Heartland Masala with Jyoti & Auyon Mukharji

CulinaryArts@SPAC presents an evening of rich culinary storytelling with the Kansas City–based mother-son duo Jyoti and Auyon Mukharji, celebrating Heartland Masala: Indian Cooking from an American Kitchen. In conversation with WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke, the authors will share their intergenerational journey through Indian gastronomy, culture, and history—woven with recipes that reflect both tradition and the evolution of Indian food in the American heartland.

Guests will enjoy tastings prepared from Heartland Masala, featuring a selection of traditional and diasporic Indian dishes such as Masala Brussels Sprouts, Sundal (Chickpeas with Coconut and Curry Leaves), and Macher Jhol (Fish Curry with Tomato and Nigella). Drawing on Jyoti’s decades of home cooking and Auyon’s work as a culinary historian and member of the beloved band Darlingside—familiar to many SPAC audiences—their shared passion for teaching and storytelling promises an evening that is both enlightening and delicious. Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. A book signing will follow.

*All menu items and ingredients are subject to change.

Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase a copy of Heartland Masala: An Indian Cookbook from an American Kitchen and have it signed by the authors.

Jyoti Mukharji is a chef, teacher, and retired physician. She immigrated to the US from India in the late 1970s, and she began teaching weekly Indian cooking classes out of her home in Prairie Village, KS in 2010. Jyoti has since welcomed several thousand students into her kitchen, and her writing and teaching have been celebrated in press and radio outlets across the Midwest. Jyoti’s team includes her husband Jhulan (art director), her eldest son Arnob (grocery shopping deputy), her middle son Auyon (musical guest), and her youngest son Aroop (copy editor).

Auyon Mukharji is a musician, writer, and culinary historian who spends most of his time thinking about food. He studied biology at Williams College and was awarded a Watson Fellowship in 2007 to study self-expression in folk music. Since 2009, Auyon has toured with, and cooked for, the acclaimed indie-folk band Darlingside. He otherwise finds time to work in and around kitchens (and farms) in both his hometown of Kansas City and his adopted state-of-residence of Massachusetts.

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Culinary Arts@SPAC is produced by Culinary Consultants Pam Abrams and Kevin London.