Spice Up Your Weekend with the Geffen’s Bollywood Kitchen

I started enjoying the Geffen Playhouse’s Bollywood Kitchen long before the first scheduled performance. A week prior to Sri Rao’s fun live Indian cook-along, a beautiful box appeared on my doorstep.

Inside was Indian spices including cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, red chili powder, black mustard seeds and ground cloves; recipe cards; additional ingredients and a shopping list to prepare an authentic Indian meal prior to or during Rao’s show.

Guests create chicken curry (or the vegan option Chana Masala) which is Rao’s signature dish. There is also Basmati rice, raita (cucumber, yogurt and onions) and a delicious chocolate chai affogato. The evening begins with Bollywood popcorn and a Mumbai mule cocktail.

Rao’s Bollywood Kitchen is much more than a cooking demonstration. He shares personal stories about his upbringing in Mechanicsburg PA and his family’s love of Bollywood films. There are many Bollywood movie clips shown in-between cooking and storytelling, which adds to the charm of this one-man streaming event.

Originally conceived as a stage musical, Bollywood Kitchen was reinvented to fit the Geffen’s Stayhouse Theater Series and it’s a good fit.

Guests can purchase the special Chef’s Table ticket enabling them to cook on camera and talk to Rao and other guests during the event. This led to interesting conversations sharing similar family experiences, food and culture.

This was my first attempt at cooking Indian food. Both the meal and the performance left me hungry for more.

Extended through March 6, tickets are $40, $95, and $175 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 4 and 7pm PT. Visit www.geffenplayhouse.org for tickets.