We’ve been following and fangirling over Oakland based chef, Preeti Mistry for some time now and we are so grateful the moment has come to finally work together. Between being featured on Anthony Bourdain’s, Parts Unknown, two James Beard Nominations, and co-authoring a cookbook, Preeti also hosts a podcast called, Loading Dock Talks where they talk to their favorite food folks about food, social justice while dishing out a little tea too. Most recently, Preeti was featured on the ridiculously adorable Netflix show, Waffles & Mochi (iykyk) where they got to share the screen with the one and only Michelle Obama, so you know they can hang. 

We couldn’t wait to see what Preeti chose for their favorite comfort meal and hope you all have as much fun reading about it as we did. The three words Preeti feels when eating this Kadhi dish are spice, family and delicate and we can’t wait to try it for ourselves!

How long have you been making this dish and why is it so important to you?

I started making kadhi about 10 years ago when I started my pop-up Juhu Beach Club in a liquor store in SF before the restaurant in Oakland. It's important to me because it is delicious but also because of the technique. It is essentially a roux based soup but instead of the European version of cooking the flour in oil/butter and then adding liquid the flour is whisked into the liquids which are then poured onto the hot oil/butter. I realized all of this after training to be a chef professionally and then coming back to cook with my mother. I began noticing all the complex techniques she uses in our food that I never thought about growing up.

Do you remember where you were when you ate this dish for the first time? Who made it?

I hated Kadhi when I was a kid. It was the only dal my mom made that was not tomato based and it is a bit sour from the yogurt. We always had kadhi on Tuesday nights with chora (adzuki bean) and always bathe (rice) and rotli (whole wheat flatbread). As an adult I came back to it and was blown away by the unique flavor and texture of the soup. It's also super easy and quick to make if you have all the ingredients available. 

How did you first get involved in the food & beverage industry?

I was a barista from age 17. But at 25 I went to culinary school and have been cooking professionally ever since. In my 20s I was a very avid home cook, and my wife and I (my girlfriend at the time) used to throw parties for all our friends. She would decorate, I would cook and all our friends loved it. I had so many folks telling me I should go to culinary school, cooking came naturally to me. I often feel cooking chose me.

What is one thing you have learned over the past year?

Planning ahead helps!!! During Covid I have cooked more at home than ever before. Not only did we have the pandemic but we moved to the redwoods so we don't have nearly as many options when we don't want to cook at our fingertips like Oakland/SF. At first I would find myself stressing out at 7pm bc I didn't plan. Now my wife and I talk about meals days in advance, and I generally try to get some prep done throughout the day so that when I go to bring it all together it's easy and we don't end up eating dinner at 10pm!!

If you were a spice, which spice would you be?

Black Cardamom. It's misunderstood, I think. And that is a feeling I can identify with. Black cardamom has this intimidating exterior and it's sweet inside but it's dried over hot coals giving it a smokey flavor. It may come across as a spice that could overwhelm a dish but it's actually a great unifier that adds complexity to almost anything.

CHECK IN NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER STORY