I Heart Curry

Where do I begin?
Fharzana is funny, bright as they come, gifted in the art of conversation and one helluva cook. Not in that order, obviously you’re coming to learn your way around her kitchen, but you’ll come away as charmed by the teacher as you are by the meal.
We learned so much more than just the recipe: the class was just as much about authenticity and safe food practices as it was about the delicious (DELICIOUS) meal we all made.
She’ll have you in stitches, she’ll challenge your preconceived notion of the whitewashed version of continental Indian cuisine we see on tv and in restaurants. You can feel the love from the moment you walk in. Do yourself a favor (or you and your mate, this was date night for us!) and learn at I Heart Curry asap.
I cannot wait to take another class!

My wife and I took Fharzana’s class to celebrate a birthday. We both love Indian cuisine and have wanted to improve our Indian cooking skills for awhile. The class was perfect. We learned a ton that we will back to the kitchen and had a great time because of Fharzana’s personality.
In our class, we learned how to prepare Savory Upma, Fish Kofta Curry, and Begun Bhaja. Fharzana did a great job of breaking the recipes and ingredients with just the right amount of detail. She covered the little things you might normally get in a cooking class, such as knife skills and proper tools, and did an amazing job explaining the cooking processes so they can be easily followed. Each dish was delicious and, more importantly, very replicable once we try it at home.
Fharzana was incredibly friendly, enthusiastic and displayed a genuine interest in us. We highly recommend taking one of her classes if you want to learn more about Indian cuisine or have a great date.

My friend and I took Fharzana’s Indian Vegetarian Cooking Class and it was awesome! I was always overwhelmed with a long list of spices listed in any authentic looking recipes I found so haven’t really tried cooking Indian food at home.
Fharzana’s class was very welcoming and hands-​on. She was fun and knowledgeable. Her recipes were simple enough for a non-​Indian like myself without sacrificing the integrity of flavors.
We cooked Paneer Makni, Vegetable Biryani and badam kulfi (almond ice cream). We got to mix spices, chop, stir, boil… very hands on. The smell when the spices hit the pan is just enchanting.
I highly recommend I Heart Curry and Fharzana’s classes for anyone who are looking for a fun evening of learning with good food and good company.

I love Indian food but unfortunately my wife is not a fan of spicy foods of any kind. I’ve tried cooking it myself following recipes with unsatisfactory results. I saw Fharzana’s cooking class and decided to get some instruction. I was delighted with the small class size, and Fharzana is a wonderfully hospitable and knowledgeable instructor. The class was hands-​on, and we ate what we cooked.
In addition to learning to cook three dishes, I gained some understanding of Indian cooking techniques, nutritional information and basic cooking skills that have helped me greatly since I took her class. Now my only problem is that my lovely wife complains our house smells like Indian food. Goal accomplished!

My wife and I did a fantastic cooking class with Fharzana a few months ago and really learnt a lot of truly practical tips that has made our Indian cooking better.
I’d say I’m a competent cook, and have had some success with cooking Indian food, so it was nice that having asked us our experience with cooking Indian food, Fharzana targeted what she was telling us appropriately — the class was neither over our heads, nor was it patronizing.
We learnt three things, a tomato chutney, that we have made multiple times since, onion pakora, which again we have replicated at home with a lot of success, but the best thing we learnt was a creamy chicken curry. We’d specifically asked for preventing yoghurt or cream curdling when we add it to our curries (which, when I’ve used yoghurt before it always has), so we were shown how to make a dish with yoghurt and given specific tips how to avoid the curdling. It has worked every time. I can’t say I’ve made the exact dish we were shown again, but the tips we were shown with this have really made a difference in my cooking.
Top it off with the fact that Fharzana is an interesting, bubbly and genuinely engaging person, and you’ve got the makings of a really good class.

