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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Meena

Chennai (Madras), India

USD
$38-$65 per person

Chennai Market Tour & Cooking Class in a Local Home

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Meena

Meena hails from Tirunelveli, a city in South India famous for its delectable food. She learned to cook from her grandmother, mother and mother-in-law, who are all experts in cooking traditional South Indian dishes! Meena has enjoyed hosting friends and family at home and now is excited to welcome travelers and introduce them to authentic South Indian cuisine. She has been conducting cooking classes at home for locals, where she enjoys sharing her knowledge, recipes and culinary skills.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-8 guests) Meena lives in Alwarpet, just walking distance from hotels like Crowne Plaza and Raintree. During your home dining experience in Chennai, you can expect to taste an authentic vegetarian South Indian meal cooked using family recipes, local spices and seasonal vegetables. Your meal will be served the traditional way on banana leaves. A few dishes that you might try are kuzhambu (lentil curry), lemon or ginger or garlic rasam (spiced soup), kootu or avial or olan (vegetables cooked in a coconut gravy) and rice. End your meal with an Indian dessert such as payasam (milk pudding) or sakkara pongal (sweet made with jaggery and lentils) or kesari (South Indian dessert made with semolina) and filter coffee. After your meal if you're interested in learning to make a rangoli (art in which patterns are created on the floor using colored powder), please let Meena know she will be happy to teach you.

Cooking experience: (1-8 guests) In your 2-hour hands-on Chennai cooking class learn to make a curry, seasonal vegetable and desert. Start your experience with an introduction to spices used in South Indian cooking and then proceed to roast and grind fresh powders you will need to make the curry like sambar or rasam. Meena will share with you dishes and recipes she learned to cook from her grandmother, which has been passed down through generations. While you cook, she will also share stories, culinary traditions and tips and tricks to cook an authentic South Indian vegetarian meal. After cooking sit down to share the meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (1-8 guests) Meet Meena at her apartment before you leave for the Mylapore vegetable and fruit market, by rickshaw or taxi. The market in Mylapore is 2kms away, where they sell vegetables, fruits, flowers, traditional items for pooja (religious ceremony) and decorative items for the house. Walk around this busy, bustling, local market and visit Meena’s favorite shops. You might buy a few ingredients for your cooking class, before returning home to cook and eat.

Notes:
1. Meena offers a vegetarian meal.
2. In case you would like to eat South Indian breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, upma or pongal, please let Meena in advance while booking your Chennai cooking class online.

Languages spoken: English, Tamil

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Sambar ( vegetables & lentil curry)
  • Lemon or ginger or garlic rasam (spiced soup)
  • Kootu or avial or olan (vegetables cooked in a coconut gravy)
  • Rice
  • Payasam (milk pudding) or sakkara pongal (sweet made with jaggery and lentils) or kesari (South Indian dessert made with semolina)
  • Filter coffee

Traveler reviews

5.0 (25)
My boyfriend & I had a wonderful time with Meena! Getting to her location was easy, and her home was beyond cozy & hospitable! Getting to experience a part of a day in the life is what this tour was all about, and it did not disappoint! We shared stories, laughs, and then an amazingly tasteful (hard to believe because we’d made part of it) meal together. We were welcomed like friends and left just the same, so if you’re looking for a truly unique experience in Chennai then look no further.
- lauren March 09, 2026
My boyfriend & I had a wonderful time with Meena! Getting to her location was easy, and her home was beyond cozy & hospitable! Getting to experience a part of a day in the life is what this tour was all about, and it did not disappoint! We shared stories, laughs, and then an amazingly tasteful (hard to believe because we’d made part of it) meal together. We were welcomed like friends and left just the same, so if you’re looking for a truly unique experience in Chennai then look no further.
- lauren March 09, 2026
Meena welcomed me warmly and explained everything clearly, even though my English is not very good. I learned South Indian dishes like sambar, chutney, dosa, kootu, and poriyal. They were so nice. After cooking I enjoyed our conversations during the meal. I want to cook the dishes again at home. I’ll never forget the "kootu"
- cathy March 04, 2026
Meena doesn’t just create wonderful food, but a fantastic all-round cultural experience. She shows genuine interest in her guests and is quick to identify their interests. The food preparation was great fun and very educational and the trip to purchase ingredients was a constant source of information about food and culture. Meena readily shares her experience and expertise and was happy to answer all questions about local lifestyles. And the food she prepared was simply amazing. Flavour just bursting everywhere and she was so generous we could barely first the front door! If you are nervous about Indian food being too spicy, don’t miss this opportunity. Meena curates her flavours well to match the requirements of her guests. We couldn’t recommend this experience more highly and encourage anyone interested to make the most of the opportunity to meet Meena!
- nancy February 24, 2026
My cooking experience with Meena turned into a lifetime memory. Before I even arrived, she had already prepped some of the vegetables to save us time, which allowed me to truly focus on learning the spices, their nutritional value, and different cooking techniques for several dishes. I could immediately feel how thoughtfully she tailored everything to my learning goals. Not only is she a fabulous chef, she’s also a genuinely wonderful human being with such a beautiful, caring energy. She made sure I achieved exactly what I hoped for by the end of the class. I learned to make sambar, avial, brinjal curry, and dosa — and afterward she even texted me four chutney recipes I had requested. Meena was absolutely the highlight of my Chennai trip. I love her vibe so much and feel deeply grateful for this experience! 💛
- lily February 17, 2026
Read More

Meena

$38-$65 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $38 $38 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $52 $52 $45
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $65 $62 $62
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $38 $38 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $52 $52 $45
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $65 $62 $62
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-9:00pm

