Topic: 7 Week BIR Course - What would you include?

[sp]

Hi Jerry, how do you save YouTube videos onto your iPod?

use something like freemake video downloader to download them, and freemake video converter to convert to mp4 where necessary.  both are free.

[sp]

H4ppy Naans?

difficult to achieve in a 45 minute lesson, what with all the waiting around, although you could do a few photos and a Blue Peter style "here's some dough I made earlier"

[martinvic]

I used to teach Art to school leavers, and I can definitely advise to keep things as simple as possible.
Try not to give them information overload, keep things more practical for them.
Explain, demonstrate and get them to do.

As they are only short sessions, I'd suggest the first, although might be a bit of an overload, just explain and show all the basic ingredients to make the meals and give printed recipe handouts.
Things like Base (inc. a small version that would be easy for them to make at home in the future), spices, spice mix, pre-cooked meat/veg, naans, g&g paste, tikka, kebabs etc.
Then you won't have to get them to make all those in the class, you make them yourself and bring them to the following sessions for them to actually start cooking.

Each session could then focus on them cooking one item, rice, naans, a few different style curries, some starters for example, and again printed handouts of the recipes they are cooking.

Hope that helps
Martin

[Garp]

H4ppy Naans?

difficult to achieve in a 45 minute lesson, what with all the waiting around, although you could do a few photos and a Blue Peter style "here's some dough I made earlier"

I appreciate that mate, and some preparation would be required. But the same can be said for almost anything. You're not going to make a base in 45 minutes, which is the starting point IMO (after getting to know the spices).

I think you have a pretty decent outline there, boyo

I'd go for:

Week 1: Introduction to spices, and familiarisation - frying spices and how the taste changes

Week 2: Base sauce - theory, preparation and cooking (you might have to finish them, but they can start them )

Week 3: Make a dish - maybe a Madras - not too complicated ingredients-wise but has good learning points for technique.

Week 4: Make pre-prepared naans and maybe chapatis

Week 5: Rice - cooking techniques and colouring (kids like colouring - get some crazy food colours and let them invent their own)

Week 6: Starters - bhajis and pakora.

Week 7: Phone in sick

[George]

You're not going to make a base in 45 minutes

I disagree. I make my base sauce in well under 45 minutes so, if I can do it, so can boyo and his students.

I use only 1 or 2 onions as well - ideal for a cooking lesson, I'd have thought.

[Garp]

There you go then, boyo. George's base is the way to go ?

[bmouthboyo]

Thanks for that guys some great tips and pointers. 45 minutes is no time at all really and the base will be a struggle. I think a "here's one I prepared earlier" job, although I will get them to measure and chop the ingredients etc but I'll take them home and finish off after.

Whilst my base is heating up we can go over the spice mix, teach a little about the spices then what they will really want to do is cook!

After the first session I really want to focus on them getting hands on cooking different BIR and learning as they go which should be fine for 45 mins (30 inc cleaning time). A sin I know but I have a rice cooker that can do the rice for all, I'll warm up a vat of base they ladle out from. I like Corry Anders recipes as the meat is cooked in the oil so no pre cooking etc, his recipes turn out great too.

At that age I want them to just have fun cooking, learning to measure and prepare ingredients, a bit of the BIR journey and taste their creations. In years to come they can fuss over the finer points lol.

[Garp]

Good luck mate. Let us know how it goes.

Can I sign up for the class? 

[Garabi Army]

Hi Jerry, how do you save YouTube videos onto your iPod?

use something like freemake video downloader to download them, and freemake video converter to convert to mp4 where necessary.  both are free.

I use Firefox with Download Helper installed, it's free. Really easy to use )

Cheers,
Ken

[Argie Bhaji]

Sadly the more you tell the less you sell. If we could all cook BIR the humble take aways and restaurants would close by their thousands . maybe? But all the best Andy