New Delhi: Full-Day Cooking Class learn 8 dishes with Locals

New Delhi’s best food lesson may happen far from a restaurant, in Malika and Anurag’s home kitchen. You’ll help prepare seven to eight Indian dishes, taste roughly 12 traditional foods, and shape the menu around your own tastes. The day moves from chai and sweets to thalis, pakoras, curry, kebabs, breads, biryani, and dessert.

I especially like the custom menu planning and the chance to learn both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cooking in one visit. I also like the personal touch: Malika discusses your preferences before the class, while Anurag joins the cooking and conversation. The main drawback is the length. Twelve hours is a serious commitment, and you must climb three flights of stairs to reach the home.

Key points at a glance

• A full day in a local home: Arrive around 10 AM and stay through dinner, with cooking, eating, conversation, and a break in between.
• Your menu is adjustable: Discuss spice levels, dietary preferences, and favorite dishes with Malika before arrival.
• Two very different meals: Lunch is a traditional vegetarian thali or chhola bhatura, while dinner focuses on curry, kebabs or tikka, breads, and biryani.
• Plenty to taste: The day includes about 12 Indian foods, along with chai, pakoras, a street-style snack, and dessert.
• Recipes go home with you: You receive written recipes for the dishes prepared and can ask for cooking help after the class.
• Plan for stairs and a long day: The experience is not suited to people with mobility impairments or food allergies.

A 10 AM welcome in a Delhi home

The day begins around 10 AM at Malika and Anurag’s home. Since there is no standard public meeting point, the hosts contact you after booking with their address and advice on transport from your location. That arrangement is useful, but allow time to coordinate the route before the class.

You’ll start with coffee or masala chai and an Indian sweet. This is not just a quick hello before a demonstration. Malika and Anurag use the opening conversation to explain the schedule, discuss your food preferences, and settle the menu.

That planning matters. Indian food covers a wide range of spice levels, cooking methods, and regional styles. You can request traditional favorites, ask for a particular dish, or explain dietary needs. One participant arranged a fully customized pescatarian menu, including egg curry, while another booked shortly before the class and still arranged chicken biryani.

I would be clear and specific before the day begins. Tell the hosts what you want to learn, what you do not eat, and how much heat you enjoy. Their flexibility is one of the strongest reasons to choose this experience instead of a fixed menu class.

The first cooking session begins around 10:30

Around 10:30 AM, you begin the hands-on work. The format suits both confident home cooks and beginners. Malika explains the techniques and answers questions, while Anurag takes part in the preparation and helps keep the work moving.

You are not simply watching someone cook eight dishes while standing at the edge of the kitchen. The point is to take part in the processes, from preparing ingredients to seasoning and assembling the food. This makes the class useful after you return home, since you learn how the dishes come together rather than only seeing the final plate.

The hosts also share personal tips for improving flavor. Those small details can be the most useful part of an Indian cooking class: how to build seasoning, when to add ingredients, and how to handle familiar dishes in a home kitchen. The exact lessons depend on the menu you choose.

The class is private, which makes it easier to stop and ask questions. If you are a kitchen beginner, you can request a slower explanation. If you already cook Indian food, you can ask about technique and seasoning instead of spending the day on basic introductions.

Lunch: a full vegetarian thali or chhola bhatura

Lunch gives you the first chance to eat what the morning’s work has produced. The standard vegetarian thali includes a seasonal vegetable, a potato dish, paneer, dal tadka or dal makhni, jeera rice, puri, raita, pickles, relishes, and dessert.

This is a useful way to understand how an Indian meal works as a group. The appeal is not one large main course. It is the contrast between creamy paneer, seasoned lentils, rice, fried bread, cooling yogurt, and sharp pickles. You get a broad taste of Indian home-style food in one sitting.

You can also choose a chhola bhatura lunch. That menu includes chickpeas, fluffy fried bhatura, a potato dish, vegetable pulao, dahi bhalla, Indian pickles and relishes, and dessert. Non-vegetarian additions can be requested for lunch.

The amount of food is worth noting. This is not a light midday snack before another activity. You are eating a full meal, then taking about an hour to rest. Pace yourself, especially if you want to enjoy the later tea and dinner.

A slower hour before dinner preparations

After lunch, you get an hour away from the main cooking. This pause gives the day a sensible rhythm, since cooking and eating for 12 hours can otherwise feel tiring.

When you return to the kitchen, the work becomes lighter preparation for dinner. You might fry onions or marinate ingredients, setting up components that need time to develop flavor. This part is less showy than making a finished dish, but it teaches an important lesson about Indian cooking: good food often depends on preparation done well before the final cooking stage.

The schedule also leaves room for conversation. One person used breaks to walk around the neighborhood, meet neighbors, and enjoy a view of the city from the roof. Those extras are not presented as a formal sightseeing tour, so you should treat them as possible personal touches rather than guaranteed stops.

Masala chai, pakoras, and a street-style snack

Around 4:30 PM, the class pauses for masala chai, pakoras, and a homemade street snack such as chaat. This may be the most relaxed part of the day.

Pakoras are fritters, often crisp outside and soft inside, and they pair naturally with hot spiced tea. Chaat brings a different set of textures and flavors, with the sweet, sour, salty, and spicy notes that make Indian street food so memorable.

This tea break also gives you a chance to ask questions before the final cooking session. By now you have worked through lunch and several preparations, so you can connect the techniques to the food you have already eaten.

