hose searching for fast and healthy Indian dishes, as well as an understanding of how to incorporate the Instant Pot® into their cooking, learned a great deal during a demonstration on Wednesday, September 18.    

Rinku Bhattacharya, chef and author of Instant Indian:  Classic Foods from Every Region of India Made Easy in the Instant Pot®, led the program “Instant Pot® Cooking:  Technology & Tradition.”  The event, part of the Chefs of Our Kitchen (C.O.O.K.) Series, was sponsored by the Gateway Community College Foundation and presented by People’s United Bank.  The popular series has become a tradition at GCC, where participants have the chance to meet and learn from well-known chefs.

A reception was held in the NewAlliance Art Gallery followed by a culinary demonstration and a three-course meal, which included a colorful lentil-based soup, cozy butter chicken served with brown rice, and poached fresh apricots with whipped cream for dessert.  Proceeds from the C.O.O.K. series help fund scholarships for Gateway students and provide professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. 

Bhattacharya is a Gourmand Award-winning cookbook author, blogger, and cooking instructor, as well as a working mother.  In her blog, The Spice Chronicles, Bhattacharya shares recipes and aims to demystify Indian cuisine and offer unique ways to use seasonal produce, while also highlighting the cultural diversity of Indian cooking and simplifying the preparation.

Her recipes are well-suited to busy lifestyles and she strives to make Indian cooking practical. Guests received a copy of her cookbook.