We speak exclusively to Asian Food Channel chef Bal Arneson, on the must-haves in your kitchen
By Cheryl Chia
Coming from Punjab, “Spice Goddess” Bal Arneson has come a long way. She arrived in Canada in her 20s without knowing a word of English or having had any formal education.
Chef Bal took up odd jobs in catering to support her young daughter and herself. Her cooking soon became the talk of the town, and she now has her own television show, Spice Goddess with Bal Arneson.
What are the spices one must have in the kitchen?
You always must have garam masala which is mixture of spices and turmeric powder. It is one of my favourite spice mixtures to use. I have many spices in my pantry but these two are my favourite.
Having grown up in Punjab, what dishes do you prepare for your family?
Every dish I cooked growing up in Punjab is my favourite. I would cook dishes like sag, corn toties, lentils, vegetables, samosas, gulab jamuns. I loved to eat them all.
How can you incorporate distinctly Indian elements into Western cooking?
When I eat Western food, I always think that there is something missing if it does not have a touch of spices. For all the western dishes, I always make sure to incorporate some spices such as cumin, coriander, mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric.
Indian food is known for being heavy. How can one make Indian food healthy?
Traditional Indian food is not heavy at all. For those who are looking to make an Indian dish with a cream base in the sauce, you can always add yoghurt instead of cream – it works exactly the same, but it is much healthier!
Spice Goddess 2 is currently airing on the Asian Food Channel.
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