Traditional Gowda Cooking Class and Meal in a Bangalore Home

Great hospitality, I sat and talked for hours with them, it was fascinating, and the food is soooo good One of the best genuine experiences you could ask for

This has been the most authentic and wholesome experience I've had in India. Archana and her family will welcome you into their home and make you feel so comfortable and warm. Not only is her cooking and food amazing, she will teach you so much about her culture and country. And she will do it with so much pride and love! If I ever come back to Bangalore, I will definitely visit Archana.

We had a wonderful afternoon with Archana and her family in theor lovely home. As 5th generation Bangalorians, you cannot get more authentic food than what she shared with us. Archana clearly loves sharing about her heritage and the family recipes going back generations. From the tour of her roof top garden, to the lessons on making Dosas and other traditional dishes, it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon. Our only mistake was to wait until the last day of our trip to visit with Archana - she has so many great suggestions on places in and around Bangaluru to try - we wish we had visited with her at the beginning of our stay so we could benefit from her and her husband's wealth of knowledge about the area. Thank you!!

We had such a wonderful time with Archana and her family. She welcomed us into her home with a cup of filter coffee. Instead of starting to cook right away, we sat and talked. She shared so much about her culture and religion, which was a delight for my curiosity. Then she and her husband Rajesh took us to their rooftop garden where we picked chilies, curry leaves, coriander and limes for our meal. We loved to smell all the scents of the herbs, especially maraga (marjoram). Then it was back to the kitchen where we helped prepare our feast. She had most of the ingredients prepared, so most of what we did was assembling local dishes. Finally, we sat down for a truly delicious meal. It was more food than we could possibly eat in one sitting, so we sampled a bit of each dish and left with very full bellies and happy hearts. Archana is a wonderful teacher. We learned so much about true local food and culture. She really seems to delight in sharing her knowledge and wisdom with people. The price was very reasonable and the experience was worth far more than we paid. We felt so privileged to have this amazing experience with such a lovely family.

It’s a pleasure to be invited into a family home and receive such great information about the delicious foods but also to experience the way of life of our hosts.

Wow! Where do I begin? When initially booking this experience I was expecting it to be a cooking class and cooking class alone. What we got was so much more. The whole time we were there we felt like we were old family friends. Archana and her family were incredibly hospitable and it felt like most of the lesson was spent chatting! We learnt so much about all aspects of life in India from the whole family’s perspective and it just felt so genuine. This is before the cooking even began! The lesson itself was incredibly tailored to us as individuals which was an amazing touch, meaning we’ll be able to use these recipes regularly rather than on special occasions. We also received a great deal of knowledge on cooking techniques and ingredients pairings. I could honestly go on for hours into every detail and why the experience was amazing, but I don’t want to spoil it! Could not recommend more, highlight of my trip.

Overall the best cooking experience in South India. Archana, my host, was very communicative from the beginning helping me get to her house safely. Once I was there she welcomed me to her home like a special guest. The cooking experience was one I've never experienced before and I'm better for it now. There were so many dishes that looked and smelled attractive from ingredient to finished dish. Once it was time to eat I got to learn the dining customs. Archana and her husband were great hosts, very friendly, patient and kind. I highly recommend this experience if you're new to South Indian cooking.

This experience was incredible and I would recommend it to absolutely everyone! Archana is a wonderful host who has a wealth of knowledge that she is happy to share with others. She is the only cooking experience that allows you to come alone, but you never feel alone once you arrive. Everyone in the family shares their time with you and makes you feel welcome in their space. Archana clearly explains the thought and reasoning behind the food she makes and the cultural relevance of it all as well. She even made adjustments to what she had planned on making as we discussed my life and the access to ingredients that I had at home. This experience is meant to give you a glimpse into the lives, culture, and customs of people from Bengaluru, and that’s what you get and more. I cannot recommend this enough to anyone thinking of taking a cooking class in Bengaluru. THIS is definitely the class you want to take!

We have enjoyed our dinner with Archana and her husband. They have told us all about Indian culture, mostly about the food habits! She taught us about the spiritual meaning food has in India, as well as how certain foods affect your (gut)health and how to counter balance negative effects. After we cooked and ate from a banana leave, it was definitely delicious and would recommend! Grandma even taught us how to make dosas!

Had a wonderful day with Archana and family, with walking through the rooftop garden to select our herbs etc. to prepare for today’s meal. From when I arrived, Archana gave me a lovely overview of the culture and history as we chatted. She was very friendly and welcoming with me as a stranger in her home, I felt very comfortable and welcome with her warm hospitality. I feel that there is so much complexity to Indian cuisine and some of this need to be pre soaked and prepared the day prior to get the full authenticity, so we prepared what we could with the fresh ingredients to make the dishes complete. I learned so much and then got to sample the dishes that we cooked and prepared. I now feel confident that I may re-create these back home in Australia now Archana has given me her recipes too. Great day and would highly recommend this for a true authentic Indian food experience. Loved my day and thanks for the warm hospitality.