My interview with Hetal Vasavada
In this episode I talk with chef Hetal Vasavada about authenticity and innovation in Indian cuisine, what the title of chef means and a whole lotta "goos-boos"
There’s always a bit of exciting trepidation when meeting another Gujarati Indian woman in food. This industry can be so competitive. Folks you feel are kindred spirits can often turn out to be the biggest haters, sadly. (And yes that is an absolute dig, IYKYK) That is why I especially appreciate folks like chef Hetal Vasavada. She is one of the most talented Indian-American chefs in the digital and traditional publishing spaces I have seen (new book coming soon!!), and she does it all while still being super supportive of her peers. Kudos Hetal!! I can’t remember at this point how we originally met a number of years ago but I can always count on her to bounce questions off, share a laugh and of course catching the numerous adventures of her adorably rambunctious daughter, Elara.
Hetal grew up on the east coast in New Jersey, and with two working parents she was always helping them and the rest of their extended family household in the kitchen. Her family always had an abundant vegetable garden every summer full of Indian veggies like eggplant and okra, that sparked her interest and built her experience in gardening as well. What I really love about so many of Hetal’s recipes is she seems to demystify a lot of dishes. I’m always a bit apprehensive when it comes to making elaborate looking desserts but somehow with her guidance, it seems achievable.
The recipe she shared with us, her mother’s seero, is very simple and soul satisfying. I also grew up eating seero, mostly after a puja or some sort of religious ceremony which I think speaks to its slight austerity as desserts go. Seero, is at its essence a sweetened semolina pudding or porridge, Hetal’s version calls for finishing with roasted chopped nuts. Other additions I might add: golden raisins or other dried fruits, a sprinkle of cardamom or another sweet spice like cinnamon or nutmeg, or fold in some chocolate chips!! That last one would probably be a bit too glam for a religious offering but I think it would be a hit and Chef Hetal would approve?
Hetal Vasavada Mom’s Seero
1 tbsp (8 g) shelled raw pistachios
1 tbsp (9 g) raw almonds
1 tbsp (9 g) raw cashews
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) ghee
1/2 cup (84 g) semolina
Toast the pistachios, almonds and cashews in a small nonstick skillet over
medium heat for 4 minutes. Pour into a bowl to cool. Once cool, chop the
nuts coarsely and set aside.
In a small saucepan, add the granulated sugar and water. Dissolve the
granulated sugar in the water over medium heat. Once all of the sugar
has dissolved, set aside.
In a nonstick skillet, add the ghee and semolina. Cook the mixture over
medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes while stirring. The semolina will turn
light brown and give off a nutty fragrance. Pour the granulated sugar
water into the semolina and turn up the heat to medium-high. Let it sit
for 1 minute without mixing. The semolina will soak up all of the water and
thicken. Stir for 1 minute and then spoon into the serving bowls. Top with
the toasted chopped nuts and serve while warm or at room temperature.
Buy Hetal’s first book, Milk and Cardamom here.
Check out Hetal’s brand new Substack Cardamom Crew