Experience authentic Indian cooking on a ME to WE Trip
A cooking lesson with Chef KK
A ME to WE Immersive Volunteer Trip to India is one-of-a-kind: a truly authentic travel experience, giving you the chance to immerse yourself in a vibrant culture, volunteer alongside communities and make an impact. For many travellers, a highlight is meeting Chef KK, our in-house chef at Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp. He has more than 20 years of experience cooking for people across India. Once, he even catered an international cricket match and served 10,000 of them! With that kind of experience, you know he’s the real deal. On your trip to India, you’re in for a treat—meet Chef KK and experience his authentic Indian cuisine (prepared alongside Western favourites), and learn to prepare his dishes yourself with a fun cooking lesson.
We sat down with KK to learn the secrets behind some of his most popular dishes!
Q &A with KK
What does KK stand for?
KK actually stands for Krishna Kumar—but I made it mean Kitchen King!
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in a small village in Rajasthan. Where I lived, women would do most of the cooking, but a few days a month would take a rest—during that time, I started cooking at my home. I started getting better and better. After I finished secondary school, I went to the Food Craft Institute in Udaipur and got a diploma in Food Production.
What do you like the most about your job?
I can’t explain it—it’s always enjoyable for me to prepare food, serve food, and seeing people smile. I love meeting people who visit here, because they come with a lot of positive energy. Some people who visit are also chefs, and they like learning about Indian food since Western and Indian cuisine have a lot of differences.
What’s your favourite thing to cook?
I enjoy cooking local, Indian cuisine, but I also love to cook whatever comes in front of me. When I’m cooking, in my mind I’m always thinking about who will be eating it and where they’re from—I want to make something perfect, that they’ll like.
What do you enjoy about leading cooking classes on ME to WE Trips?
I’ve completed probably 65 or 70 cooking classes—always teaching people how to cook samosas and butter chicken, but the people attending are different so it’s always enjoyable. People love shaping and stuffing their own samosas and preparing them themselves.
Want to try authentic Chef KK samosas? Check out the recipe he shared with us below to bring the flavours of Rajasthan to your kitchen! (And try some authentic Indian chai tea.)
Recipe: Chef KK Samosas
Makes 4 pieces
Ingredients:
For dough wrappers:
½ cup wheat flour
½ tsp carom seeds
A pinch of salt
10 ml oil
50 ml water
For spice mix:
10 ml oil
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp anise seeds
1/3 tbsp chopped ginger
½ tsp salt
¼ tbsp turmeric powder
¼ tbsp chaat masala (can substitute with lemon juice)
For stuffing:
2/3 cup boiled mashed potatoes
1 ¾ tbsp green peas
2/3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1/3 tbsp raisins
2/3 tbsp cashew nuts
Directions:
1. Prepare the dough:
2. Mix all ingredients for the dough (flour, carom seeds, salt, oil, water) and knead tightly together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
3. Make the spice mix:
4. Heat the oil.
5. Add the cumin, coriander, and anise seeds to the oil. When they start to brown add the ginger and remaining spices and mix.
6. Mix for 30 seconds.
7. For stuffing:
8. Crumble the boiled potatoes into the pan with spices and mix well.
9. Add the remaining stuffing ingredients and stir until the mixture is dry.
10. Remove from heat and salt to taste.
11. Mold the dough into two oval shapes and cut in half length-wise.
12. Place a few teaspoons of the stuffing mix into each piece of dough and fold to close. Seal with water.
13. Heat three inches of oil in a pan until it reaches 300 degrees.
14. Fry each samosa until golden brown.
15. Let cool and serve.
Recipe: Traditional Indian Masala Chai tea
Makes 3 cups of tea
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
3 cups water
2 pieces of green cardamom and ginger
3 tsp tea leaves
4 tsp sugar
Directions:
1. Heat milk in saucepan.
2. Crush green cardamom and ginger and add to milk.
3. Add water to mixture and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and add tea leaves.
5. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
6. Add sugar and serve.
Have more questions for KK? Want to taste his food for yourself? It’s all part of the adventure on a ME to WE Immersive Volunteer Trip to India. Learn more.
