Meet your guide in front of No. 18 Hotel and ride a local bus to the home of your hosts. After you’re introduced to the family, enter the kitchen where you’ll learn all about South Indian cuisine during your small-group cooking class.
Infused with coconut oil, the dishes in this culinary tradition incorporate a different mix of spices than are commonly used in the north. Listen as your instructor offers a lesson on Indian spice blending, using spices such as turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, pepper, chilies, ginger and garlic with vegetables such as okra, beans or lentils.
The meal that you prepare will be made with fresh, local ingredients and seasonal vegetables, but how much you get involved with the cooking is completely up to you! You also have the opportunity to make masala chai, a classic Indian tea, as well as a traditional dessert called mithai, a typical Indian sweet infused with green cardamom.
Once your delicious dishes are prepared, chat with your host family while you dine on your creations and learn about local customs — they’ll even demonstrate how to properly eat with your hands!
Afterward, your guide will accompany you back to No. 18 Hotel by bus.