What a tempering question actually tests
Tadka, spices bloomed briefly in hot oil or ghee then poured over or stirred into a dish, is close to a signature technique in a lot of Indian cooking, and it's easy to get wrong. Ask her what she adds first when she's tempering, whether that changes by dish, and how she knows the oil or ghee is hot enough without burning the spices. A candidate with real practice describes a sequence and a judgment call; one repeating the word without detail usually hasn't done it often.
This is worth asking even if you're not sure what a correct answer sounds like. Listen for specificity (particular spices named, a reason for the order) rather than trying to grade the technique yourself. Vague or single-word answers are the signal, not whether her method matches a recipe you've read.
- Ask what goes into the oil first, and why.
- Ask how she knows the timing is right.
- Ask if her method changes between dishes.
Building a curry base, not just naming one
A lot of home cooking hinges on a base built from onion, garlic, ginger and tomato, cooked down before spices and the main ingredient go in, distinct from opening a jarred paste. Ask her to walk through how she'd build the base for a curry your household eats regularly, including roughly how long she cooks the onions and in what order the aromatics go in.
If your household leans on a particular regional style (a coconut-based base rather than a tomato one, for instance), name that specifically rather than asking generally about curry. The answer to a specific dish tells you far more than a general claim of ability.
Handling vegetarian and non-vegetarian cooking together
Many households need both prepared regularly, sometimes for different family members. Ask directly how she'd keep the two separate through a normal cooking day, separate pans or utensils, order of cooking, storage, rather than asking whether she's willing to cook meat or comfortable with vegetarian food, which tells you her attitude, not her practice.
If your household's vegetarian requirement is religious or medical rather than a preference, say so plainly and ask how she'd handle cross-contact specifically, the same way you'd ask about any other dietary restriction, per the cluster's general cooking-assessment guide.