6 reasons to see the world, and make an impact, on a ME to WE Trip
(And why our trips are anything but ordinary)
It’s time to take the world by storm. To make your mark, pitch in and make difference. And don’t forget, have a blast along the way. ME to WE Trips are the best way to have world adventures, meet great communities, work right alongside them on life-changing international service projects, and see the sights, too. What makes ME to WE Trips so unique is that they are authentic and really fun.
Need convincing? Scroll down for more!
1. The impact is real.
Every ME to WE Trip includes the chance to volunteer on an international service project. These are important jobs that need to get done—communities are counting on it! Whether it’s digging a well or building a school, you are side-by-side with locals making amazing impacts happen.
2. You gain local status.
Forget tourist—with ME to WE you are an insider. Along with volunteering, every group gets to experience what life is really like in a village: the customs, rituals and daily chit-chat. Through these experiences, great relationships always blossom. Travellers take home more than memories, they take home great friendships.
3. Every day is a new experience.
One day you’re trekking to see the Big Five on safari, the next you’re with the Maasai Warriors learning how to throw a traditional rungu. With local guides, adventure is always on the itinerary.
4. Safe trips and trained guides.
Since 2002, over 15,000 youth and adults have travelled safely with our organization across the world. ME to WE Trips have numerous proactive safety measures, protocols and training in place, with all trips supported by an in-country team responsible for communications and decision-making in case of emergency.(More on safety at metowe.com/safety)
5. The journey is forever.
ME to WE travellers stick together. Long after the trip returns, travellers stay in touch and organize alumni events. Many of our travellers even go on ME to WE Trips together in the future, and fundraise together to make it happen! Friendships made are authentic and real, just like the trips and the impact they have on volunteer projects.
6. You don’t plan a thing.
ME to WE handles everything—from your entire itinerary to transportation on the ground, so you can focus on what’s truly important: being in the moment and making an impact. We’re even here with fundraising support and ideas, helping to make your dream trip happen. All you need is a sense of adventure and passion to change the world. This is your time!
Another wonderful holiday has just come and gone. Great memories were definitely made and we’re all already looking forward to next year. Keep the good tidings going right into the new year as you continue to share the joy with those who could always use a little extra glee.
Pay it Forward
Take stock of the gifts you received. Is there anything you could give to your community centre or local hospital? Challenge yourself to part with at least one gift per person in your home or within your circle of friends. It’s easy and feels great.
Share The Good Fortune
Spending time with family and friends makes us realize how lucky we are. With WE Charity, you can send those good vibes right around the world! Make an impact in one of our partner communities—and watch your impact grow with Track Your Impact.
Blood may be thicker than water (or so they say), but love is thicker than everything. Look to your local nursing home or shelter as a way of extending your family. Make one of these community hubs a part of your clan. Pay visits, volunteer or simply spend time there. By extending your family you’ll grow closer as a family and to your community.
A lot happened in the world this year. Some of it made the news—but other things happened behind the scenes. Every day, everywhere there were great stories and incredible people worth celebrating!
As you look ahead to the new year, consider the good news you want to be part of. What causes will you take on? Who will you inspire along your journey? How will you make an impact?
Look Forward For Your Community
If you’re looking to create change look no further than your neighborhood. Right within your community there are people, parks, organizations, and schools who could use an energetic, forward-thinking change-maker. From launching neighborhood cleanups and food drives, volunteering at libraries or seniors’ homes and helping out at shelters, there’s no shortage of opportunities to give back. Knowing where to start can be the hardest part, so gather a group (family, friends, colleagues, students) and ask yourself what your neighborhood needs right now.
Look Forward For The World
You are a citizen of the world, and you can make an impact that will ripple across oceans. Here at home, you have the power to help people in developing countries lift themselves out of poverty. Empowering a community comes down to education, clean water, health, food and opportunity. Choose a cause you believe in, learn all about it and then support it through fundraising, donations, choosing products that give back and by following along as progress is made. If you are passionate about creating this type of change, your family, friends and colleagues will be too. So take it upon yourself to rally your troops, spread the world and come together for a brighter world.
Look Forward to A Year Of Taking Action
Together we can make 2017 the year of good news stories. Every action, big and small will create the type of community we all know is possible. So set your sights on change—this is our year.
Want to change the world this holiday? It’s easy to do. As you go about your regular to-dos, get-togethers and events, just add an element of giving to your day.
