Lakshmi and her husband are warm and generous hosts who share their interesting Rajastani heritage and family journey with guests through the cooking and eating of a delicious vegetarian traditional thali. Lakshmi's dedication to quality ingredients means she makes everything from scratch including her own butter, flours and spices. It was great to also combine the experience with other local highlights like the Byloom textile shop, two local temples and some excellent restaurants all within easy distance of Lakshmi's house. The experience was excellent and I do recommend it. I loved the traditional dishes of Rajasthan and I saw the different ways gram flour is used so versatile but most of all it was the tea from the family tea estate that we shared and the story behind it that I will remember most.
Zinnia has the gift of hospitality and she and her husband make a great team. They live in a very welcoming home that is clean comfortable and well kept. It is very hard to forget the wonderful surprise of being presented with a box of sandesh from the best sweet shop in town! - it really made us feel spoilt, like friends. Even the opportunity to cook the Shorshe chingri myself from scratch was equally special. My favorite dishes were the fish kaalia, the bhaja moong dal and the fresh mango pudding. It was like being invited by friends for lunch, having their undivided attention and being taught to cook one of the dishes for lunch. A real privilege! Everything was excellent and the experience was invaluable.
Bibi gave a wonderful primer on Bengali cooking in her home. We had great conversation as she wove in her knowledge of the dishes and provided great back story and context to each dish. The ones she chose for the class highlighted different elements of Bengali flavors and were quite satisfying and varied. I can't recommend the class highly enough for people looking to experience authentic home Bengali cooking.
A Must-Do in Kolkata - Authentic Bengali Home Dining Experience! The highlight of my trip to Kolkata! I had the most incredible home-cooked Bengali meal at Debjani’s beautiful, centrally located home. She welcomed us like family, and the setting, filled with antiques and artwork, was absolutely charming. The meal was delectable: masoor dal, begun bhaja, shorshe bhapa chingri, maach, and the perfect finish - mishti doi. Every dish was flavorful and prepared with love. It was also lovely to meet Debjani’s friends and share stories, it felt like having lunch with a group of my girlfriends. If you're looking to try authentic Bengali food in Kolkata, this experience is a must. Highly recommended!