I’ve never written a review before, which I guess makes two firsts because I’d never taken an official cooking class before last night, either (unless you count Home Ec in junior high — I don’t). After experiencing the joy of one of Fharzana’s cooking classes, though, I don’t know if I could ever go anywhere else. She was warm and welcoming, funny and so full of cheer… If only all classes could be like hers — I would have stuck around in school for a lot longer, then.
From the moment you walk in the door and she greets you with this huge smile, ushering you into the kitchen for a warm glass of Chai tea (mmm!) as if you’re an old friend and not a stranger who found her on Unilocal,it’s instant camaraderie. As more people trickle in, she has everyone gather around the island in her very well-​stocked kitchen and introduce themselves and just like that you’re no longer a group of strangers.
The next few hours fly by as you soak up as much as you can from her well of knowledge — from good places to shop and the best eateries to what oil to use for this and what for that; from which pans and utensils are worth the price tag and which to avoid to how to hold a knife properly — oh! Think you’re peeling ginger right? If you haven’t been to one of Fharzana’s classes, I bet you aren’t. Learning to make a delicious dish is only half of it.
What you get from Fharzana’s classes is a new appreciation for the art and joy of cooking, a (perhaps renewed) sense of confidence in the kitchen you simply can’t get from a more heartwarming teacher, and an intimate understanding of what it is about cooking that brings people together. I’ve already picked the next dish I want to learn and if you have even the slightest inkling of curiosity, I can vouch for this one as a safe bet. You won’t regret it.

My boyfriend and I LOVE Indian cuisine, especially South Indian food. Because we often have a craving it, we decided it would be useful to take a class on how to make dosas at home. Taking Fharzana’s class blew our mind! Not only did we get an extremely hands-​on class in preparing mysore dosas, plain dosas, and onion rava dosas, we learned so much more about Indian cooking in general!
She gave us secrets as to where to get the most authentic Indian spices and ingredients for making delicious and flavorful Indian food in our own home. Basically, everything to make a delicious home-​cooked south indian meal that one cannot possibly learn from an Indian cook book, because they are too mainstreamed. She demonstrated correct techniques for preparing the ingredients and cooking them. Each student has the chance to prep, cook and taste along the way. For example, we learned to spread the dosai mixture on the pan, and cook dum potatoes. She was very patient and encouraged us to continue trying, without being shy of making mistakes. The class was informal and extremely fun! Because Fharzana’s class are typically small (4 – 5 people), everyone is fully engaged. There is plenty of room for lingering questions that one may have about Indian cooking, throughout the class.
Overall, the dosai class was extremely well executed and well-​paced. We remade everything at home and it tasted delicious! Her class made us feel more confident and comfortable about cooking Indian food at home. We can’t wait to try out other recipes on her blog. Despite her awesome blog and instructions, I think taking her class is a MUST to get a full grasp of preparing Indian cuisine. There’s nothing better than seeing everything happen and being part of the action. We took away so much knowledge from the class! Also, she sends you detailed, lab-​like protocols for preparing the class’s food, the day after you take her class. They’re excellent!
I highly recommend taking a class by I Love Curry! Fharzana is very open to suggestions, so if there is something that you want to learn or a class that you would like to take, just shoot her an email!

Fharzana did a great job teaching us how to prepare what was listed on the class title, and so much more! She is incredibly knowledgeable about food and cooking.
My husband and I took this class for an anniversary present to ourselves. Fharzana made us feel welcome in her home — it was super clean and the kitchen was very professionally equipped. She has all the gadgets and spices you could ever need to produce an authentic Indian meal. And she’s not afraid to give you exact, specific instructions!
The class was awesome, and I’m looking forward to taking another one soon. I definitely feel that I could replicate the dishes we learned at home. Great class.

We had a wonderful time at our class on dosais. Our food tasted great, and we participated at every step (chopping, rinsing, stirring… everything minus cleanup). Our teacher watched as we practiced techniques, and made sure we were on the right track. I certainly don’t think I could have learned to spread the dosai batter without her help! She also shared lots of knowledge about her ingredients and tools. And she was very cheerful and easy to talk to.
I particularly appreciated how approachable this kind of cooking was. We didn’t need a giant restaurant pan to make dosais – we just made them smaller in a normal cast-​iron pan that anyone could have. We even used a coffee grinder to grind spices. And our teacher told us exactly where to get the ingredients.
Thank you, I Heart Curry, for giving me the confidence and skills to cook my own delicious food!

