Cooking Class - Intro to Sri Lankan Cuisine

We had such a fun experience. The food was delicious. Chef Gagana was a patient, clear and thorough teacher. My father and I both left feeling like we can actually make these recipes. The fruit dessert at the end was a perfect way to cap off the meal. Chef Gagana also emailed us ahead of time with clear instructions on easily getting to the location.

Spices! Using unfamiliar spices can be intimidating sometimes. I have cooked with some spices for making some Indian dishes before, but I didn’t have ability to try different spices or spice combination until Chef Gagana walked me through with spices! Chef Gagana taught me how to cook with them as well as what kind of flavors they produce when they are cooked. I really enjoyed Chef Gagana’s class. I can’t wait to try using some spice combinations that I learnt and I look forward to impress my family and friends with new flavors!

I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a wide range of cuisine prepared by Chef Gagana. From his tandoori spiced chicken all the way to a simple basmati rice he is able to put a part of his own sense of style to every dish. His knowledge of flavors and spices from his Sri Lankan heritage mixed with the techniques learned while training in France have led to creations that delight both the palate and the eye every time. Some of my fondest memories are getting to try new dishes as he was perfecting them. When he makes a dish he settles for nothing less than excellence. This extends to finding just the right banana leaves to wrap his kalua pork, the perfect coffee flavor for his rubbed flank steak, and the specific chilies he would use with his vegetables. While he is a master with proteins, let me tell you one dish that I always think about whenever I remember his meals…..Basmati rice with caramelized onions. It seems so simple but is so hard to get perfect, trust me I’ve tried. Getting the onions slowly cooked down until they become more of a jam bringing out their natural sweetness that often gets overlooked in other preparations takes skill and patience. When added to the soft long grain of a good basmati rice the effect is extraordinary. Chef Gagana understands that if you take the time to source good product and treat it with respect and skill the results will follow. I must have eaten pounds of brisket when he was mastering the use of his new smoker but I’m not complaining one bit. I feel honored and privileged to have met the man and my own culinary journey around the world has certainly been enhanced by his dedication to the craft he has spent a lifetime mastering.