Meet Meena

Meena hails from Tirunelveli, a city in South India famous for its delectable food. She learned to cook from her grandmother, mother and mother-in-law, who are all experts in cooking traditional South Indian dishes! Meena has enjoyed hosting friends and family at home and now is excited to welcome travelers and introduce them to authentic South Indian cuisine. She has been conducting cooking classes at home for locals, where she enjoys sharing her knowledge, recipes and culinary skills.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-8 guests) Meena lives in Alwarpet, just walking distance from hotels like Crowne Plaza and Raintree. During your home dining experience in Chennai, you can expect to taste an authentic vegetarian South Indian meal cooked using family recipes, local spices and seasonal vegetables. Your meal will be served the traditional way on banana leaves. A few dishes that you might try are kuzhambu (lentil curry), lemon or ginger or garlic rasam (spiced soup), kootu or avial or olan (vegetables cooked in a coconut gravy) and rice. End your meal with an Indian dessert such as payasam (milk pudding) or sakkara pongal (sweet made with jaggery and lentils) or kesari (South Indian dessert made with semolina) and filter coffee. After your meal if you're interested in learning to make a rangoli (art in which patterns are created on the floor using colored powder), please let Meena know she will be happy to teach you.

Cooking experience: (1-8 guests) In your 2-hour hands-on Chennai cooking class learn to make a curry, seasonal vegetable and desert. Start your experience with an introduction to spices used in South Indian cooking and then proceed to roast and grind fresh powders you will need to make the curry like sambar or rasam. Meena will share with you dishes and recipes she learned to cook from her grandmother, which has been passed down through generations. While you cook, she will also share stories, culinary traditions and tips and tricks to cook an authentic South Indian vegetarian meal. After cooking sit down to share the meal you helped prepare.

Market visit: (1-8 guests) Meet Meena at her apartment before you leave for the Mylapore vegetable and fruit market, by rickshaw or taxi. The market in Mylapore is 2kms away, where they sell vegetables, fruits, flowers, traditional items for pooja (religious ceremony) and decorative items for the house. Walk around this busy, bustling, local market and visit Meena’s favorite shops. You might buy a few ingredients for your cooking class, before returning home to cook and eat.

Notes:
1. Meena offers a vegetarian meal.
2. In case you would like to eat South Indian breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, upma or pongal, please let Meena in advance while booking your Chennai cooking class online.

Languages spoken: English, Tamil

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Sambar ( vegetables & lentil curry)
  • Lemon or ginger or garlic rasam (spiced soup)
  • Kootu or avial or olan (vegetables cooked in a coconut gravy)
  • Rice
  • Payasam (milk pudding) or sakkara pongal (sweet made with jaggery and lentils) or kesari (South Indian dessert made with semolina)
  • Filter coffee

Traveler reviews

5.0 (25)
My boyfriend & I had a wonderful time with Meena! Getting to her location was easy, and her home was beyond cozy & hospitable! Getting to experience a part of a day in the life is what this tour was all about, and it did not disappoint! We shared stories, laughs, and then an amazingly tasteful (hard to believe because we’d made part of it) meal together. We were welcomed like friends and left just the same, so if you’re looking for a truly unique experience in Chennai then look no further.
- lauren March 09, 2026
My boyfriend & I had a wonderful time with Meena! Getting to her location was easy, and her home was beyond cozy & hospitable! Getting to experience a part of a day in the life is what this tour was all about, and it did not disappoint! We shared stories, laughs, and then an amazingly tasteful (hard to believe because we’d made part of it) meal together. We were welcomed like friends and left just the same, so if you’re looking for a truly unique experience in Chennai then look no further.
- lauren March 09, 2026
Meena welcomed me warmly and explained everything clearly, even though my English is not very good. I learned South Indian dishes like sambar, chutney, dosa, kootu, and poriyal. They were so nice. After cooking I enjoyed our conversations during the meal. I want to cook the dishes again at home. I’ll never forget the "kootu"
- cathy March 04, 2026
Meena doesn’t just create wonderful food, but a fantastic all-round cultural experience. She shows genuine interest in her guests and is quick to identify their interests. The food preparation was great fun and very educational and the trip to purchase ingredients was a constant source of information about food and culture. Meena readily shares her experience and expertise and was happy to answer all questions about local lifestyles. And the food she prepared was simply amazing. Flavour just bursting everywhere and she was so generous we could barely first the front door! If you are nervous about Indian food being too spicy, don’t miss this opportunity. Meena curates her flavours well to match the requirements of her guests. We couldn’t recommend this experience more highly and encourage anyone interested to make the most of the opportunity to meet Meena!
- nancy February 24, 2026
My cooking experience with Meena turned into a lifetime memory. Before I even arrived, she had already prepped some of the vegetables to save us time, which allowed me to truly focus on learning the spices, their nutritional value, and different cooking techniques for several dishes. I could immediately feel how thoughtfully she tailored everything to my learning goals. Not only is she a fabulous chef, she’s also a genuinely wonderful human being with such a beautiful, caring energy. She made sure I achieved exactly what I hoped for by the end of the class. I learned to make sambar, avial, brinjal curry, and dosa — and afterward she even texted me four chutney recipes I had requested. Meena was absolutely the highlight of my Chennai trip. I love her vibe so much and feel deeply grateful for this experience! 💛
- lily February 17, 2026
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $38 $38 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $52 $52 $45
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $65 $62 $62
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $38 $38 $38
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $52 $52 $45
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $65 $62 $62
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-9:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 4% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can't make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host's profile doesn't work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host's family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the "Notes" section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.