A Hands-On Class with Chef Sultan Ahmed
A karahi is a wide steel pan that cooks hot and fast — and the sound it makes tells you when dinner is ready. In one exhilarating evening, you'll learn to speak that language, putting four complete Pakistani dishes on the table with your own two hands. This class dives deep into the bold flavors of Punjabi and Sindhi cooking, and it's built for curious cooks of every level.
Meet your chef
Chef Sultan Ahmed is the chef-owner of Sultan, a modern Pakistani restaurant in Madison where Punjabi technique meets Midwestern farms. Born in Karachi and shaped by his mother's family kitchen and a lifetime of cooking across the globe — from Egypt and Japan to Thailand and beyond — he built a cuisine that treats Wisconsin's bounty as the canvas for Pakistan's flavors. His debut cookbook, Zameen: Pakistani Roots, Wisconsin Soil, is the culmination of that journey. Tonight, he brings that same passion straight to your station.
What you'll cook and learn
This session is all about fire, spice, and the techniques that give Pakistani cooking its extraordinary range. You'll work through four complete dishes, each one a different window into the cuisine:
Murgh Karahi — Bone-in chicken thigh, marinated in yogurt and spice, cooked over the highest heat we can give you with sliced onion, ripe Roma tomatoes, julienned ginger, and split green chilies. No cream, no thickener — just a sauce that concentrates under relentless heat, finished with cilantro and lime.
Murgh Achari — Built on a whole-seed pickling blend of fennel, nigella, mustard, fenugreek, and cumin that you'll grind yourself. The chicken sears hard, simmers down with tomato and serrano, and finishes with a curry-leaf pickle oil. Tasting it beside the karahi shows you just how wide Pakistani flavor can stretch.
Amritsari Machli — Wisconsin has the Friday fish fry; Amritsar has been frying roadside fish for centuries. We use local Wisconsin fish, marinated in yogurt and spice, dredged in seasoned chickpea flour, and fried until the crust shatters. Served with a bright turmeric and ginger vinaigrette.
Aloo Bhindi — Okra and Yukon Gold potato, cut on a bias and cooked hot and fast with amchur and ajwain. You'll learn the three rules that keep it crisp instead of slimy. Nobody leaves this class afraid of okra.
Who this class is for:
Never cooked Pakistani food before? Perfect — this is exactly where to start. Already comfortable in the kitchen? You'll pick up techniques and flavor combinations that will change the way you cook. Chef Sultan meets every cook exactly where they are, and the small group setting means plenty of one-on-one time and room to ask every question you've got. You control the heat level in your own dishes, so the spice is always exactly where you want it.
What's included:
A hands-on spot in a lively group of up to 16, working at stations of four
Every ingredient, tool, and apron — we've got the whole kitchen covered
Plenty of guidance from Chef Sultan, a few good laughs, and great people to cook alongside
Four labeled spice blend jars to take home — the ones you ground yourself
Printed recipe cards for all four dishes, so you can fire up the karahi at home
Dietary notes: Contains dairy, fish, and wheat. One of the four dishes is vegetarian. Gluten-free is possible with advance notice.
Ready to cook with fire and spice? Reserve your spot today and let's get started.
Wine, beer, and cocktails are available for purchase from our bar. Come early for cocktails (5:30) — class begins at 6:00!
HowDidIMissThat.com is an independent listing and does not organize this event.
