Traditional Gowda cuisine

We had a very fun, entertaining and delicious evening with Archana, her husband and son. All three of them were very kind and gracious and very welcoming. Archana showed us how to make her favorite dishes with lots of heart and soul and did I mention how delicious everything was? In addition to being an excellent chef she is just plain fun to talk with. If I ever visit Bangalore again I will add another visit with Archana to my itinerary.

My day with Archana was an adventure every newcomer to south India should experience —even if it’s the only thing you can do in Bangalore! Archana generously shared her life, culture and family as if we were old friends. Not only did she tell me things I would never have known to ask, she also graciously answered questions I wouldn’t have been able to ask anywhere else. From learning how to tie a sari, to understanding religious practices and visiting some neighborhood temples, to trying local sweets and delicacies at the street market, to learning South Indian cooking and eating techniques and sharing lunch and conversation with her sweet mother and husband in their home, the day was more full and rich than I ever expected it could be. Archana’s passion and love for her country and culture allowed me to enjoy Bangalore in an intimate and special way that every inquisitive traveler should experience. Don’t miss it!

Archana and her auntie were extremely kind and caring. She showed me her beautiful garden and most of the vegetables and herbs we used for cooking were from there. She shared me not only the recipes but also the background of the traditional Gowda dishes, which really fascinated me. I loved everything we cooked on that day. Highly recommended.

We are of North Indian heritage, but have been living in the US for over 30 years, and find that South India can really be a different country from the North. So we are really just tourists in South India, and wanted to get a good understanding of the South. As a tourist, it's difficult to get an authentic experience of a place. A tourist's dream is to get embedded in a real family for a day, talk about real things, get a feel for the everyday life through real happenings, experience the actual making of a menu, followed by the cooking of a real meal, ending with the enjoyment of eating what was prepared together, with all the cultural undertones of how family members interact with each other and how they interact with guests. We had exactly such an authentic experience with Archana, Rajesh and family. It was an evening we are going to cherish for a long time. It started on their terrace garden where they grow at least 50 species of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Progressed into an evening of light conversation about real topics where you can get to know each other. Then came the preparation of the meal with most family members involved, just like a real day. Finally, we sat down for the meal with the very authentic and doting family. Can't say enough good things about the evening. Overall summary: if you want to experience the real South India, in a real home, with a real family, and learn how to cook some real dishes, you can't find a much better experience than this one. Five stars and highly recommended

This was probably the most special thing we’ve done in our three weeks in India. Archana, Rajesh, and the rest of their family were so welcoming, and the home-cooked food was spectacular. The night began with a tour of their rooftop garden, where Archana showed us all of the delicious-smelling plants and herbs she grows. Then she welcomed us into her kitchen and showed us how to make a wide range of traditional vegetarian dishes from the region, most of them using plants from the garden, and told us a lot of stories about her family and tales of the city along the way. The food was amazing and the company could not have been better. We were very grateful for the evening and can’t recommend it enough to anyone staying in Bengalore who wants to know more about its people, food, and history. We'll remember it forever!

A "must do" experience!!! Our top three favorite experiences while in India were: 1. Taj Mahal 2. Mysore Palace 3. Cooking lesson with Archana!!! Her warm welcome, engaging personality, thorough explanations and passion for cooking created a forever memory for us. Flexible menu, very clean home, organized preparations and so many tastes of Indian cuisine from appetizer snacks all the way to dessert. We were astonished at how many different preparations Archana made for us that were outside the agreed upon lesson. Also, Archana provided so much more than a mere cooking lesson, she taught us about history, customs, etiquette and methods used and why. I honestly couldn't remember how much I paid when I booked this experience, but seeing now that it's only $50, I would have paid quadruple the amount for the quality experience Archana provided. As an aside, we found the playful banter between Archana and her mother trying to correct her in the kitchen endearing and entertaining. Can't express enough how this is a "must do" experience!

It was just great to be hosted by Archana, her husband and her mother. I got a welcome with a coffee and different self made traditional Indian snacks and after that we went to the market with Archana and her husband by car. They explained everything in detail about Indian fruits and vegetables, culture, history and traditions aswell as food and cooking. We made lots of pictures, bought some food and some tipical Indian souverniers. They even offered me to visit a temple with them. Once back home Archana and her mother prepared the rest of the meal. Archana was preparing things and getting everything ready already two days before I came! I had a wonderful meal on a banana leave with a huge variety of dishes. The time until 3pm was a bit short and we could have gone on for another hour or two if I did not have a next appointment. I have to say a big thank you, it will always be remembered as a unique local experience!!