So whether you’re holiday shopping, outside building a snowman, or warm and toasty inside baking cookies, you can turn everyday holiday moments into ones with impact. Here are 12 ways you can re-imagine your holiday:
Going shopping? Choose socially conscious gifts.
Baking at home? Make an extra batch for your community center.
Out grocery shopping? Pick up an extra can for a food drive.
Throwing a party? Ask guests to bring winter coats to donate.
On vacation? Try to leave a positive impact on the place you visit by shopping local and respecting the environment.
Setting up your lights? How about shoveling a neighbor’s walk?
Sending out your yearly cards? Write an extra one for a veteran.
Opening up your advent calendar? Do a reverse one, where you create a basket of items to donate.
Office potluck? Switch it up and do an office outing to a soup kitchen.
School choir concert? Head outside and raise donations as you sing.
Gift-shopping? Consider donating an extra gift to your local toy drive.
Toasting the season at a restaurant? Share your gratitude by adding a little extra to your tip.
Gifts and the holidays go hand-in-hand, but today we’re not talking about the kind you wrap up—we’re talking about the ones you were born with. The ones that make you, you.
Everyone has a set of unique gifts. Just think about your circle of friends and family. You may know a great listener, the one you go to when you’ve had a bad day. There’s always the great storyteller or funny joker, who you can always count on for a chuckle. And there are people who are generous with their time (they’re the ones you call when you need help moving!).
So what’s your gift and how can you put it to good use this holiday? Here’s a few ideas to get you going:
If you’re an A-type organizer, lend that skill to a shelter that could use some holiday tidying and decorating.
If you have an arsenal of good jokes, visit the hospital to spread some good vibes.
If you and your family love baking, neighbours and community centers always welcome treats
If your office whistles while at work, why not kick off some caroling?
If a group of students loves writing stories, visit your local retirement home to swap some stories and spread good cheer.
It’s true that opening up a present is really nice, but being treated to a personal gift, one that didn’t cost money, feels absolutely wonderful. This season, consider sharing your special gift to help make the season extra-special.
“I have a new appreciation for school. Especially on those days where I don’t want to go to school or I don’t want to make an effort. It’s changed a lot of things for me at home.” – Michelle Owens
Michelle Owens went to Kenya to help build a school, but she came away with so much more.
From going on a water walk, to spotting elephants and cheetahs on safari, to beading with mamas, Michelle says her ME to WE Trip was an amazing experience—but that the biggest thing she took away is the importance of education.
Michelle’s trip took her from her home in North America to visit rural communities in the heart of Kenya’s Maasai Mara. There, she volunteered alongside locals to work on two classrooms in WE Villages partner communities.
“Helping build the classrooms was really awesome,” says Michelle. “We were putting the walls up and laying concrete. It was cool knowing that the kids I met in that community would be going to that school someday.”
Michelle also spent time with Joyline, a student at Kisaruni Girls Secondary School. The two were fast friends and spent the day getting to know each other and telling each other about their lives—Joyline telling Michelle about her favourite classes and the future she dreams of for herself.
“We really connected because we were about the same age and both at the same place in our lives—but completely different places in our lives because of where we live,” says Michelle.
Kisaruni was opened by WE Charity in 2011, recognizing a need for continued education for young girls graduating from primary school. While primary education in Kenya is free, secondary education is incredibly costly and largely out of reach for the communities supported by WE Charity. Michelle says that her experience with Joyline opened her eyes to what life is like for students in Kenya, especially girls. She was inspired by the dedication of the Kisaruni girls, who love learning so much they take every opportunity to learn—spending their spare time reading or taking part in extracurricular activities.
(Read more inspiring Kisaruni stories on this blog post about the school’s very first graduating class!)
On your own ME to WE Trip to Kenya, connect with local communities, contribute to a sustainable development project, visit Kisaruni—and more! Start your journey.
For some the holidays are the best time of the year, but for many they can be the loneliest. All around us are people who are without family or friends. Many are elderly, new to the country or simply alone. Many are our neighbors.
Take this time of the year to join your community, meet new neighbors, and get to know some of the people you pass on the street every day. Through your connections you’ll discover who around could use a little extra TLC this season.
