At its best, food draws people together. Think of gathering at a table with friends and family - or strangers, as in the case of restaurants that offer community seating.

It's also possible to cook, eat a delicious meal and learn about a culture at the same time. Which is what Manjuali Devi's cooking classes at Kalachandji's are about. Held in the Hare Krishna temple's community hall in Dallas, they're an opportunity to sample vegetarian Indian dishes and learn about the people who make them.

Under Manjuali's tutelage, I learned that people in southern India use coconut in just about every meal. I learned that Indians use specific seeds and spices after meals to aid with digestion.

I learned that the Nine Gem Pulao rice dish is named for the nine fruits and vegetables in it. And if you eat it at New Year's, it's supposed to help you eat veggies the rest of the year.

But for me, above all else, these evenings were a way to relax.

Inhaling the aromas of chiles, curry leaves and cumin seeds as they sauteed in ghee (clarified butter) was like aromatherapy. As the soothing scents wafted through the air, my shoulders relaxed, my jaw unclenched, my breathing became deeper and steadier.

I'll always associate that sense of peace and that respite from my workaday life with the first recipe I watched her make: Vegetable Pulao, which is a rice dish with coconut curry. Eating the blend of rice, vegetables and spices was an equally sensuous experience.

So, naturally, the pulao was the first dish from the class that I made on my own. While it's not difficult to cook, it requires some prep time.

As I chopped vegetables, I thought of the joy with which Manjuali prepared the dishes for the class. And breathing in the delicious aromas cooking in my kitchen was as relaxing as I remembered.

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VEGETABLE PULAO

2 tablespoons ghee (see note)

2 cups basmati rice

a few curry leaves (see note)

3 cups red potatoes, cubed

1 cup carrots, cubed

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup bell peppers, cubed

4 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Curry (recipe follows)

Heat ghee in a large, heavy-bottom pot. Add rice and saute for 1 minute. Add curry leaves, vegetables, boiling water, cumin seeds and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until rice and vegetables are cooked, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drizzle curry over rice and vegetables. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

CURRY: Grind 1 fresh jalapeno, 3 small dried red chiles, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons white poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon garam masala and 20 raisins to a paste. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1/4 cup ghee. Add a few curry leaves and the spice paste. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until aromatic. Add 2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk and salt to taste. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Note: Special ingredients such as ghee, curry leaves and garam masala are sold at Indian groceries.

BY BEATRIZ TERRAZAS
The Dallas Morning News
belleville.com/mld/belleville/living/14528210.htm

This dish is really tast and refreshing... I've tried it  myself.. Everyone must give it a try atleast once..

yes i love it too...and the aroma is simply amazing and not very spicy:)