Cooking With Arvinda's

While at the Niagara College 41st Annual "In Your Backyard" Open House, I visited the other vendors in the Marketplace. I always have to visit my favourite vendor Arvinda's. We have loved Arvinda's since I found them about 2 years ago at the 'In Your Backyard' Open House.

The year we found them, we sampled the 'Chai Tea' & the 'Carrot & Red Lentil Soup (Dal)'. Both were excellent, prompting me to buy the spices so that I could make them at home. They had recipe postcards so at least I knew what I was doing!!

Onto the next year, Arvinda's was back again. I had to replenish the Chai Masala & the Madras Masala. Next we tried the Tandoori Chicken. I took the recipe postcard & purchased the Tandoori Masala. When trying a new recipe I go strictly by the recipe, after that it is fair game. We absolutely loved the Tandoori Chicken but it turned out to be a tad hot for our liking. What I have done since when cooking the Tandoori Chicken is to double the amount of yogurt or halve the Tandoori Masala. It has come out perfect every time!

This year I decided to be a bit more adventurous, I purchased Arvinda's new cookbook 'Arvinda's Healthy Gourmet Indian Cooking' I also have all the spice blends, cooking masalas & cooking ingredients so there is no excuse to not use this cookbook. I love this cookbook, it is so easy now I have all the spice blends, masalas & cooking ingredients. I really like easy especially when it comes to a different type of cooking. I have not done much Indian Cooking as I am not one to buy a gazillion spices I may not use again. This is perfect as they are all mixed and ready to go - my kind of cooking!!

The girls decided since we had all the spice blends, masalas & cooking ingredients we needed to crack the book open & make something. I decided on a dessert "Chai Vanilla Yogurt with Seasonal Fruit & Walnuts" (pg 51). We had the Chai Vanilla Yogurt with strawberries & blackberries. Didn't have any walnuts but that didn't matter. It was to die for!! Wow!! This is going to be a summer staple especially with all the local fresh fruit.

Decisions were made & I have been commissioned to make something from 'Arvinda's Healthy Gourmet Indian Cooking' cookbook every week. Our life is extremely busy so we decided on Monday nights as this is the night we are mostly home - Bruce has to be home for his soap opera '24'. I hate to eat & run. I want to enjoy Indian cooking!! The girls are already eyeing some of the recipes they want to try.
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Julie