Private kookcursus in Mumbai

Fun fun experience. I take cooking classes whenever possible when I travel (Bali, Japan, France, Italy, Germany, India, Mexico ...). Ibrahim, our driver, picked us up at our hotel. Because of Mumbai traffic, it took us 1 1.2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back. Jaya and her daughter (who was off from school that day) welcomed us into their home. We made a feast of all of their everyday, favorite dishes. We made a list of spices to buy that we could not get at home (and purchased them while on a later tour of South Mumbai). Delicious and very enjoyable afternoon.

This was one of those "one of a kind" incredible experiences with a wonderful family not to be missed. A perfect afternoon spent in the company of a charming and very knowledgeable couple, wonderful and welcoming hospitality. Not often do things just "click" but on this occasion, I probably learnt more in that one afternoon about Indian food, culture and family life than I could ever have hoped for.

A truly wonderful cooking class in the home of Rahul and Deepika. This class is very hands on, and you actually learn how to make all the dishes, even the chapati! The end result was, needless to say, delicious.

We had a wonderful time cooking in a local family home. The husband spoke excellent English and his wife made a delicious meal.

Short-form: This is a unique experience to go inside the home of an Indian family and gain hands-on experience preparing authentic food. Raul and his wife Harsha were attentive, gracious and knowledgable hosts during our cooking class. Raul was easy to understand. Harsha gave us plenty of opportunity to participate in the cooking. Their home, located in the Dharavi slum, was a 45 minute drive from the cruise ship terminal, but it was very interesting to see the city out the window. The transportation was comfortable and Raul was in close communication with us from the time of booking. They welcomed us with bottled water then taught us how to make the masala chai which seems to be the favorite beverage in Mumbai. Over three hours, Harsha demonstrated how to prepare chicken tikka masala, panneer and chapati. Our cooking lesson began by sautéing tomatoes, red onions, garlic, green chilies, and ginger in grapeseed oil. As the mixture cools, we prepare the dough for the chapati. Harsha prepares this bread three times per day for her family. Allowing the dough to rest, we return to the sautéed vegetables, which are now cool enough to blend to a paste which forms the base for the masala sauce. We divide the sauce into two pots and add seasonings: coriander, cumin and chili power in the pot for the chicken and chili powder and garam masala in the pot for the paneer. Later we add the cubed chicken and bones to the pressure cooker pot and the cubes of paneer – which resembles a firm cottage cheese similar in texture to tofu – to the other pot. In between, Harsha prepares a sweet dessert with boiled milk, cardamom, cashews and almonds. She presses it into a tart pan and chills it before turning back to the chapati dough. She teaches us how to roll it wafer thin, exerting just a bit of pressure on a mini rolling pin. We slip the flat disks into a dry hot pan to cook, flip it, then finish it directly on the burner, which makes it puff up like a balloon. She plucks it from the burner with tongs, stacks it on a plate and brushes it with ghee (clarified butter). We cannot resist the samples she hands us! When the food is almost ready, Raul asks if we will be comfortable sitting on the floor. The family usually eats here on the floor to avoid carrying the food and plates up the steep stairs to the second floor. Harsha serves the food in rimmed tin plates. Raul brings each pot to us, trying to spoon more food onto our plates and Harsha cooks fresh, hot chapati to sop up the delicious sauce. These people are generous and kind in sharing their way of life and I am grateful for the experience.

I cooked with Rahul and Harsha in their private environment. I was picked up on time at ten o'clock and learned in four hours how to prepare bread, rice, two main courses and dessert. It was really a particularly nice experience. I prepared a lot myself under instruction. Everything I could easily prepare at home. Apart from cooking, it was also a personal asset to be with Rahul and Harsha and their family. It was a very nice morning and the food was delicious.

Rahul was an excellent guide and spoke very good English. It was very interesting to see the market and pottery making in Dharavi. It was a very special experience to be welcomed into his home and learn to make a fantastic meal with his wife. We made chicken biryani, paneer tikka masala, chapati, and a dessert all of which were fantastic.

A wonderful time was had at the cooking class in a private home. Our host was most gracious, explaining the types of spices and methods of layering the ingredients for the best results. The food was excellent and participating in preparing dishes was an added plus. Highly recommend this experience for anyone looking for an enjoyable afternoon or evening in Mumbai!

What a great day out... Please dont leave Mumbai and not have a visit to Jenny and her staff. Jenny went out of her way to make us feel so welcome and I have to say what a great Chef we have learned so much about proper Indian cooking. All the tours and trips we did in India this is the one that stayed with us. Love Mumbai...Love India....Love you Jenny...

Thank you to Jenny for a fantastic afternoon! We were very welcomed into Jenny’s home for an afternoon of cookery, learning to make 5 different vegetarian dishes. Jenny took the time to talk us through the dishes and to answer all our questions. It was very interesting to learn about Jenny’s life and background. Would definitely recommend it while visiting Mumbai!