There are so many ways to bring comfort to people’s lives this time of year. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired:
Poll your friends to find out if anyone needs a place to celebrate over the holidays.
Visit your local retirement or nursing home with handwritten cards.
Reach out to community centers to see if you can pitch in over the break.
Bake cookies for your neighbors.
Just say hi and happy holidays more often—you’d be surprised how the simplest actions can make the biggest difference.
This time of year is steeped in tradition, and every family has their own set of rituals they honor.
We look forward to grandma’s plum pudding, we anticipate Uncle Jerry’s rambling speech and we plan out the festivities knowing they’ll be great—just like last year and the one before.
There’s definitely comfort in familiar rituals. And while we look forward to the festivities, every holiday can use a yearly update and some fresh thinking—especially when it comes to giving back as a group.
This year, revisit your rituals. Maybe some need refreshing and maybe it’s time to add on some more impactful experiences.
12 Ideas That Will Change The World This Season
1. Give socially conscious gifts
2. Make a group donation to a charity
3. Fundraise for a cause you all care about
4. Visit a seniors’ home
5. Invite a new friend to dinner
6. Volunteer at a food bank or soup kitchen
7. Opt out of gifts and give to a local family in need
8. Plan a volunteer trip
9. Pay it forward at the coffee shop or on the bus
10. Treat the staff at your favorite restaurant or shop
11. Shovel your neighbor’s walk
12. Add a donation component to your annual party
What makes rituals so wonderful is that they’re your own. So gather your family and friends together and come up with an original plan on how you can have an impactful holiday.
Looking for a meaningful way to shake up your holiday traditions? Gifting a donation to someone in need is one you can feel good about year after year.
Start a new tradition. Return
This Holiday WE Believe in Kindness
This time of year it’s easy to get swept up in the season. There are gifts to buy, parties to attend, decorations to put up and to-do lists to cross off. The holidays come with a lot of expectations and often we forget why we’re doing all this. So why are we? It’s simple: To be kind.
The holidays are about spreading peace and love to all. They are a time to take pause and remember that life is larger than our daily grind. It’s about taking a break from the hustle to reconnect with our family and friends. It’s a time to share joy with each other and those who may need a little extra boost. It’s a reason to say thank you to all the great people in our life.
As we ring in the season of lights, we have a wonderful opportunity to make caring the true spirit of the season. We can infuse goodwill into everything we do and everyone we celebrate with. We can redefine the season as one where we celebrate ‘giving’ rather than ‘getting’.
So let’s kick this holiday off with kindness in our hearts, minds and actions.
Get inspired this holiday. Return
For some the holidays are the best time of the year, but for many they can be the loneliest. All around us are people who are without family or friends. Many are elderly, new to the country or simply alone. Many are our neighbors.
Take this time of the year to join your community, meet new neighbors, and get to know some of the people you pass on the street every day. Through your connections you’ll discover who around could use a little extra TLC this season.
There are so many ways to bring comfort to people’s lives this time of year. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired:
This time of year is steeped in tradition, and every family has their own set of rituals they honor.
We look forward to grandma’s plum pudding, we anticipate Uncle Jerry’s rambling speech and we plan out the festivities knowing they’ll be great—just like last year and the one before.
There’s definitely comfort in familiar rituals. And while we look forward to the festivities, every holiday can use a yearly update and some fresh thinking—especially when it comes to giving back as a group.
This year, revisit your rituals. Maybe some need refreshing and maybe it’s time to add on some more impactful experiences.
This time of year it’s easy to get swept up in the season. There are gifts to buy, parties to attend, decorations to put up and to-do lists to cross off. The holidays come with a lot of expectations and often we forget why we’re doing all this. So why are we? It’s simple: To be kind.
The holidays are about spreading peace and love to all. They are a time to take pause and remember that life is larger than our daily grind. It’s about taking a break from the hustle to reconnect with our family and friends. It’s a time to share joy with each other and those who may need a little extra boost. It’s a reason to say thank you to all the great people in our life.
As we ring in the season of lights, we have a wonderful opportunity to make caring the true spirit of the season. We can infuse goodwill into everything we do and everyone we celebrate with. We can redefine the season as one where we celebrate ‘giving’ rather than ‘getting’.
So let’s kick this holiday off with kindness in our hearts, minds and actions.