I went with my wife and had a wonderful evening with Archana and her charming family. The experience takes place in a well looked-after home and started with meeting Archana and her family and a relaxing talk through what we would be doing. This included some background on the different influences on food in the region and wider country. Soft drinks and spicy nibbles were provided to start with and then we headed to the kitchen.Archana leads the food preparation but gives you plenty of opportunity to help produce the dishes that you'll eat later. You can see all the basic ingredients, are told all about them and how to balance the spice vs blander foods to your own taste. Once the food is ready you get a chance to sit together and eat the food served from a banana leaf. The spiciness / heat of the food can be varied to your taste; I like milder curries by local standards and Archana served a number of side dishes, such as yoghurt, which help you balance the spiciness really well.The meal was excellent and the overall experience felt more like spending an evening learning something new with good friends.Very much recommended if you like good company and a more authentic cooking and eating experience; we'd definitely repeat the trip again.Enjoy !

We had an amazing evening! Our host and his wife were very hospitable! Our cooking experience was fun: we prepared a few dishes under their guidance and supervision! We later on, had the opportunity to sit and enjoyed a very nice meal (great food, great conversation). We finished the evening with a walk in town and a wonderful cup of coffee! My husband and I have taken many cooking classes throughout our travels. The Bangalore 3-hour Cooking Lesson was one of the best experiences we ever had! If you are passing through Bangalore, don’t miss it!

This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our family, and we are so grateful we were able to meet Archana and her family, and spend the afternoon together.We are a traveling, homeschooling family (myself, my husband and our 11-year-old daughter). My daughter loves to cook and we try to take cooking classes wherever we travel. This experience went way beyond a cooking class - Archana, Rajesh as well as Archana's mother and aunt all shared so much of their culture and family with us. We all enjoyed ourselves but the experience especially resonated with my daughter. Archana shared how she uses food as medicine for her family and ways to nourish my daughter as she continues through puberty, taking into account different spices and needs. Her mother shared pictures of Archana and Rajesh's wedding and recounted the day to us. And needless to say the meal was excellent. While I certainly have *a lot* left to learn about Indian cooking (and indeed we just focused on one region's cuisine) I left with a deeper understanding of the art and culture behind Gowda cuisine and that feels more valuable than a bunch of recipes!

I am currently in Bangalore, India for work with a few others and we decided to do a cooking class together. I found BInu's page on Traveling Spoon and was very excited at the prospect of doing an authentic Indian cooking class in her home. First of all, Binu's home is absolutely beautiful and she was extremely kind and welcoming towards us. Her son lives close by and actually came over and joined us for most of the class as well! I wouldn't necessarily describe this as a cooking class since we didn't actually do any of the cooking but she walked us step by step through what she and her chef were making, gave us some great tips for when we're on our own, and allowed us to smell/taste all of the ingredients. The meal we had was absolutely delicious and probably the best I've had in India thus far! Unfortunately, I will only be in India for another week but the rest of our group will be here through the end of January and is already planning a trip back next month! I will be recommending Binu's class to all of my friends and family that visit Bangalore in the future!

We booked a market visit and cooking lesson - what we ended up with was a fabulous cultural experience. We were warmly welcomed by Archana and her family, followed by an enjoyable trip to the market where we learnt about different vegetables, sweets & other products. Archana then produced the most wonderful meal, talked us through the cooking process and showed us all the spices she regularly uses. We sat down to a beautifully presented meal and learned more about the local culture. We had a lovely few hours with Archana and her family and would recommend!

For the 3 hour cooking class, you would enjoy a vast menu for making and also learning. This is done by practical approach, you would carry out the cooking in front of experts and then you would have lunch program also to taste what you made

This is a tour for those wishing to get off of the beaten path and have a truly local India experience. I was in Bangalore on business and I took a coworker who lives there, although these foods were new to him too. Archana and her family greeted us at their place. Her entire family made us feel welcome and we spent hours having fun talking and watching her cook (we could have helped with the cooking too, but I was content just watching). After a short education on the various spices and plants of the area, Archana cooked traditional dishes from the Karnataka region of India and explained as much of the details of the process as one wanted to hear. We ended up eating pickle (chili sauce), chow chow (a vegetable salad), raita (similar to tzatziki-yogurt and cucumber with pomegranate seeds), kosambari (lentil salad), fried fish, sihi kasubu (sweet center rice pasta/peroghi), papad and sandige (varieties of bread/poppadoms with deep fried hot chili pepper), ragi mudde (ball made from millet flour) and hitakbele chicken (spicy sauce with chicken and potato pieces) all off of a banana leaf. The evening lasted several hours and was the tour was well worth doing. It's one of those experiences that I will always remember.

Archana was a wonderful host. We enjoyed our market visit. The prepared food was excellent and explanations of the dishes very informative. There was not an opportunity to cook which we were hoping for and have enjoyed on other similar experiences. It would have been nice if the hosts had joined us in eating the meal.

Archana was a wonderful host. We enjoyed our market visit. The prepared food was excellent and explanations of the dishes very informative. There was not an opportunity to cook which we were hoping for and have enjoyed on other similar experiences. It would have been nice if the hosts had joined us in eating the meal.