Dal Chawal - Cookbook Launch at Crow Museum of Asian Art, Dallas

Join us in the main gallery of the Crow Museum for a celebration of the release of Sapna Punjabi’s new cookbook Dal Chawal: 85 Vegetarian Indian Recipes Combining the Power of Dal and Rice. Dal is a Hindi word commonly used to describe all forms of pulses including dried beans, lentils, peas, and whole and split legumes. Chawal, the Hindi word for rice, is the perfect soulmate for dal. Together, they form the foundation of a homestyle Indian vegetarian diet. Sapna Punjabi combines a lifelong vegetarian practice, Ayurvedic training, and expertise as a registered dietitian and nutritionist to create recipes that address many common dietary issues, including gut health and inflammation. Dal Chawal is not just a cookbook but a journey through India's rich culinary heritage, exploring the cultural, historical, and nutritional significance of everyday dishes

The evening will begin with an engaging dialogue with Sapna Punjabi and Sr. Director of the Crow Museum, Amy Lewis Hofland. Followed by Q & A and book signing.

Light refreshments provided.

SAPNA PUNJABI, MS, RDN, LD, is a Culinary Wellness Specialist, Registered Dietitian, Ayurvedic Practitioner, and creator of beSPICED based in Dallas, Texas. Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Sapna combines her Eastern roots with her Western nutritional training to make seasonal eating and sustainable food choices accessible to modern palates. Sapna leads cooking classes and wellness workshops, owns a line of heirloom spice products, and hosts a vibrant YouTube channel celebrating food, life, and all things spice. An engaging speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of culinary wellness, her inspiring work has been featured in local, national, and international media including Food52, Clean Eating, Costco Connection (both US and UK), Dallas Morning News, Edible Dallas, and she has been recognized as Ayurveda Ambassador of Dallas by the D Magazine. She has collaborated with organizations that share her vision of sustainable food and wellness practices, and support cultural inclusiveness including the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Slow Foods USA, National Ayurveda Medical Association, Natural Food Expo, Crow Museum of Asian Art in Dallas, US India Chamber of Commerce of DFW, among many others. She is the former president of the Dallas Dietetic Alliance and is actively involved with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AMY LEWIS HOFLAND leads the Crow Museum of Asian Art of the University of Texas at Dallas, the preeminent museum dedicated to the arts and cultures of Asia in the southern United States. On staff since the museum’s inception in 1998, Hofland’s footprint can be found throughout the museum, including her recruitment and hire of leading Asian art scholars; launching the Crow Museum as the first “wellness museum” in the United States, and molding the museum’s award-winning education programs to emphasize collaboration and collective learning; helping to draw over 100,000 museum visitors a year. Hofland holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts degree in art education from the University of North Texas, where she was part of the distinguished Marcus Fellow program. In addition to her work at the Crow Museum, Hofland is a noted author, speaker, and community leader serving on various board leadership positions in the Dallas-Fort Worth community. With certifications in teaching Mindfulness and Yoga, Hofland is working to create Dallas as a City of Compassion and is currently training with the Compassion Integrity Training Program.

Host or Publisher Sapna Punjabi