If you consider yourself a beginner’s level cook and have a desire to learn more about cooking authentic Indian/​Bangladeshi cuisine, THIS IS THE CLASS FOR YOU. And if you have experience in the kitchen already, well you’re just one step ahead and will love this class :) Whatever your level, you’ll get so much out of this class. Fharzana is incredibly knowledgeable and goes through great lengths to make sure that the ingredients in her dishes are of the highest quality and based on informed decisions (ask her to tell you about what happened when she called the Morton salt company this one time.). She thoroughly explains the history behind the dish, why certain oils and spices are used for that specific dish, and goes through the steps in preparing the dish in a way that is very comfortable and very fun. I consider myself a novice cook and walked into this class not knowing a thing about cooking Indian food, and walked out with an arsenal of delicious, authentic, wholesome recipes that I can’t wait to try in my own kitchen! She is patient throughout, and so obviously passionate about her native cuisine and cooking in general-she’ll share useful tips to apply in all arenas of cooking, so you get even more than you bargained for :) Overall, you will definitely have a good time and get one hell of a delicious meal out of it. I highly recommend this class!

Fharzana’s home and kitchen are so welcoming. Her teaching style is straight-​forward — you will learn by jumping right in. I had so much fun that it’s reignited my passion for cooking at home again. Thanks Fharzana!

If you are looking for a very well executed cooking class, this is a must.
I just attended Fharzana’s class last night and might I say that this is the best cooking class I have ever been to. She not only explains every step of the process very clearly, but she also provides some background information about the ingredients so that we truly understand what is going into our food.
Unlike other cooking classes, we made ourselves dinner and each person had plenty of opportunities to get their hands «dirty» and help out with the preparation and cooking process, which I found very appealing.

My husband and I took a class at Fharzana’s home, it was a birthday gift from my brother and we were very excited to learn more about the Indian food we love to eat.
We made a tomato chutney (as I have lots of tomatoes growing in my garden) and onion pakora followed by a chicken curry with a creamy yogurt base.
Fharzana did a wonderful job explaining everything we did and she answered all our questions. She is obviously very passionate about food and sharing her knowledge. We are confident cooks but still came away with a lot of new information and we can’t wait to try our new recipes.
I imagine we will be back to take another class soon!

Coolest cooking class ever :-)
It’s in Fharzana’s kitchen and you can see/​touch /​smell all the spices and tools she uses. She tells you where you find ingredients, how to peel ginger (never knew that one!), what to buy and not to buy, and most importantly — how to actually cook it.
We created several chutneys — they were amazing and we got to eat them. And one of them actually is the base to curries — two for one. If you are like me and are a novice in the Indian cuisine — this is the class to take. Lots of fun and laughter included :-)
I’ll be coming back for more.

My son was home on leave from the military for a few weeks, and we decided to take this class so he can feed himself better :-)
He and his sister have now fixed Chicken Vindaloo several times! What is amazing is that they both have such different learning styles, yet both found Fharzana’s class to be just what they needed.
Knowing the recipes would be provided after the class let us focus on the process of preparing the food, and Fharzana is super-​knowledgeable about each ingredient going into each dish. We were unanimously delighted both with her warmth and the delicious food, and will definitely take more classes.
Enjoyable AND healthy (and easy to do on your own afterwards)!

Last Saturday night, at Fharzana’s, we made the best dosais I have ever had. Every step of the way, the dosais were prepared with beautiful, uncompromised, unprocessed ingredients, which ultimately made dosais, which were healthy, hearty and unforgettably delicious.
My partner and I arrived about 15 minutes late to the class but were nonetheless greeted with warmth and hospitality from Fharzana, who upon our arrival, offered us the very yummy, freshly prepared homemade chai she had made for each one of her guests. (There was only 3 of us total that night.) We all briefly introduced ourselves to one another and went straight into making the dosai, mum potatoes, and chili powder. Fharzana explained her thought process throughout the whole preparation in terms of what ingredients she chose to use and why, which I thoroughly enjoyed because it indicated to me that she has an extensive knowledge about what she’s doing and that she also cares about and appreciates the importance of every detail that goes into the process of preparing a meal. She also demonstrated consideration towards her guests and made sure that everyone played a role that they were comfortable performing in the kitchen as we all had varying levels of confidence within the context of cooking. At no point did I feel nervous or judged about my level of experience and Fharzana was more than accommodating if we felt like we needed the assistance.
At every turn along the way of preparation, the kitchen became more and more fragrant with spices and oils that sent us all into a whirlwind of hunger and excitement. I have to say, when it was my turn to eat my piping hot dosais, fresh off the cast iron pan, I dove right in. I was overwhelmed by how savory and deliciously tasty the potatoes and chili powder were and was floored by how perfectly crisp the dosais came out to be. All my previous dosai experiences definitely paled in comparison to how good the food was that night.
The following day, Fharzana sent an email with the recipe and a detailed explanation on the preparation. I haven’t had the chance to attempt to replicate the experience but I look forward to it once I get myself my own cast iron pan.
I highly recommend Fharzana’s classes. She is professional, very knowledgeable, honest and respectful. I had a very fun, relaxed and tasty experience in her home and I felt like I learned something that I can enjoy and share with others. I will definitely be taking another one of her classes very soon!
Thanks again Fharzana!