The hosts’ homemade snacks receive particular praise, and they are a good reason not to treat tea as a minor filler between meals. Still, come hungry but not empty-stomached. You have already had lunch, and dinner remains.

Dinner brings together the day’s main lessons

The final cooking session starts after tea and focuses on an Indian dinner. You choose a non-vegetarian curry, such as butter chicken, korma, nihari, or rogan josh. The menu also includes a seasonal vegetable, kebabs or tikka, two types of bread, chicken or mutton biryani, and a homemade dessert.

This is an ambitious dinner. You are learning several types of cooking in one sitting: curry, grilled or skewered food, bread, rice, and dessert. The range helps explain why Indian meals can feel so varied, but it also makes the day demanding.

The dinner menu is adaptable, so you can discuss preferences before the class. If biryani is a priority, say so early. One participant specifically requested chicken biryani and made it a central part of the day. If you prefer a different curry, ask about it during the planning conversation.

Dinner is also the point where the day’s lessons make sense as a complete meal. You have prepared individual components, then sit down to eat them together. That connection between kitchen work and the final table is a major strength of the experience.

What the private format adds

A private group gives you more control than a large class. You can spend extra time on a dish you care about, change the menu, and ask questions without waiting for a whole room to catch up.

The hosts’ approach is warm and personal. Malika keeps in touch before the visit and works out the food plan with you. Anurag is involved in the kitchen, so the day feels like a shared household activity rather than a one-person demonstration.

That personal setting also brings a little uncertainty. A home class does not have the polished setup or fixed pace of a culinary school. You are entering someone’s home, climbing stairs, and following a flexible schedule. For me, that tradeoff is worthwhile if you want contact with ordinary Delhi life, but less so if you prefer a tightly timed professional kitchen.

The class is conducted in English. The group remains private, and the hosts provide the ingredients and cooking equipment, so you do not need to organize supplies yourself.

The price: what $109 buys you

At $109 per person, this is more expensive than a short cooking lesson. The value comes from the scale of the day rather than from one particular meal.

You receive roughly 12 hours with the hosts, seven to eight dishes to prepare, around 12 traditional foods to taste, two substantial meals, tea-time snacks, ingredients, equipment, bottled water, and written recipes. You also receive a menu discussion before arrival and ongoing help with the recipes after the class.

That makes the price easier to justify for someone who wants a serious food experience. You are paying for instruction, food, time, and access to a private home, not simply for lunch with a short demonstration.

Still, the price will not suit everyone. If you only want to learn one or two dishes, a shorter class may be better value. One participant noted that this class costs more than other cooking options but also lasts longer and covers much more. I agree with that distinction. You should book it for depth and time, not for a quick taste of Indian cuisine.

Who should book this cooking day

I would recommend it to people who enjoy cooking, want family-style Indian recipes, or like building a day around food and conversation. It also suits cooks who already know the basics and want to ask focused questions about Indian spices and methods.

It can work well for beginners too. Malika’s patient guidance helped a self-described kitchen novice feel comfortable, while more experienced cooks found room to learn new techniques. The key is to discuss your level and interests before the visit.

This is less suitable if you have food allergies. The experience is also not suitable for people with mobility impairments because of the three flights of stairs. If you need a short activity, dislike large meals, or prefer a fixed schedule, choose something else.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. Alcoholic drinks are not included either. You arrange transport after the hosts provide their address, and you should confirm the route and arrival time in advance.

Should you book it?

Book this if you want a long, personal food day rather than a standard cooking demonstration. The custom menu, private setting, written recipes, and mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes give you plenty to take home beyond a full stomach.

I would skip it if 12 hours sounds tiring or if you only want a compact introduction. For the right person, though, this is a memorable way to connect Delhi food with a real household, from morning chai to a final biryani dinner. The flexible menu is the deciding factor: tell Malika what you hope to cook, and make sure the day fits your appetite, mobility, and interest in hands-on work.

FAQ

How long does the cooking class last?

The experience lasts 12 hours. It generally begins around 10 AM and continues through dinner.

Where does the class take place?

The class takes place in the hosts’ local home in New Delhi. After booking, the host provides the address and suggests transport based on your location.

Who leads the cooking class?

Malika and her husband Anurag host the experience. Malika handles menu discussions and cooking guidance, while Anurag also takes part in the cooking.

How many dishes will I learn to prepare?

You will learn to prepare seven to eight authentic Indian dishes. The exact menu can be adjusted to your preferences.

How many traditional foods will I taste?

The experience includes tasting around 12 traditional Indian foods, including snacks, sides, main dishes, and dessert.

What is included for lunch?

Lunch includes either a traditional vegetarian thali or a chhola bhatura menu. Non-vegetarian items can be added to lunch upon request.

What is included for dinner?

Dinner includes a non-vegetarian curry of your choice, a seasonal vegetable, kebabs or tikka, two types of bread, chicken or mutton biryani, and a homemade Indian dessert.

Can I request a special menu?

Yes. The entire class can be adjusted to your food preferences, menu choices, timing, and other requests. The host discusses your preferences after booking.

Are recipes provided?

Yes. You receive written recipes for all the dishes prepared during the class, along with lifelong assistance from the hosts.

Is the class suitable for people with mobility impairments or food allergies?

No. You must climb three flights of stairs to reach the cooking class, and the experience is not suitable for people with mobility impairments or food allergies.