Join Zinnia in her cozy kitchen for a one-hour interactive cooking class. The session will start with an introduction to Indian spices, where Zinnia will present the ingredients of panch phoran, a spice blend consisting of cumin, brown mustard, fenugreek, nigella, and fennel, commonly used in Eastern India. She will also discuss the significance of mustard oil in Bengali cuisine and demonstrate how mustard seeds are transformed into a paste. Participants will then learn to roll out dough and fry luchis (a deep-fried flatbread), and prepare shorshe chingri (prawns in mustard gravy) and tomato and dates chutney from scratch.

Afterward, join Zinnia and her family (when at home) at their dining table for a homemade Bengali meal, which may include dishes such as shorshe maach (fish in mustard sauce) or kosha maangsho (mutton curry), aaloo posto (potatoes with poppy seeds) or begun bhaaja (eggplant/aubergine fry), and cholar dal (lentils) served with rice or flatbread and a tomato and dates chutney. The meal will conclude with paayesh (rice pudding), a beloved dessert in Bengali households for any occasion.

Points of Interest

• Traveling Spoon

• Private cooking class with your host Zinnia
• Home cooked meal (lunch or dinner)
• Local alcohol (1-2 glasses of local beer)
• All taxes, fees and handling charges

• Hotel pickup and drop-off

Zinnia resides in Kolkata with her husband and their 14-year-old daughter. For Zinnia, spending time in the kitchen is a wonderful way to relieve stress! She learned to cook after getting married by using recipe books and having long phone conversations with her mother.

Zinnia will greet you at their New Town apartment with a warm smile. As you enjoy your welcome drink, she will enthusiastically share her passion for cooking. Zinnia prepares not only traditional Bengali dishes but also some delightful North Indian recipes. The menu is carefully curated to include 3-4 Bengali specialties, highlighting the unique use of mustard oil and mustard seed paste, which are distinctive to Bengali cuisine. Join Zinnia in her cozy kitchen for a one-hour hands-on cooking class, and then relax at the dining table to savor the meal you helped create.

Zinnia can provide vegetarian meals upon request, and various dietary preferences can be accommodated.

• 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
• Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
• Private, personalized experience
• Notes: Zinnia can offer vegetarian meals on request.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.