Indian Cooking Class in Pondicherry

Recommended by 99% of travelers

Pondicherry, India

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Learn how to cook traditional South Indian fare with this cooking class. You'll start your experience by choosing what you want to make from around 30 different dishes, with lots of vegetarian options available. After a trip to the nearby Goubert Market to pick up ingredients, your class will begin, with hands-on instruction every step of the way. Once your food is prepared, it's time to eat...and you'll get to do so the traditional way, using banana leaves for plates.

Shop for ingredients in a traditional market
Choose from around 30 different dishes
Enjoy your meal using a banana leaf as a plate
Take home a free cook booklet at the end of your experience

Sample Menu

Main

Dal, sambar, palak paneer, chicken biryani, fish kozhambu, prawn curry,

listed above are all options to choose one from the list, will be shown more options while on live session.

Main

aloo parotta, roti, banana leaf fish fry, jeera rice, coconut rice

listed above are all options to choose one from the list, will be shown more options while on live session.

Dessert

rawa halwa, carrot halwa, sago payasam

listed above are all options to choose one from the list, will be shown more options while on live session.

What's Included

Lunch
Professional chef
All taxes, fees and handling charges

Drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Sita Cultural Centre
22, Kandappa Mudaliar St, White Town, Puducherry, 605001, India
Address: 22 Candappa Moudaliar street, 605001 Pondicherry Directions: At the corner of Mission Street, nearby Pasta Venetto, Zuka and Subway restaurant

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.10:00 am

What To Expect

Sita Cultural Center

Goubert Market

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Not recommended for child aged 4 and under
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult

May be operated by a multilingual guide
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Ellen_T

Manisha Ray took the four of us to the market after we decided which Southern Indian foods we wanted to prepare. The market was filled with so many fruits vegetables, fish, chicken, cookware and more. It was fun picking out our ingredients. Back at the cultural center we worked together to create a delicious meal which we ate on banana leaves in the garden courtyard. Manisha is a talented and fun teacher. I highly recommend this class.

Reviews

4.9

based on 68 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

How to cook restaurant quality Indian food.

Graham_L, Sep 2024

We have done cooking classes before and they have all been good and the chef at each has been personable and taken time to talk about the dishes we are preparing. Manisha was very easy to talk to and a talented chef and, under her expert tutelage we cooked a very tasty meal. In the past we had always been sent recipes and this time was no exception. What was exceptional was the background information contained and the clear detailed recipes. For anyone interested in cooking Indian dishes this is a must do.

Response from Host, Nov 2024

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I am happy to hear that our team provided you with the excellent service. We are so happy to hear that you had a great experience at SITA cultural centre. Your review made our day. Our whole team works very hard to keep our customers happy, but we can only do it thanks to the amazing clients like you and We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed our Indian Cooking Class. we’ve found it to be a favourite among of our clients. Your comment has given valuable insight into the service that we provide at SITA. We sincerely thank you for taking time to share the thought with us. We look forward to the next time were able to guide you again. Thanks for choosing SITA cultural centre. Thanks & regards. Team SITA

Terrific Indian market and cooking class

Ellen_T, Feb 2024

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I am happy to hear that our team provided you with the excellent service. We are so happy to hear that you had a great experience at SITA cultural centre. Your review made our day. Our whole team works very hard to keep our customers happy, but we can only do it thanks to the amazing clients like you and We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed our Cooking Class. we’ve found it to be a favourite among of our clients. Your comment has given valuable insight into the service that we provide at SITA. We sincerely thank you for taking time to share the thought with us. We look forward to the next time were able to serve you again. Thanks for choosing SITA cultural centre. Thanks & regards. Team SITA

Really enjoyable cooking class - go!

Alison_M, Feb 2024

Manisha is a great teacher with a good sense of humour. We had an interesting visit to the vibrant market and then a really informative and fun cooking lesson. Learnt many useful tips and lunch tasted great!

A must do!

Andy_M, Feb 2024

Great teacher, grrat sense of humour. Trip to market then made a mix of dishes for lunch. An excellent insight into Indian spiced. A must do!

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I am happy to hear that our team provided you with the excellent service. We are so happy to hear that you had a great experience at SITA cultural centre. Your review made our day. Our whole team works very hard to keep our customers happy, but we can only do it thanks to the amazing clients like you and We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed our Cooking Class. we’ve found it to be a favourite among of our clients. Your comment has given valuable insight into the service that we provide at SITA. We sincerely thank you for taking time to share the thought with us. We look forward to the next time were able to serve you again. Thanks for choosing SITA cultural centre. Thanks & regards. Team SITA

Great cooking experience

andy_r, Nov 2023

Great time cooking with Manesh. We could choose our dishes then we went to the market. She was friendly and explained everything really well. She engaged us in the cooking and gave us tips. We learnt a lot and will definitely try making paneer koftas and dahl when we return home with the recipes we received. Thanks again. Rachel and Andy

Best Cooking Class in Pondy - Highly Recommended

Carly_D, Apr 2023

This cooking class with Manisha was a highlight of our trip! We got to choose what kind of South Indian dish we wanted-we chose a fish curry, a sambar, aloo gobi & a cardamom rice pudding. We went to the market to get the ingredients which was such a great experience, then went back and learned how to prepare everything. It was so interactive and fun & we learned so much. Manisha was such a great person to learn from and we definitely recommend taking this class!

