Indian Cooking Classes Near Me

Dal-Chawal, Spicy Curries, Roti-Sabzi — these are some of the many traditional Indian dishes that are popular throughout the world. With delightful flavours, colours, and aromatic spices and herbs, Indian cuisine is loved by people of all ages and nationalities. In fact, Indian food is extremely popular in European cities, especially in London.

While many may be intimidated by Indian cuisine and spices, there's actually a method to the madness — a way to understand the robust flavours that go into creating a traditional Indian dish. There are countless cookbooks on the subject, highlighting the various cuisines the country has to offer, whether its Punjabi, Bengali or from another part of the country. And to further help food enthusiasts in London learn the art of cooking Indian food, many Indian chefs have established their culinary schools in the city.

In this piece, we'll look at 7 such culinary studios situated in the heart of London that offer a variety of Indian cooking courses. Whether you're looking for Indian vegetarian cooking courses or you simply want to perfect the technique of making Naan, we've got you covered!

Best Indian Cooking Courses in London 2021

1. The Cooking Academy

Founder: Kumud Gandhi

Website: https://www.thecookingacademy.co.uk/

Location: Rickmansworth

Cost: £115 – £200 per person

About the founder:

Kumud Gandhi is a published author, food writer, keynote speaker, and broadcaster who, inspired by her Indian heritage, founded The Cooking Academy in 2010. Though Kumud has a background in Economics, she left the corporate world behind to research food science and create tasty, healthy food. Today, with over a decade of professional experience in nutrition and food, Kumud teaches Indian cookery classes at The Academy, intending to educate people about vibrant, flavoursome, and healthy Indian cuisine.

About the course:

The Cooking Academy offers a range of basic and advanced Indian non-vegetarian and vegetarian cooking classes. Some of their popular courses include:

Half-day cooking class: A class for beginners to understand the fundamentals of spice blending and cook dishes such as Chana Masala Curry, Chicken Kebabs, Bombay Potatoes, and Raita.
Indian vegetarian cooking class: A 1-day course that explores tasty and healthy meat-free Indian recipes using ingredients such as green beans and tofu.
Mogul Emperor's Feast Class: An advanced class where you can learn to cook elaborate dishes such as Cinnamon Spring Lamb, Peshawari Rice, Makhan Raja Prawns, Dal Makhani, and more.

Why you should check it out:

The Cooking Academy offers some of the best, beginner-friendly, healthy Indian cooking courses in London. Not only do they teach you lip-smacking dishes, but they also educate you on Indian spices, spice blends, cookery techniques, and the art of demystifying Indian cooking without overcomplicating it. If this sounds like your cup of tea, you can visit their website or social media for more information.

2. Cooking with Monisha

Founder: Monisha Bharadwaj

Website: https://www.cookingwithmonisha.com/#

Location: Hounslow

Cost: £39 – £145 per person

About the founder:

Monisha is a chef, food historian, and author of the award-winning book 'Indian in 7: Delicious Indian recipes in 7 ingredients or fewer'. After completing her degree from the Institute of Hotel Management in Mumbai, Monisha established her cookery studio in London in 2004. Apart from being a guest chef and judge at several culinary schools and events, Monisha enjoys teaching people her brand of simple yet authentic Indian cooking.

About the course:

Cooking with Monisha offers both in-person and online cooking classes, ranging from a full-day simple Indian cookery course to vegetarian, vegan, South-Indian, and sea-food courses. You can learn classic Indian recipes such as Tarka Dal, Roti, Lentil Salad, Onion Bhajia, and Potato and Cauliflower Curry or go the advanced route and experiment with cooking recipes like Goli Bhaat, Murgh Makhani, Bagare Baingan, and Saag Aloo.

Why you should check it out:

Cooking with Monisha is an Indian cooking class that simplifies the art of cooking by teaching you that you don't need a long list of ingredients to make a healthy and tasty Indian meal. You'll learn about layering flavours, blending spices, and creating delicious curry pastes that you can use in your everyday cooking. So if you're looking for one of the best Indian cooking courses in London, you can give this one a try!

3. Sweet Cumin

Founder: Binixa Ludlow

Website: https://www.sweetcumin.co.uk/

Location: Clapton

Cost: £125 – £225 per person

About the founder:

Though Binixa grew up in Bradford, she learnt traditional Gujarati cooking from her mother when she was only eight years old. Since then, she has developed a passion for exotic Indian ingredients and traditional Indian cuisine. After visiting India in 2005 and understanding authentic Indian cooking techniques, Bini began to teach cooking professionally. In 2011, she established Sweet Cumin, and today, she runs a range of Indian cookery classes in London.

About the course:

Sweet Cumin offers half-day and full-day cookery courses suitable for vegetarians, non-vegetarians, and those with dietary restrictions. From a complete Gujarati Indian Thali Course to an Indian Railway Tiffin Course and a South Indian Course, there's something for everyone. Some of the delectable dishes that are a part of Bini's cookery classes include Lamb Curry, Stuffed Breakfast Paratha, Jeera Rice, Chicken Tikka, Dosas, Vegetable Cutlet, and Kerala Tamarind Prawns.

