Flavours of India

Arrival to Cochin International Airport. After a short stopover for some snacks and refreshments, drive towards Munnar, the hill station in Western Ghats, famous for its magnificent plantations. In this raw part on our menu we have the natural surrounds. Enjoy the incredible beauty of the land on the way and once in Munnar, walk around the town and its plantations. If interested, you can have a traditional Ayurvedic massage which calms the body and mind and ensures a good sleep after a long journey to India. Welcoming dinner.

In the morning after breakfast we invite you to your spices workshop. Kerala is the land where the main spices used in Indian cuisine are grown. We will visit the plantation and see how they are cultivated and harvested. Afterwards you will learn the qualities and tastes of main spices and how to recognize them as well as how they are used in the many Indian dishes. There will, of course be a possibility to buy spices here. In the afternoon we will visit a tea plantation and a tea factory. In the evening enjoy time on your own strolling around the town or taking a rest.

In the morning we will say goodbye to Munnar and start towards the town of Alappuzha, also known as Allepey. On the way we will see a rubber trees plantation and stop for some traditional Keralan chocolate. Allepey is famous for its backwaters and canals. Take a boat ride to see the canals and see rice paddies.

Overnight: homestay

In the morning drive to Cochin International Airport and fly to Delhi. The capital of modern India was also the last capital of the British Raj. Explore with us the Central Secretariat area with India Gate, Parliament and Government buildings as well as the Presidential Palace – the second biggest in the world. All these were built by the British who at that point did not yet know that their rule in India would soon be over. We will take a walk to see where the independent Republic of India began in 1947. This is where modern India started.

Today is your first proper cooking class! Indian cuisine is known for a variety of starters and street food and Delhi is the place to get to know them. First we will walk to the step well Agrasen Ki Baoli, built before the arrival of the Mughals, at the time of the Delhi Sultanate. Then let us explore the area of Chandni Chowk which used to be the original Mughal city of Delhi (Shahjahanabad), enter Jama Masjid – one of the biggest mosques of India and take a rickshaw ride to the local spice and food market which supplies goods all around the country. This will be your chance to see how local vendors make street food. A wonderful photo opportunity! During the workshop you will learn how to make varieties of starters: pakoda, samosa, kabab, chaat, chana masala, kachori and achar. You will also learn about ghee. Ghee is an important ingredients in many north Indian dishes. After the workshop, lunch made of the starters prepared during the class. This is going to be a light lunch because for dinner you will have a taste of local Mughlai cuisine. This is the area of Delhi where the Mughal dynasties established their empire and we will go to the Lodi Gardens to visit the beautiful India Islamic Cultural Centre and Karims – an iconic chain of Mughlai restaurants.

There is no better place to start exploring the main dishes of Indian cuisine than in the state considered by many to be the jewel of Indian culture and the quintessence of India – Rajasthan. In the morning transfer to Indira Gandhi International Airport and fly to Jodhpur. This city, often referred to as Blue City, was voted by the New York Times as one of the 52 Best Places of 2020. Upon arrival lunch and since this is the main course part of our menu, we have for you the biggest of the biggest - the huge Mehrangarh Fort, the greatest of all Rajasthani forts and one of the biggest castles on Earth. Learn the history and legends of this 15th century fort while roaming its paths and chambers. You will stay in a hotel in the heart of the old Blue City with a view on the looming Mehrangarh Fort on the rock just above. Have a walk around the streets of Blue City and see the traditional style of life. Later we will go to the Ghanta Ghar Clock Tower which dominates the old city. This tower was built by Maharaja Sandar Singh. Roam around the market near GhantaGhar.

For those interested, early in the morning, before breakfast we will organize a walk through the town, to a hill to watch the sunrise. Visit a local house and see how people live. After breakfast: let’s cook! In this part of the workshop you will learn to make some of the most famous Indian main dishes: a few varieties of dal, palakpaneer, kofta, aloogobi, jeeraaloo, biryani, rajma and kadai dishes. Learn about the garlic- ginger paste which constitutes the basis of many dishes and make sure you know what the word “thali” means. Meet the Spice Girls of Jodhpur who specialize in masalas. If you still need to purchase any spices, this will be the place to buy them. After lunch have some time on your own to explore the local market. Later a quick visit to Umaid Bhawan Palace (which has a surprising Polish accent) and in the evening we need to catch a train that will take us back to Delhi. Enjoy the experience of a train ride in India. Night on the train - first class.

