Cal-Poly Pomona kitchen crew up to challenge of East Indian fare

Nation's Restaurant News, Sept 18, 2000

POMONA, CALIF. -- Vegetarian students returning to the campus of California State Polytechnic University this month will benefit from a crash course the foodservice department received on East Indian cooking this summer.

The kitchen staff at Los Olivos Dining Commons fed 650 participants during the two-week Youth Conference of the Devotional Association of Yogesgawi, or DAY. The members are all Indian vegetarians.

"The Los Olivos team worked with conference leaders to develop menus and recipes that fit their ethnic and vegetarian needs," said Annette Pettit, manager of board operations for the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, the university's auxiliary services division. "Many of the adult leaders of the DAY conference cooked our culinary team."

Many of the cooks were not familiar with some of the ingredients found in East Indian foods, including the spices that are intrinsic to this style of cooking. For example, pureed garlic, ginger and green chilies are used liberally to season most dishes. Chopped cilantro, lemon juice, cumin seeds and black mustard seeds also are popular ingredients.

The bonus for the university's resident students is that the foodservice staff will use several of the dishes in cafeteria menus.

"Many of the recipes developed for the conference are ideal for our vegetarian clientele, and we expect our meat eaters will enjoy the change of pace as well," Pettit said.