Get Spicy: A six-week journey into Indian spices, chai, culture & cooking

We acknowledge this event takes place on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past & present. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

A six-week journey into Indian spices, Chai, culture & cooking

What if you could learn about Indian food and spices from someone who didn't learn it from a cookbook?

Welcome to Get Spicy, an intimate six week cultural experience exploring Indian spices, chai, food, language, customs, stories and traditions.

This isn't your traditional cooking class, it's an immersive experience built around knowledge shared person to person. Stories passed down through generations. Customs that live in kitchens. Spice knowledge rooted in lived experience.

As the granddaughter of an Ayurvedic doctor, Uppma Virdi grew up surrounded by a deep understanding of spices, food and their place in everyday Indian life.

Get Spicy is an invitation into that world.

We'll sit around the table, drink chai, talk, taste, cook, listen and learn. We'll share stories, explore traditions and get hands on with food and spices. Breathwork and grounding practices are also woven into each session.

Across six weeks, participants will build an understanding of not just how to cook Indian food, but how to think about it.

Six weeks and six windows into Indian culture!

🍬 WEEK 1: SWEET SPICES!

Before we can how, we need to understand why and where things come from.

• Deep dive into the history of spices

• Understand Ayurveda - the 5,000 year old Indian medical system called* The Science of Life*

• Taste, touch and smell different spices that are "sweet" and mostly used in sweet dishes and making masala chai

• Understand how a chai blend is actually put together

☕️ WEEK 2: MASALA CHAI

An introduction to the history, culture and rituals of Indian chai.

• The history and cultural significance of chai in India

• Tea, spices, technique and the language of chai

• Understanding how chai changes from region to region and family to family

• The rituals and customs surrounding chai

• Make, share and experience chai together

🔥 WEEK 3: SAVOURY SPICES, MASALA BOX & TADKA

An exploration of the Indian spice cupboard and the foundations of Indian flavour.

• Explore the iconic Indian masala dabba

• Discover the stories, traditions and uses behind Indian spices

• Learn how spices behave and how to use them intuitively for savoury dishes

• The art of tadka and building layers of flavour for different dishes

• Taste and experiment with different spice combinations

🫘 WEEK 4: DAL & SABJI

The foundations of an everyday Indian meal.

• Explore lentils, vegetables, spices and balance

• Understanding the building blocks of dal and sabji

• Learn how Indian home cooks build flavour without relying on recipes

• Explore seasonal and everyday cooking

• Move beyond recipes and learn to trust your palate

🫓 WEEK 5: ROTI

Exploring one of the most fundamental foods in an Indian household.

• The role of roti in Indian food and family life

• Understanding flour, dough and texture

• The art of kneading, rolling and cooking

• Get hands on and make your own roti and the different varities of roti

• Explore the rituals and memories that surround roti in Indian homes

🫓 WEEK 6: ALOO PARATHA

A deep dive into one of India's much-loved stuffed breads.

• Make spiced potato filling and traditional dough

• Learn the art of stuffing, rolling and cooking paratha

• Explore the role of paratha in Indian family life and regional food culture

• Discover different ways families make and eat paratha

• Finish around the table with food, stories and conversation

About your facilitator:

Uppma is the granddaughter of an Ayurvedic doctor who specialised in herbs and spices. She is a first generation Indian Australian migrant who left her career as a lawyer to follow her passion to share her ancient family recipes with the world. Frustrated with the lack of authenticity, she started Chai Walli to educate people on the genuine beauty of Indian teas and spices that her grandfather gifted her with. Uppma grew up with her mother’s love of cooking ingrained in her veins. She uses her innate senses to balance spices according to their Ayurvedic elements and teach others the Art of Chai.

Accessibility:

Info can be found here.

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