Upon arrival in Delhi transfer to Indira Gandhi International Airport for the flight to Amritsar. Upon arrival take some rest in your heritage hotel. In the afternoon we shall drive to the Wagah Border to witness a daily event of lowering the national flags of India and Pakistan on the border between the two countries. But the ceremony is more than just flags. This elaborately choreographed military parade of soldiers from both sides is an event one of its kind preceded by cheerful singing and dancing of spectators agitated by a soldier dance leader.

After breakfast it is time for school again. Main dishes in Indian cuisine most often are served with a variety of different kinds of bread. And there is no better place to learn making these than in Punjab, the land of the Sikhs. On the menu today we have chapati, naan, puri, paratha, kulcha and makki ki roti. Learn about the tandoori oven and how to make some of these bread types without it. Additionally you will be shown a few varieties of chutneys. Now that your main course is complete how about a little workshop in a real Indian kitchen? For this we will go to the Golden Temple, the holiest shrine for Sikhs all over the world. Visit this sacred place and one of the best known temples of India and learn about its history and Sikh religious practices. Spend some time in the temple’s community kitchen where you can put your newly acquired baking skills to the test and help the Sikh cooks make bread. Have a snack in this beautiful Gurudwara together with the pilgrims. Later we are going to have a walk around the old town of Amritsar and retreat for the night to our hotel.

In the morning we will leave our hotel and begin a road trip from the plains of Punjab to the foothills of the Himalayas. Our destination is the hill station of Dharamsala which is going to be our dessert. Being the residence-in-exile of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and home to the Tibetan diaspora, Dharamsala is a relatively new spot on tourist maps. The area saw its boom in the latter part of the 20th century. We will drive to the town of McLeodganj and go for an afternoon walk along its busy streets to the Main Temple. We will take the traditional Buddhist kora walk around the residence of the Dalai Lama.

In the morning we will drive up the hill to the village of Naddi. Here you can see the traditional lifestyle of the Ghaddis, the mountain people. Here also we have for you your final cooking class: the sweets. Learn to make traditional India sweet chai and lassi. Desserts on our menu will include kheer, burfi, ladu and halva. With this your menu is complete. In the afternoon we will be back in McLeodganj and visit one of the remnants of the old British settlement, the church of St. John in Wilderness with its adjacent cemetery. Later have time on your own, explore the mixture of Indian, Tibetan and Kashmere market and... review your classes before your final cooking exam.

Now you have had your classes in spices, starters, main dishes and desserts. You have your notes and recipes, you know the ingredients, it is time you cook for us. In the morning we will drive down the hill to the area of Norbulingka, which is also a Tibetan settlement. You will be taken to the market for shopping and then you will have the kitchen at your disposal. Show us what you have learnt! In the afternoon a visit to the Norbulingka Institute of Art where as a special prize you will be treated to a performance of Tibetan songs and dance.

In the morning we will drive to the Dharamsala airport to board a plane to Delhi and from Delhi we will go by road to Agra, one of the old capitals of the Mughal empire. Upon arrival in Agra we will go to see the Agra Fort, the evidence of glory of Emperor Akbar and the prison of his grandson, Shah Jahan.

Yes, here it is, the Mughal empire one more time because in Agra you must see the absolute jewel of the Mughal architecture and one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. This will be the cherry on your cake: TajMahal. We will go there early in the morning, if possible at sunrise. Learn the mausoleum’s history and significance, sit on the Princess Diana bench and have a walk in the Taj gardens. As a final treat have a taste of Agra famous pumpkin sweets. Drive back to Delhi to refresh in the hotel. Farewell dinner and giving the cooking course certificates.

Check out from hotel and transfer to Indira Gandhi International Airport.