Why you should check it out:

Sweet Cumin is one of the few Indian cookery studios in London that teaches you about the importance of loving the ingredients that you cook with. Bini is a firm believer that when care, time, and effort are taken, rich and deep Indian flavours can be brought to life, and that's precisely what you'll get to learn at Sweet Cumin.

4. Spice Monkey

Founder: Nikita Gulhane

Website: https://spicemonkey.co.uk/

Location: Victoria Road

Cost: £75 – £400 per person

About the founder:

Nikita Gulhane has an extensive background in the culinary industry, having worked for many cafes and French restaurants. He also helped create food policies for DEFRA and made documentaries about food for BBC radio.

About the course:

Spice monkey offers a nice variety of Indian cookery classes in London for both beginners and those looking to extend their repertoire. Some of their popular Indian courses include Student Curries, Street Food and Snacks, Taste of Punjab, Simply Vegan, and Veggie advanced. Through Spice Monkey's cookery classes, you can learn how to make lip-smacking vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as the Maharashtrian Mutton Rassa, South-Indian Vadas, Gujarati Lentil Cakes, Thoran, Palak Paneer, and Smoky Roasted Aubergine.

Why you should check it out:

Spice Monkey's Indian cooking classes focus on learning the essential techniques needed to make your cooking adaptable and intuitive. Through step-by-step guidance, you'll be able to unlock the secret of combining aromatic Indian spices to create a fantastic meal. So if you're interested in meeting new people and enjoying a fun-filled day of cooking Indian food, check out Spice Monkey!

5. The Avenue Cooking School

Founder: Diana

Website: https://theavenuecookeryschool.com/

Location: Wandsworth

Cost: £90 – £170 per person

About the founder:

Diana started her culinary journey as a chalet chef before founding her specialist food ventures — a catering company, a refined delicatessen in Chelsea, and The Avenue. The Avenue is a family-run Cookery School where Diana creates classical dishes and delectable culinary creations with trailblazing twists that are sure to delight your palette.

About the course:

The Avenue offers a diverse range of cookery courses in London, across different cuisines and levels. Their Indian cooking class is a fun-filled 3-hour class where you can learn how to cook 2 Indian courses (Spicy Beef Kebabs, Butter Chicken/Paneer, Jeera Rice), Mint Raita and Naan Bread.

The course also includes useful tips and tricks of the trade, insights into Indian cuisine, knife skills, preparation and organisational skills, a guide to using Indian spices, and recipe booklets.

Why you should check it out:

This delicious Indian cookery course in London is all you need to start your Indian culinary journey. With a strong understanding of robust flavours and spices, The Avenue uses a hands-on approach to equip people to whip up delectable dishes the hassle-free way. Not only do they offer a fun and informative cookery demonstration, but they also provide you with unlimited wine to kick it up a notch!

6. Pure Punjabi

Founders: Surinder and Safia

Website: https://www.purepunjabi.co.uk/

Location: Downton

Cost: £89 – £189 per person

About the founders:

Surinder and Safia are a mother-daughter duo from Punjab, dedicated to teaching people their North Indian culinary traditions. Both Surinder and Safia started their culinary training at the age of 8. In fact, when Surinder was 11 years old, she would prepare the traditional family meals at home after returning from school. Their goal is to provide people access to Indian cuisine by teaching them the traditional cookery methods of their ancestors.

About the course:

Pure Punjabi is an extremely popular Indian cooking class and even made it to the top 8 Indian cookery courses in the UK. Their most popular class is called 'The Indian Experience Cookery Workshop' where groups of 4-6 people are taught to prepare a 3-course Indian meal under expert supervision. The course also includes lunch with beer and wine. They also offer an Indian Street Food Workshop where you can learn how to make appetising dishes such as Samosas, Amritsari Fish, and Gol Gappa.

Why you should check it out:

If you're looking to learn the art of Indian cooking from two extremely passionate chefs, then Pure Punjabi is the place to go! With a deep understanding of Punjabi cuisine and Indian flavours, Safia and Surinder promise a hands-on cooking experience that is insightful and entertaining.

7. Ren's Kitchen

Founders: Renuka Patel

Website: http://www.renskitchen.com/

Location: Edgware

Cost: £125 – £185 per person

About the founder:

Renuka Patel worked in a corporate job for over 13 years. After the birth of her daughter Monica, she decided to take a step back and spend time with her at home. However, she still wanted to pursue a career and decided to establish Ren's Kitchen out of her love for cooking Indian food. She started by teaching Indian recipes to small groups of people and eventually built her cookery studio over a decade ago.

About the course:

All Indian cooking classes conducted by Ren's Kitchen include an introduction, a talk about spices, prepping ingredients, cooking the dish, a quick recap, and a Q&A session. They offer various group and private classes where they teach how to cook curries, vegetarian snacks, and dinner party delights. Some of the Indian dishes they teach include Goan Fish Curry, Vegetable Pakoras, Chapatis, Bhuna Chicken, and Mutter Paneer.

Why you should check it out:

The best part of Ren's Kitchen is that they provide complete hands-on training rather than one-sided demonstrations. This allows you to understand spices, quantities, and flavours better. She also teaches you authentic and healthy Indian recipes that are easy to recreate, even if you're only a beginner. And at the end of the day, you get to take the food you prepared home with you!

So the next time you're craving some desi Indian food in London, you know what to do!