Cooking Class - Delicious Diwali Fare

We took the Biryani class and had a blast! Chef Raji was very organized, had all the ingredients ready and prepared delicious masala chai and samosas for us when we arrived. She explained each ingredient to us, how we can prepare them at home or where we can find them in stores which was really helpful. All the ingredients she used were homemade, even the herbs were freshly picked from her garden! The food tasted amazing and overall it was a fun while educational experience. We not only learned how to cook delicious dishes but also learned about food from different parts of India. You can tell that Chef Raji put a lot of thought behind her classes and is really passionate about her food. I would definitely recommend her classes and would take them again myself!

This was an extraordinary class! Chef Rajeswari is impeccably organized, and everything was perfectly measured and arranged for us to use. Especially since this is a new class, I was amazed at how smoothly everything flowed - Disney could take notes from her on how to handle cleaning and transitions! We chopped the vegetables, chopped fresh herbs from her garden, and cooked/assembled all 4 dishes. I really appreciate how while we were assembling, she explained all the sorts of techniques and varieties in this style of cooking. For example, in our session I learned how to prepare the ginger garlic paste at home, the different varieties of Indian rice besides basmati, what sorts of oils work best for frying Chicken 65, and the delightful story of its name! Most important, of course, is the listed dishes themselves - and those were phenomenal. For the Chicken 65 we prepared the marinade and fried the chicken, along with the delightful touch of fresh curry leaves at the end. I've never made biryani before - that is why I took the class - and the biryani that we made was more delicious that what I've had at restaurants. The raita and lassi were simple and very good - and I learned, for example, that I can add milk (and even ice cream) to my lassi to make it a bit smoother. After taking this class, I feel that I can make these on my own. When we sat down to dinner, there was a ton of food that we'd cooked and it all smelled and tasted delicious. Chef Rajeswari also brought out a few items which were not on the menu that she'd prepared beforehand, and they were - of course - fantastic. Chef Rajewsari (and her husband) is kind, charming, welcoming, and an absolute delight to learn from. Her recipes are delicious, and she is just really fun to be with! I will be trying out the printed recipes on my own in a few days, and I fully intend to take more of her classes in the future.

From chopping and mixing to sautéing, frying, and tasting, my two teenage boys had an absolute blast—every step of the cooking class was filled with fun and laughter. Chef Rajeswari was incredibly warm and welcoming; it felt like we’d known her for years! This was truly one of the best family experiences I’ve had with my teens in a long time. And the highlight? Chicken 65—my absolute favorite! It is a MUST-try!

Chef Rajeswari is super experienced and has great experiences to share with us.