever about it.

The following Monday I was inspired to do my first ever fast day, and I've stuck to it ever since. I'm not doing it to lose weight, rather to balance out all the food and drink I like to indulge in. Also, having been diagnosed with an IBD a few years ago, I've found this to be a great way to give my stomach the break it needs on a weekly basis. It has helped me out no end!

So last week saw the publication of Elly Pear's Fast Days and Feast Days; a book full of fresh, uncomplicated food to get stuck into. A collection of more than 100 of Elly’s favourite recipes from both fast days and feast days, her home kitchen and her café. With good advice on how to shop better, cut down on waste, and stock your fridge and cupboards more sensibly, this isn't just a book for those doing the 5:2. It's more like a guide for a new way of eating delicious, nutritious food all year round – whether you're fasting or feasting.

At the class back in October, a group of us got a sneak preview of some of the Fast Days and Feast Days recipes, which we vowed not to share until the book was released. We had such a fun day cooking, assembling, eating, drinking, and we all went home with epic doggy bags!

Fast day wise, we made the Raw Winter Veg Salad (pg 67), Smoked Salmon & Radish Salad (pg 74), and the Courgette, Chilli and Herb Salad with King Prawns (pg 77, though in the book it suggests feta).

For feast days, we made Root Veg & Halloumi Fritters with Frying Pan Flatbread (pg 137), Roasted Cauliflower & Butter Bean Salad with Orange & Olives (pg 140), Impatient Rainbow Pickles (pg 225) and Chocolate & PX Pots with Cream (pg 253). Oh, and we got the secret Pear Café Flapjack recipe, which isn't in the book - score!

As a testament to how great Elly's recipes are, since the class I've made a number of them over and over again - particularly those halloumi fritters, flapjacks and chocolate pots!

In the run up to the book launch, her In Style column teased us with a few recipes; I've batch cooked a load of Courgette Dhal (pg 101), and I make the Beetroot Soup with Wild Garlic or Spinach (pg 116) almost every week. Her free Amazon E-Short contained a now fast-day-fave of mine too - All-Day Breakfast Polenta - along with some other dishes that didn't make their way into the book.

Basically, if you hadn't already guessed it, I've been fan-girl-ing over Elly Pear for flippin' ages. And since Fast Days and Feast Days landed on my doorstep last week, I've looked at nothing else.

Saturday I made Tahini Noodles with Greens & 6-Minute-Egg (pg 127), Sunday saw both the Salmon Rice Bowl (pg 166) and Jen's Banana & Apple Loaf (pg 261), and tonight is calling for the Sweet Potato, Lentil, Kale & Coconut Curry (pg 134).

Tomorrow is a fast day, and with so many exciting options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, pimped out with Elly's sauces and pickles, I know it's not going to be boring...