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Host: Kavitha

New York, NY, United States

USD
$124 per person

Traditional vegetarian Indian cooking class on the Upper West Side

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Kavitha

Kavitha has been in the food business for many years and ran an Indian street food business in the outdoor markets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. She has also hosted and catered events for vegan and vegetarian events. Kavitha comes from a family of yogis and people who believe that the key to good health lies in good nutrition. She has first-hand seen the positive effects that simple tweaks in nutrition can have on a person's physical, mental and spiritual health,without compromising on taste or experience.

Kavitha's cuisine is all about a simple, plant-forward lifestyle. She is passionate about teaching guests Ayurvedic inspired cooking, especially to those who are looking to move towards meals that are planet-friendly, healthy and adventurous.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (4-5 guests) Join your host Kavitha in the galley kitchen of her NYC studio apartment and learn to cook a traditional Indian meal from family recipes that she has perfected. Your hands-on vegetarian Indian cooking class will last about 2 hours during which you will learn to cook three dishes from scratch. Some of the dishes you might learn to cook are daal (spiced lentil soup), paneer makhani (Indian cheese in a creamy sauce), south Indian veggie melanges, served with sorghum (millet) and amaranth rotis or basmati pilaf with summer spices and herbs. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in Indian cooking, and the medicinal benefits of spices before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with host Kavitha. Kavitha is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in New York. Kavitha is happy to accommodate vegan and gluten-free requests in her Indian cooking class.

Notes: Kavitha is happy to accommodate vegan and gluten-free requests.

Languages spoken: English, Hindi

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Daal (lentils) with kale - can be vegan
  • Paneer makhani, Indian cheese in a tomato and butter sauce
  • Sorghum and amaranth breads (gluten-free)
  • Basmati pilaf with vegetables, seasonal spices and herbs and a side of raita
  • South Indian vegetable melange with fresh coconut (can be vegan)
  • Indian bread stuffed with sweet potato mash
  • South Indian masala dosas (crepes) with cilantro+coconut chutney
  • Masala chai

Traveler reviews

5.0 (5)
Our family had a wonderful cooking demonstration with Kavitha. She is a great host and takes time to explain the different spices and history of the food that we prepared. The meal was delicious - paneer butter masala, tadka daal, and rasmalai. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience!
- 777greg December 30, 2023
Kavitha was a great host who taught us all about Indian cooking! We enjoyed a great meal of makhani paneer, garlic naan, and dal. Would definitely recommend.
- simonai November 21, 2023
We had such a nice time with Kavitha Rathi, who taught us how to make delicious South Indian dishes in her lovely NYC apartment. She was very organized, knowledgeable and skilled. She made dosa, a coconut chutney and a mango mousse for dessert, which was delicious! We would highly recommend a cooking session with her!
- cathy_C June 25, 2023
I had a private cooking class with Kavitha for Mother's Day, with my husband and adult children. She explained where the different food and flavors came from and what her personal experiences were like surrounding the foods and spices. She was able to adjust the spice level of the foods to accommodate everyone's tolerance level. The food was absolutely delicious and the flavors were incredibly. I learned a lot from her and would definitely recommend her cooking class. She seemed to have a true love for teaching and was a joy to get to know.
- sharip2 May 15, 2023
Fun evening with friends as we chopped lots of vegetables together and cooked the night away. Delightful instructor.
- Sally September 29, 2021
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Kavitha

$124 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $124 $124
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $124 $124
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
12:00pm-3:00pm 7:00pm-10:00pm

Meet Kavitha

Kavitha has been in the food business for many years and ran an Indian street food business in the outdoor markets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. She has also hosted and catered events for vegan and vegetarian events. Kavitha comes from a family of yogis and people who believe that the key to good health lies in good nutrition. She has first-hand seen the positive effects that simple tweaks in nutrition can have on a person's physical, mental and spiritual health,without compromising on taste or experience.

Kavitha's cuisine is all about a simple, plant-forward lifestyle. She is passionate about teaching guests Ayurvedic inspired cooking, especially to those who are looking to move towards meals that are planet-friendly, healthy and adventurous.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

Cooking experience: (4-5 guests) Join your host Kavitha in the galley kitchen of her NYC studio apartment and learn to cook a traditional Indian meal from family recipes that she has perfected. Your hands-on vegetarian Indian cooking class will last about 2 hours during which you will learn to cook three dishes from scratch. Some of the dishes you might learn to cook are daal (spiced lentil soup), paneer makhani (Indian cheese in a creamy sauce), south Indian veggie melanges, served with sorghum (millet) and amaranth rotis or basmati pilaf with summer spices and herbs. Enjoy learning about the tips and techniques involved in Indian cooking, and the medicinal benefits of spices before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with host Kavitha. Kavitha is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in New York. Kavitha is happy to accommodate vegan and gluten-free requests in her Indian cooking class.

Notes: Kavitha is happy to accommodate vegan and gluten-free requests.

Languages spoken: English, Hindi

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Daal (lentils) with kale - can be vegan
  • Paneer makhani, Indian cheese in a tomato and butter sauce
  • Sorghum and amaranth breads (gluten-free)
  • Basmati pilaf with vegetables, seasonal spices and herbs and a side of raita
  • South Indian vegetable melange with fresh coconut (can be vegan)
  • Indian bread stuffed with sweet potato mash
  • South Indian masala dosas (crepes) with cilantro+coconut chutney
  • Masala chai

Traveler reviews

5.0 (5)
Our family had a wonderful cooking demonstration with Kavitha. She is a great host and takes time to explain the different spices and history of the food that we prepared. The meal was delicious - paneer butter masala, tadka daal, and rasmalai. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience!
- 777greg December 30, 2023
Kavitha was a great host who taught us all about Indian cooking! We enjoyed a great meal of makhani paneer, garlic naan, and dal. Would definitely recommend.
- simonai November 21, 2023
We had such a nice time with Kavitha Rathi, who taught us how to make delicious South Indian dishes in her lovely NYC apartment. She was very organized, knowledgeable and skilled. She made dosa, a coconut chutney and a mango mousse for dessert, which was delicious! We would highly recommend a cooking session with her!
- cathy_C June 25, 2023
I had a private cooking class with Kavitha for Mother's Day, with my husband and adult children. She explained where the different food and flavors came from and what her personal experiences were like surrounding the foods and spices. She was able to adjust the spice level of the foods to accommodate everyone's tolerance level. The food was absolutely delicious and the flavors were incredibly. I learned a lot from her and would definitely recommend her cooking class. She seemed to have a true love for teaching and was a joy to get to know.
- sharip2 May 15, 2023
Fun evening with friends as we chopped lots of vegetables together and cooked the night away. Delightful instructor.
- Sally September 29, 2021
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $124 $124
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $124 $124
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
12:00pm-3:00pm 7:00pm-10:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

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    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

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    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

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