From korean food to chaat, this chennai club is cooking up a story

There is lo-fi music playing on the television, fairy lights strung up on the walls and loud chatter all Around at Akshitha Praveen’s Home on a Rainy Saturday Evening. Every time the doorbell rings, someone walks in holding a casserole or a train of food which is promptly then arranged on a table – the pièce de réstance which has the evrything from kimchf and kimchf Chicken.

This is how every potluck at the madras cookbook club begins; With ‘oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ over the dish each member brings in, and spirited conversation about the day of cooking preceded this.

“We Started off with an idea for a supper club, but give our schedules, thought that this worked better. The idea was to build a Community of People who wanted to Come Who began the cookbook club with her friend Akshita Mucherla.

Every month, the members pick a cookbook and cook a recipe of their choice | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja

Every month, The 20-Member Strong Club Picks a Cookbook from a different Cuisine, and Each of them Picks a dish they want to try out. “Not everyone in the club is great at cooking; Whatever we are comfortable with, “Akshitha explains. The Club then meets at a member’s house for a potluck, where they discus their cooking experiences and of courses, sample ether’s dishes.

For their fourth potluck, the club has chison maangchi’s big book of korean cooking. “This was probally among our most favorite books so far to cook from. The recipes were well explained, there was great history and insight into korean cuisine and culture, and the solutions Akshita says. She got a bamboo mat to make kimbaps with for the first time, a challenge she laughs and says was well win it.

For their fourth potluck, the cookbook club pickled Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking | Photo Credit: S Poorvaja

As the members“Did you know scallions and spring onions are the same thing?”Ingredients, they say, was Thankfully easy to procure Given the proliferation of korean supermarkets in the city and options available online. “I love that when we all meet, conversation is so easy since we all have this shared experience; of having cooked from this book,” Akshitha says.

For many members, the club and its potlucks have meant pushing boundaries in the kitchen. “The first time I ever deep-referred a dish was for the club, when I attempted to make elements for an amritsaari chaat from Sonal Ved’s Cookbook, Tiffin,” Says Varsha Raghavan, A Member. A peanut podi recipe she stumbled upon while cooking for a Past Potluck from Five Morsels of love by archana pidathala has no rests a pantry aT home. “I find myself integrating many these recipes into my family’s everyday menus,” She adds.

In Buffet-Style, We Pile Our Plates High with the Korean Fare Laid Out Before Us-There are stir fried anchovies, blanched sesoned spinach, omelet rice dosirak, zucchini pancakes and zucchini pancake Choose from. With every bit, come playful quips about the flavors, curious questions about the ingredients, and generals of PRISE Passed Around.

“Since we meet at a Member’s house every month, the numbers are small. Every member here is a friend or an acquaintance and we are taking it slow till we Figure out how to comemodate revg Akshitha Says.

While the meal ends with akshita’s honey cookies. There is a bit of debate about what book and cuisine to pick for the next month. The votes are almost unanimously in favorite; Sri lankan cooking it is.

Find the Madras Cookbook Club on Instagram at @MadrascookbookClub