Varanasi Cooking Class

The locals of Banaras are foodies. They start their day with kachori and sabzi, finishing it with jalebi dipped in hot milk or cold curd. Every area has their special paan, tea and toast stalls which are busy day and night. Malai toasts are a speciality. Evening time is chaat time and every stall serving a different taste. While they create a never-ending fire on your tongue and in your stomach, rabri, lassi and thandai can cool your heart. You can get varieties to eat round the clock. It is said that no one sleeps hungry in Banaras as it is the city where God Shiva himself resides. 'Bana' means to make and 'Ras' means the essence. The essence of the city can be felt in the variety of sweet shops, some of being more than 150 years old. Banaras, the city of light and the city of food.

My home is on the first floor and with no elevator facility in our building, you will be required to climb a few stairs. You will be in the company of a German Shepard, who is extremely friendly and harmless. He will make himself comfortable on one of the other floors and will not bother you at all.

Once you are in relax and make yourself comfortable with either a refreshing glass of Shikanji or Masala Tea (depending upon the weather) to start with. We can then head over to the kitchen to start the cooking class with a simple cumin tempered potato vegetable. While that cooks, I shall set the table to teach you on how to make one of the most famous street food items - Gol Gappe (hollow fried balls, filled with sweet, tangy and spicy water). The rest of the spread will follow after this.

The entire experience can last for about 2-3 hours.

This is not a professional cooking class but rather an opportunity to cook and dine with a local home-chef. The experience will be as much about the stories around the food and local culture, as it would be about the meal itself.