Discover the Best Indian Cooking Classes in Los Angeles
Indian cooking includes a variety of different regional cooking styles and ingredients from the country of India. Spices are an important part of Indian cooking, and add depth and complexity to dishes, while also providing a variety of health benefits. Indian cooking is also steeped in tradition. Many dishes are associated with specific regions or religions, and have been passed down through generations.
Why You Should Learn Indian Cooking in Los Angeles
Learning Indian cooking can be rewarding in a number of different ways. Indian cuisine is known for its unique flavors, and by learning this style of cooking, you can discover new flavors and dishes. An Indian cooking class is also an excellent way to learn more about Indian culture, since many Indian dishes are closely tied to particular aspects of the country’s culture. Finally, if you learn Indian cooking, you can improve your culinary skills by learning new techniques. You can apply these techniques to other types of cuisine as well.
In-Person Indian Cooking Classes in Los Angeles
If you live in the Los Angeles area and want to take an in-person Indian cooking class, you’ll find a few different options. Chef Eric’s Culinary Classroom offers a class called Indian Cuisine, which is two and a half hours long and costs $150. In this class, students cook chicken murgh tikka, deep fried samosas filled with quick keema, aloo gohbi masala, traditional basmati rice, coriander-mint sauce, and cilantro-chile chutney. Chef Eric’s Culinary Classroom is a cooking school located about ten miles west of downtown Los Angeles. It was founded in 2003 by Chef Eric, a European-trained professional chef. He offers both recreational and professional cooking classes, with an emphasis on hands-on learning in an intimate environment.
Cook LA Cooking School runs a class called Indian Flavors, which costs $80. Students who take this class learn about Indian flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques and cook naan bread, baked samosas, spicy red lentil dahl or pineapple/tamarind chutney, vegetable biryani pilaf or Indian lentil pilaf, chicken tikka with a masala sauce, and chai latte or mango lassi. Students need to wear closed-toed shoes. Participants can bring in their own beer or wine, and there is no corkage fee. Cook LA Cooking School opened in 2010. Chef Liz is dedicated to using organic, local, and seasonal ingredients, and to educating people about healthy eating. Her school is located about ten miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
BLVD Kitchen also teaches a number of different Indian cooking classes including Cuisine of Southern India. This class is led by chef Nishi Lal, who teaches students about the regional cuisine of Southern India. This class is $85. Participants must wear closed-toed shoes. BLVD Kitchen is a black-owned, female-led school that offers both in-person and virtual cooking classes. It is located in Sherman Oaks, which is about 15 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Virtual Indian Cooking Classes
If you can’t find an in-person Indian cooking class that works for you, you could try an online Indian cooking class. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the online format became very popular because people couldn’t learn in person, however, even as learning restrictions have ended, online learning remains popular because many people have discovered that they love its flexibility. You can take an online class from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere else you want; all you need is a computer and an internet connection. Just remember that with online learning, you usually have to supply your own materials.
If you want to take a virtual Indian cooking class, you’ll find a number of different options. The League of Kitchens runs a class called Indian Cooking Online w/ Yamini. In this class, Yamini teaches students how to make three of her family recipes: aloo paratha, refreshing cucumber, and yogurt raita. The class includes time for participants to interact with one another and the instructor, with questions, conversation, and stories. The class ends with a virtual dinner party. A list of ingredients is available online. Tuition for this class is $50, and it runs for two and a half hours. Classes have an average of 13 students. The League of Kitchens is made up of women from around the world who teach their family recipes and share their personal stories. It has been featured in a number of publications including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Another place to learn Indian cooking virtually is EZ Compliments, which was founded by chef Shilpi, and is based in Andover, Massachusetts. It runs a Tuesday Workshop Series and a Thursday Workshop Series. During each class, students cook a complete meal such as chicken rogan josh and cumin rice, goan fish curry and peas pulao, or keema matar and plain paratha. Students can sign up for one class, or an entire four-week series. Each dish can be adjusted to meet dietary requirements such as vegetarian or gluten-free. One class costs $50, and runs for an hour and a half in the evening. There are about 12 participants per class. EZ Compliments offers a variety of online workshops and also runs private in-person parties. Chef Shilpi’s goal is to share her passion for Indian cooking, and help everyone enjoy Indian food.
Mukti’s Kitchen is based in Brooklyn, New York, but also offers virtual Indian cooking classes. In Authentic Indian Vegetarian, students learn to make eggplant masala, saag paneer, and vegetable pulao/pilaf. This school was founded by Mukti Banerjee, whose goal was to empower people to cook, and to share the variety and uniqueness of her Indian cooking. She also encourages her students to make healthy choices when they cook. This class costs $75 and meets through Zoom.
If you’re interested in Indian cooking, you might also enjoy a virtual Chai Making class, which is offered by New York City-based Food Craft. Chai is a spiced tea that originated in India, and contains black tea, milk, sugar, and a variety of different spices. It is also believed to have health benefits. In the chai-making class, students learn about the history of chai, and how to make authentic masala chai tea, using fresh spices. Each student in this class receives a chai-making kit prior to the start of the class, which includes packets of tea and sugar, milk, and all the spices they need. Students need to supply a pot, strainer, and a few other kitchen items, and also need access to a stove. This class is $650, and runs for two hours.
Private Group Indian Cooking Classes in Los Angeles
A lesson in Indian cooking can be a fun way to entertain a group for a party or work event. CourseHorse offers Indian cooking classes for private groups, and can help you plan an event for any size group. The booking process is simple, with no registration and no booking fees. Within 24 hours, you’ll receive a confirmation of your booking, and you can make changes up to 72 hours before your event, as long as you meet the minimum group size.
If your group likes to cook, they might enjoy the Virtual Sushi Making Workshop. In this popular workshop, a professional chef and instructor teaches participants to make sushi rice, cut rolls, hand rolls, nigiri, and crunch rolls. The chef also goes over the basics of working with fish, and basic knife cuts. Each participant in the class receives a sushi kit in the mail, which contains all the materials they need, plus a gift card to buy vegetables and/or seafood to put in their sushi. Participants need to supply some common kitchen items such as a knife, saucepan, kitchen towel, and bowl. This workshop runs for 90 minutes, costs $110 per person, and can be taken by up to 500 people at once.
Another great virtual class for groups is Virtual Spanish Tapas. This class is guided by a professional chef, who teaches participants how to make three small classic, shareable plates: garlic shrimp, patatas bravas, and roasted cauliflower. In addition, they make paprika aioli to eat with the cauliflower and patatas. Special dietary restrictions can be accommodated. This class has a cost of $420 for up to ten people. After that, it is $20 for each additional person. Customization costs an additional $150.
Virtual CourseHorse group events take place via Zoom, but if you prefer to use another platform, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meets are also supported. Contact CourseHorse for more information about booking a private group Indian cooking class, or to get information about other options.
