Chennai Market Tour & Cooking Class in a Local Home with Meena

You can expect an authentic vegetarian South Indian cooking class and meal - cooked using family recipes, local spices and vegetables. Your meal will be served the traditional way on banana leaves. A few dishes that you might cook and eat together are kuzhambu (lentil curry), lemon or ginger or garlic rasam (spiced soup), kootu or avial or olan (vegetables cooked in a coconut gravy) and rice. End your meal with an Indian dessert such as payasam (milk pudding) or sakkara pongal (sweet made with jaggery and lentils) or kesari (South Indian dessert made with semolina) and filter coffee.

The most recent 5-bubble reviews, displayed for experiences rated as very good or higher. See all reviews below for more information.Some reviews may have been automatically translated. 5.0 5 of 5 bubbles (37 reviews) - [](https://www.tripadvisor.in/Profile/Trip45945116916) Solo Trip45945116916Apr 2026 • 5 contributions 5 of 5 bubbles The hospitality was absolutely wonderful! The delicious food and delightful conversation have become one of my very best me Read more - [](https://www.tripadvisor.in/Profile/Trip45945116916) Solo Trip45945116916Apr 2026 • 5 contributions 5 of 5 bubbles A home-cooked South Indian dish cooked in the kitchen of the lovely Meena's house with a pleasant chat. It was fun, delicious and the happiest time ever! I hope you all will have this experience! Read more - [](https://www.tripadvisor.in/Profile/davidgI941KG) Top 1% reviewer Couples David GApr 2026 • 22 contributions 5 of 5 bubbles A great afternoon and evening learning how to cook with Meena. An expert cook and teacher who made it all look so easy. And then we got to enjoy it all and make a new friend in the process of doing so. Highly recommended the visit. Read more - [](https://www.tripadvisor.in/Profile/Coastal39891333062) Solo JapanMar 2026 • 3 contributions 5 of 5 bubbles Meena welcomed me warmly and explained everything clearly, even though my English is not very good. I learned South Indian dishes like sambar, chutney, dosa, kootu, and poriyal. They were so nice. After cooking I enjoyed our conversations during the meal. I want to cook the dishes again at home. I’ll never forget the "kootu" Read more - [](https://www.tripadvisor.in/Profile/Navigator42512990998) Families Navigator42512990998Feb 2026 • 2 contributions 5 of 5 bubbles Meena doesn’t just create wonderful food, but a fantastic all-round cultural experience. She shows genuine interest in her guests and is quick to identify their interests. The food preparation was great fun and very educational and the trip to purchase ingredients was a constant source of information about food and culture. Meena readily shares her experience and expertise and was happy to answer all questions about local lifestyles. And the food she prepared was simply amazing. Flavour just bursting everywhere and she was so generous we could barely first the front door! If you are nervous about Indian food being too spicy, don’t miss this opportunity. Meena curates her flavours well to match the requirements of her guests. We couldn’t recommend this experience more highly and encourage anyone interested to make the most of the opportunity to meet Meena! Read more

In your 2-hour hands-on South Indian cooking class in Chennai learn to make a curry, seasonal vegetable and desert. Start your experience with an introduction to spices used in South Indian cooking and then proceed to roast and grind fresh powders you will need to make the curry like sambar or rasam. Meena will share with you dishes and recipes she learned to cook from her grandmother, which has been passed down through generations. While you cook, she will also share stories, culinary traditions and tips and tricks to cook an authentic South Indian vegetarian meal. After cooking sit down to share the meal you helped prepare. If you select the optional market tour - Before your cooking class Meena will take you to the Mylapore vegetable and fruit market, by rickshaw or taxi. The market in Mylapore is 2kms away, where they sell vegetables, fruits, flowers, traditional items for pooja (religious ceremony) and decorative items for the house. Walk around this busy, bustling, local market and visit Meena’s favorite shops. You might buy a few ingredients for your cooking class, before returning home to cook and eat.

Start: - The Raintree, St Mary's Road, 120, St Marys Rd, Austin Nagar, Alwarpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600028, India Meet Meena directly at her apartment in Alwarpet, close to Crowne Plaza and Raintree Hotel in Chennai. Please check the 'Before you go' section on your voucher for the exact address, the above only offers neighborhood details, and not the exact address. Exact address can be found in your voucher. End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

- Not wheelchair accessible - Pushchair accessible - Near public transportation If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 7626P323 [000-800-050-4514](tel:000-800-050-4514)

- Menu may vary depending on the season - If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking - Meena offers a vegetarian meal only. - Private, personalized experience - In case you would like to eat South Indian breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, upma or pongal, please let Meena in advance while booking - This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time. - If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded. - Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted. - Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time. [Learn more about cancellations](https://www.tripadvisorsupport.com/en-IN/hc/traveler/articles/460)

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Chat now