Ranjana is nothing short of fantastic. My friends and I are three high school seniors completing a…read morecapstone project on cultural enclaves in Chicago, and we stumbled upon Ranjana's Indian Cooking Classes -- having visited Little India and being devoted eaters of Indian food, we were naturally interested and emailed Ranjana to set up a date. First, after hearing that we were students, Ranjana very kindly offered a student discount on an already well-priced class, which was incredibly sweet of her. We chose a North Indian menu, and we were delighted by how many delicious options there were for such a low price: we got to make masala chai, imli and coriander chutneys, samosas, roti, paratha, papad, pepper jalfarezi, eggplant curry, pulav, paneer, tofu curry, and kaju katli (a tasty cashew dessert that I will be trying to make at home!). The experience was intimate, as it was hosted in Ranjana's home, and we really enjoyed getting to learn about the history of her neighborhood, about her family (seriously, a family of changemakers and geniuses), and especially about the significance behind and cultural context of the ingredients we were using and the dishes we were eating. She is patient, funny, and not scared of hot things! Her house is full of art, music, and culture. It is clear she cares deeply about what she does, be it her advocacy as LGBTQ+ ally and former executive director of Asian domestic violence shelter Apna Ghar, or teaching this wonderful class and engaging with her students. And the food... the BEST samosas I have ever had, no joke. I've never had something so flavorful and crisp and just the right bit of greasy from a restaurant. And the roti with the pulav and an array of vegetables with a nice cold glass of water was just fantastic. As my friend said, you might not think, as a meat-eater, that you can have a full and truly nourishing meal without meat. But Ranjana's classes will dispel your beliefs: I left her house stuffed, warm, and smelling like the all the aromatic spices of her kitchen. Such a wonderful experience and educational where you wouldn't expect it. I cannot recommend this enough!
- Daniel, Alexa, Lia