Barbara Walch

"Indian cooking is like choreographing a dance," Rashmi Sethi says. "It's about the blending of different flavors together, with the use of herbs and spices. I think there is a big misconception that Indian food is just curry. But India is such a vast country with so many different regions, cultures, even languages; its cuisine varies as well depending on what part of the country you are in."

In this country, when we hear the word "curry," most of us automatically think of the pungent powder we can buy by the jar in the spice section of the grocery store. But Rashmi says that really isn't what eastern Indians regard as curry. "The stuff you buy in the jar is actually a British invention," she explains. "When the British were in India, they liked the flavors of the food but didn't want to grind everything fresh. So for convenience they thought to put a few spices together in a jar and call it curry."

Rashmi, who is originally from Calcutta and has a degree in nutrition, says that curry in her native country has several meanings. "It can just be something with a sauce," she says. "If you are cooking vegetables or meat and it has gravy in it, then it's called curry."

It is also the word used to refer to a custom blend of freshly ground spices, varied depending on what region of India you are from. Often in these mixtures are spices, herbs, and seeds. "One of the blends commonly used in Indian cooking is garam masala. Masala means spice blend and it can refer to a simple combination of two or three spices, or ten," Rashmi explains. "It's not as spicy as some blends. It's sweet but strong because the base is cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon. It's something you add at the end of cooking a dish to give more flavor and aroma."

She adds, "But you have to learn to experiment and play with the different spices. You can keep them separate and add them one at a time according to taste. Or you can make a blend and see how you like it—and if you don't, you can add more flavors until it's to your liking. It's an art, building one flavor upon the other."

A vegetarian her entire life, Rashmi says she loves the challenge of adapting dishes from different countries to vegetarian. "I describe my style of cooking as fusion," she says. "I'm not afraid to try other cuisines, like Italian, Thai, Mexican, or Chinese. Like our homeowners association wants me to do a demo for them of French dishes that I've made vegetarian and healthier."

Recently, Rashmi and her husband, Avanti, hosted a gathering for their son, Shravik, who is 20 years old. He invited 12 of his friends to enjoy a buffet his mom prepared just for them. There were some traditional Indian offerings like sprouted mung bean salad which is a refreshing mix of beans, vegetables, and fruit tossed with a seasoned lime juice dressing.

Rashmi also prepared rice pulao made with basmati rice and flavored with garam masala as well as curry with peas and paneer cheese and papdi chaat which they quickly dubbed "Indian Nachos." Fried wheat rounds are topped with cooked vegetables and mashed beans, similar to the Mexican version made with tortillas, then drizzled with chutney in place of salsa and yogurt in place of sour cream. "I also made a pasta dish for them and enchiladas with spinach and avocado," she adds. "I made a lot of stuff and it was all gone. And at the end when they were thanking me and I told them it was all vegetarian, they said they did not even miss the meat!"

Now that Shravik is an adult and on his own, Rashmi says she would like to take her vast knowledge of food and nutrition and resume her career as a dietitian. She would also like to teach classes at the local markets and culinary schools, not just on Indian food but all kinds of cuisines. "I've been active in the PTA for years and three of my PTA friends—Dana, Cindy, and Diana—have been encouraging me to give cooking lessons and demos," she says. "And now I feel like I have more time to do that." If anyone is interested in classes or has questions about her recipes, they can contact her at rashmicooks@yahoo.com.

She also wants to get the word out that adding herbs and spices to your diet can also contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Rashmi starts every morning with a hot cup of chai tea she blends herself that has ginger which is good for digestion, cinnamon which can lower blood pressure, and cloves for controlling blood glucose levels. "If you have a blend of spices and learn to use them, you can also cut down your intake of salt or almost get rid of it," she says. "You add salt because food is bland but adding spices instead gives it more flavor."

Let the dance begin!

Barbara Walch is Plano Profile's food editor, and is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP).