Meet Kamala at home before embarking on a visit of the local vegetable market, a 15 minute drive from Kamala's house which is open between 7am-12pm and 5pm-7pm. Please note that the market is closed on the last Friday of every month. If you're interested in visiting the local fish market instead or in addition, it is 5 minutes away and is only open in the morning from 10am-12pm.
Kamala will teach you to prepare two or three traditional Chettinad dishes, including how to pour dosas, a savory roasted crepe prepared from fermented rice and lentil batter, a Chennai food specialty. Your hands-on cooking lesson will last about 1-2 hours before you sit down at her dining table and enjoy the meal you helped prepare.
Kamala is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in Chennai. She can also accommodate vegetarian diet on request in her Indian cooking class.
After your long drive, relax in Kamala's traditionally decorated home before enjoying a traditional Chettinad meal. The Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu is famous for its focus on aromatic flavors and use of freshly ground spices in predominately non-vegetarian dishes. Your menu may include dishes such as Chettinad chicken, minced mutton nuggets, egg dosa, fish curry, jackfruit masala, and one of our favorites, piping hot dosas (roasted, rice pancakes) fresh off the griddle, all served on a fresh banana leaf.
Kamala's home is about 1 hour outside of central Chennai by car, so please leave enough time for the drive. Her home is en route to Mahabalipuram, Chennai's popular tourist sight of the coastal temples of the Pallava Kings. Her home is 5 minutes away from the beach and 20 minutes away from Dakshinachitra, a beautiful open-air museum of South Indian heritage and culture.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Kamala, a member of the trading community of the Chettinad region, lives within walking distance to the beach and a short drive to Dakshinchitra, a cultural heritage center that showcases the homes of South India. She enjoys introducing travelers to the flavors of Chettinad cuisine. Please NOTE that Kamala lives about 40-50 min outside of Chennai.
"Interested in South Indian cuisine and wanting to experience it authentically on site, Traveling Spoon took the children to experience Chettinad cuisine at Kamala's home on the outskirts of Chennai.
In the cooking class, we cooked dishes using homemade recipes such as mixed vegetable soup, Chettinad chicken curry, shrimp curry (changed from the planned fried fish), rice and dosa, and the South Indian dessert "payasam." I was particularly impressed by the chicken curry, which was simple yet brought out the flavor of the ingredients and had a perfect balance with the spices.
We also had the chance to try baking dosas, which was surprisingly difficult! I did it with a bang, but Kamala was very skilled.
In the kitchen, we got to see cooking utensils and spice boxes unique to South India. It was fun learning about cultural differences and the ingenuity of everyday life that is rarely seen in Japan, such as how to drain rice and how to use a stone mill.
At this cooking class, I didn't just learn how to cook, but I also got to experience the real background to Indian cuisine, such as the local lifestyle and way of thinking, the ingredients used, and the cooking environment, making it a truly valuable experience.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this class to anyone who wants to learn how to cook in India or experience the excitement of a South Indian home!"
"On February 22nd, I attended a traditional Chettinad cooking class with Kamala through Traveling Spoon. The menu included Chettinad-style cauliflower soup, chicken curry, and shrimp masala, both with freshly made dosas, and for dessert, a tapioca payasam. Kamala taught the class clearly, providing helpful tips and even suggesting alternatives for ingredients that are hard to find outside of India. Her style is very engaging; the three hours flew by, and every dish was exceptional.
Kamala's hospitality and excellent communication made the experience even more special. Her home offers the perfect setting; she was also kind enough to help me with my return to Chennai. The class was a memorable moment of my trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about South Indian or Chettinad cuisine."
"Kamala was a great host and teacher. The arrangement was flawless from communication from Kamala about menu and specific requests, to pickup at the hotel by Kamala in an arranged car and the market visit where Kamala’s shared a wealth of local food knowledge. Arriving at Kamala’s house, everything was well organised and you start cooking. Kamala’s recipes are authentic and reproducible once you get back home. The dosa making was a great experience. Enjoying the food you have made with Kamala was like eating at home. Communication with Kamala was effortless as her English was perfect. Overall I would highly recommend this experience."
"Interesting and informative cooking class learning skills that I will take home with me! We really enjoyed our cooking class with Kamala. She was helpful and responsive before the course so we knew we were in good hands. We learned a variety of local dishes and she was also happy to discuss others. It was very personal to have the class in her home. She also provided notes afterwards so I will be able to recreate the dishes for my family in the UK."