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Dear Carly, Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I am happy to hear that our team provided you with the excellent service. We are so happy to hear that you had a great experience at SITA cultural centre. Your review made our day. Our whole team works very hard to keep our customers happy, but we can only do it thanks to the amazing clients like you and We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed our cooking class. we’ve found it to be a favourite among of our clients. Your comment has given valuable insight into the service that we provide at SITA. We sincerely thank you for taking time to share the thought with us. We look forward to the next time were able to serve you again. Thanks for choosing SITA cultural centre. Thanks & regards. Team SITA

Great class for anyone...

Ami_L, Jan 2023

Great class for anyone new to Indian cooking. Thank you Manisha for your humor and energy. We enjoyed the class.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Dear Ami, Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I am happy to hear that our team provided you with the excellent service. We are so happy to hear that you had a great experience at SITA cultural centre. Your review made our day. Our whole team works very hard to keep our customers happy, but we can only do it thanks to the amazing clients like you and We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed our Indian Cooking class. we’ve found it to be a favourite among of our clients. Your comment has given valuable insight into the service that we provide at SITA. We sincerely thank you for taking time to share the thought with us. We look forward to the next time were able to serve you again. Thanks for choosing SITA cultural centre. Thanks & regards. Team SITA

Great cooking expense in Pondicherry - a must do!!

Seema_D, Jun 2022

Fantastic experience. Highly recommend this. We made 4 dishes and it was so much fun. Manisha is awesome. She took us to the market in a rickshaw to buy all the ingredients (which was a fun experience as well) and then we started working under her expert guidance and had prepared seemingly complex dishes with ease before we knew it! Manisha is clearly someone who loves what she does and that makes all the difference. Thanks!!

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Thanks you! We, at Sita cultural center, are all passionate about what we do and most of all we love to share and teach about it. As we truly believe those knowledge and skills must be passed on.

Must experience cooking class

James_F, Jan 2020

Fantastic cooking class. Our teacher, Manisha, first took us to the local market, which in itself was a great experience, allowing us to see local spices, herbs, fruits and fish. From then on we, along with our two classmates, were responsible for all the prep and cooking of the four dishes under Manisha's expert guidance. Every ingredient we used was explained to us in terms of its role in the dish, the order in which it should be added and its health benefits. After cooking the four dishes (which were chosen by us out of a repertoire of 30 dishes) tasted amazing, even if we do say so ourselves! Would highly reccommend.

Response from Host, Jan 2021

Thanks so much for your feedback! We’re really glad you enjoyed our service! Looking forward to seeing you again soon and thanks again!

5 Girlfriends from Australia cooking up a storm

Jan_R, Apr 2019

Such a fun wonderful way to cook. First off we hopped in a tuk tuk and beeped our way to the markets to buy our produce to cook with. We were shown how to make many dishes with many hands on preparing this feast. We laughed and learnt so much with our great instructor finishing off with a very full stomach. We would certainly recommend this great day in Puducherry.

Excellent session and great value...

Paul K, Feb 2017

Excellent session and great value. We did a quick trip to the Goubert market for supplies, then cooked dal tadka, paneer butter masala, and aloo masala parathas, and carrot halwa for dessert. Manisha the instructor was enthusiastic and friendly, and breezily conducted the course in both English and French. Course is at a friendly low-key community cultural centre with simple but good facilities, right in the middle of the White Town district.

Very good tour, as described. The...

Stephen S, Feb 2016

Very good tour, as described. The food was both interesting and tasty. It gave us the courage to buy street food a number of times during our stay in Mumbai and in other Indian cities. Certainly worth the money and time if you wish to try a variety of foods.

最高に美味しいカレー

Kazuki_T, Jan 2025

初めて本格的なカレー作りを学びました。先生のマニーシャはスパイスを入れるタイミングなどとても丁寧に教えてくれます。作ったカレーはインド旅行の中で最も美味しいものになりました。最高の経験になるはずです。

Response from Host, Feb 2025

肯定的なフィードバックをありがとうございました!私たちのチームが素晴らしいサービスを提供したと聞いてうれしく思います。 SITA文化センターで素晴らしい経験をしたと聞いて、とてもうれしいです。あなたのレビューで私たちの一日は充実しました。私たちのチーム全体は、お客様を満足させ続けるために一生懸命働いていますが、それはあなたのような素晴らしいクライアントのおかげでしかできません。インド料理クラスを楽しんでいただけたことを嬉しく思います。お客様の間でお気に入りであることがわかりました。あなたのコメントは、SITA が提供するサービスについて貴重な洞察を与えてくれました。お時間を割いて私たちとこの考えを共有していただき、心から感謝いたします。次回もまたご案内させていただけることを楽しみにしております。 SITAカルチャーセンターをお選びいただきありがとうございます。ありがとう＆よろしく。チームSITA