11/08/2023
Paul Oliva, came over for my Cooking by Colour class on the 28th of July 2023 and I give his review to TripAdvisor/Viator following his experience.
" Mohara Dole is an accomplished chef and recipe author who conceived the approach "Cooking by Color" to underscore the ways you can assess quantities of key ingredients such as chili powder and coconut milk in a dish, whether the dish is sufficiently cooked, and simply the beautiful range of colors in putting together a meal.
Mohara runs this highly personalized class in her beautiful home for individuals and small groups. Those with some familiarity of south Asian ingredients, cooking terms, and techniques will be delighted with the opportunity to produce several fairly sophisticated dishes in traditional clay pots. For those with minimal cooking experience, Mohara is happy treating the class as a demonstration, doing some or all of the preparation herself and explaining as she goes, and encouraging you to be as much hands-on as you are comfortable.
There is not a fixed start or end time to the session, and Mohara will prefer to customize it around your time and interests, including discussing the menu.
I was Mohara's student on a sunny, breezy day in Colombo. After a little introductory chat over a freshly made avocado drink, Mohara went over key ingredients, some of which are common to South Asian cooking and others more particular to Sri Lanka cuisine. In all, and with the quiet and confident help of Mohara's assistant, we made two different types of rice, a warm vegetable side dish, and four wonderful curries (chicken, prawn, mango, and a type of local squash). Mohara encouraged me to do as much of the prep and cooking as I wanted, up to and including grating coconut on a traditional grater. After eating all the delicious food, we enjoyed scoops of firm-style yogurt (curd) with honey, and famous Ceylon coffee or tea.
The personal touch, extent of the menu, and introduction to so many local techniques and ingredients was exactly what I was looking for. Mohara was a delightful teacher, and I would recommend this experience for anyone who really wants to immerse in Sri Lanka cooking. "