I took Fharzana’s class a while back with some friends. It felt like I was in an old friend’s home, even though we just met. She was so patient with everyone and gave each of us a task to do. I like that she would quickly demonstrate how she wanted something chopped or whisked, and then she would hand over the job to one of us.
She explained the history of the dishes that we made as we were all working in the kitchen. We all sat down together to eat. One of the women’s husband was waiting in the car outside and he was invited in to eat with all of us. She even sent home of of the students with a care package so that her husband could try the food.
Fharzana is a wonderful cook and a gentle spirit. Anyone who wants to learn how to cook something amazing would be lucky to take a class from her.

I went to Fharzana’s Valentine’s day cooking class.
First off let me say what a nice person Fharzana is, she made me feel very welcome right away!
I am terrible in the kitchen, I have a very limited amount of dishes which I can cook. But if you’re like me then it’s no problem as she is a great teacher! I learnt to make Rose scented Chicken Dum Biriyani, Raita, Papads and Gulabjamuns. Fharzana explained everything clearly and precisely and in steps so it wasn’t too overwhelming. She also told me a bit of history regarding the food and India which I thought was a nice touch.
What was great was that throughout the cooking you can tell how much Fharzana enjoys what she is doing, she is happy to share her knowledge so you can cook up a tasty meal.
I would definitely recommend this class for a person of any culinary ability, the atmosphere and energy made it lots of fun and the food turned out delicious.
I also got to take away the recipe so I can try it at home as well, which I’ll be attempting sometime in the near future.

I rarely ever write reviews, but my boyfriend and I had such an awesome experience with Fharzana that I just have to take a moment to give her kudos. My friend purchased a cooking class for my b-​day gift and I was pleasantly surprised and excited to learn that we could pick our own vegetarian items from her menu. She also normally hosts classes on weekdays, but she was able to accommodate us on a Saturday night.
As a self taught passionate chef, Fharzana showed us how to cook like an old friend visiting her home. She was very attentive and made sure to check-​in with each of us so that we understood what we were cooking and the technique. She allowed us to take turns cutting, rolling and cooking the items. We received some insight into the history of various regional indian cuisines, the spices we used and some suggestions for necessary cooking utensils, cookware and spices to have on hand.
We learned how to make:
–Jhaal French Toast — This is a non-​traditional and easy snack that she made-​up one day. It reminded me of a Korean pancake. You make it like a french toast, but instead just mix-​in some chopped onions, cilantro, scallions with salt and throw into a mix of eggs and pan fry.
–Mushroom Masala — I loved learning how to make curry from scratch! We got to use the actual whole spice instead of using the pre-​ground stuff.
–Roti — Handmade Whole Wheat Flour-​This was a lot of fun even though we weren’t able to make them perfectly round like the chef =)
We’ll definitely be back for another class in the future!

I took Fharzana’s Kathi Rolls class. Kathi rolls are a Calcutta street food, not unlike a burrito. Seasoned meats and other fillings are wrapped in paratha, along with a variety of garnishes. The class was a success on every level.
First, because we started off with fresh basic ingredients – no mixes or canned stuff. Fharazna clearly explained what was going on every step of the way.
Second, because the students got to do a lot of the cooking. The classes are hands-​on, not cooking demonstrations.
Third, the results tasted great, and we got to sit down end enjoy the lovely meal we had cooked.
But mostly, it is about Fharzana herself. She is friendly and personable. Her enthusiasm for cooking and for teaching her guests was contagious. The class was fun, relaxing, and broadly informative about Indian cuisine in general.