Private Market Tour & Cooking Class In Shalini’s Jaipur Home

This is one experience you don't want to pass up when in Jaipur. Shalini was warm and welcoming and gives you the true rajasthani welcome. She's knowledgeable and explains in detail the various ingredients and spices in the market, and walks you through step by step on the recipes. The best part though is her family who joined for dinner. Since I've been solo traveling, it was so refreshing to be in someone home and talking about anything and everything. Highly recommend this experience if you have the chance.

We absolutely loved the wonderful time we spent with Shalini and her lovely family. ❤️ The experience was so much more than just a cooking class. Shalini first took us to the local market, where she introduced us to all the essential ingredients and shared her knowledge and passion with us. We then went back home to learn how to prepare delicious, authentic dishes together, before finally sitting down to enjoy the meal we had made. Everything felt so warm, genuine and welcoming. Sharing this special moment with Shalini and her family gave us a beautiful glimpse into local life and allowed us to experience a truly authentic evening. A wonderful experience, full of delicious food, laughter, warmth and beautiful memories. We highly recommend spending an evening with Shalini and her family — it was simply fantastic! ❤️

We went shopping for vegetables and found ourselves peeling, cutting and chopping ingredients in preparation for the cooking. We made masala chai tea, pakoras, bitter gourd, okra, eggplant, lentils, and potato masala bread. We learned about Indian cooking secrets and met Shalini's endearing family. It was a great experience overall. Many thanks, Shalini.

What a treat to be guided through some markets and then welcomed into the home of such a warm, lovely woman. I felt like an honored guest—put to work just a bit peeling, chopping, spicing, and stirring, but mostly enjoyed the ambiance and aromas and discussions about food and life in Jaipur. The teens were there to talk cricket and school and a little politics. I learned how to make three different kinds of naan and three different vegetarian dishes, all of which were delicious.

Shallinis cooking experience was excellent from start to finish. My wife is a vegetarian chef and thoroughly enjoyed cooking with Shallini and spending time with her lovely family, and learning new techniques. We visited local markets where we went through the herbs and spices we would use, purchased vegetables and then back to her lovely spotlessly clean home to prepare and cook. We then were invited to join her family for an evening meal. Certainly a highlight of our trip to India.

We had an excellent time with Shalini visiting local shops and then returning to her home to cook. Shalini was a patient and generous teacher, teaching us not just the recipes, but how the recipes are structured. Lunch of the cooked meal with her family was a bonus.

Shalini was delightful. She provided so much information about the food and taught us in a very gentle manner. The food was fantastic and her family were lovely and welcoming too. I would definetly recommend this. Fabulous experience.

Amazing experience and we loved every minute. Shopping for local ingredients, then expert tuition and delicious food! Such a special time and to meet Shalini’s family. Thank you!

Shalini was the perfect host! She showed us around the market and explained all the jet ingredients in Rajasthani cooking then we chose fresh vegetables and went back to her lovely home. We had tea and breakfast snacks then made a thali feast! It was informative, relaxing and delicious! A really memorable and special experience. Thanks Shalini! X

Shalini was the perfect host! She showed us around the market and explained all the jet ingredients in Rajasthani cooking then we chose fresh vegetables and went back to her lovely home. We had tea and breakfast snacks then made a thali feast! It was informative, relaxing and delicious! A really memorable and special experience. Thanks Shalini! X

what better way to learn about a culture than through its food? do yourselves a favor and BOOK THIS experience! this is not at a local school, nor at some non-descript venue. this is a cooking lesson, a cultural lesson, and a tasting lesson at a private home. as a guest, you get to experience an at-home (a real home! a real kitchen!) lesson on the local cuisine, culture, and history. Shalini and family have opened their doors to welcome in travelers in order to share their lives and share themselves. this was honestly one of our highlights of our recent Indian holiday. many thanks to Shalini and her family for making us feel SO at home, and for teaching us a few new tricks in the kitchen.

This was a really lovely way to experience some genuine Indian culture away from the tourist traps. Shalini and her family were lovely, welcoming and it was wonderful to freely chat to her about life and the differences and similarities in our cultures. The food was delicious and explained in an easy to follow format from picking the groceries at the local corner store to preparing and cooking. This was a really experience that I recommend if you are solo travelling as it felt safe.

Shalini was the most delightful host, her family were lovely, they were welcoming and friendly. We had an excellent cooking class and a delightful meal with all the family in their beautiful home. Shalini is an amazing cook and explains very well the cooking, while including lots of participation. It’s a fabulous way to spend a few hours in Jaipur. I highly recommend!

What an incredible experience! This was so wonderful. Shalini is a lovely person who takes you shopping at the places in her neighborhood where she personally shops, then she brings you in to their multigenerational home where she cooks (and you assist) you lunch. Then you dine with Shalini, her 2 friendly sons and mother in law. The vegetarian food is excellent, but the best part of this experience is the view into the home and every day life in India. Such a unique perspective! HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Great experience! Thank you Shalini to learn us so much about Indian cooking and culture! Hope I can cook as good at home :)

What an authentic, amazing tour! Shalini is a wonderful host. First we went to the markets where she regularly shops for all their food. She talked about all of the ingredients she uses and answered all of our questions about food items that we were unfamiliar with. Then she took us to her home and together (but honestly, mostly Shalini) we cooked lunch together. The most enjoyable part of the experience was chatting about life with Shalini, her 2 very friendly sons, and mother-in-law. The vegetarian lunch was very good. It was just so special to share a meal with their family. She was also kind enough to give us a tour of her home. This was an incredible experience that we will cherish for a long time to come. Thank you, Shalini. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

We had an amazing time with Shalini! She welcomed us with chai and snacks, showed us how to make different types of Indian breads and many other dishes, and the best thing was chatting about our cultures all along. It was also fun to have dinner with Shalini's family and talking with her kids. This experience was definitely a highlight of our trip to India and we strongly recommend it to get in touch with local culture. If you book with Shalini you will get the best host!

Thank you for the very special time! We really enjoyed meeting you and your lovely family, and of course the food and cooking. We will certainly recommend you to friends travelling to Jaipur!

Shalini was kind enough to accommodate my menu requests.It was also a heartwarming time talking with her children.It was a memorable time!

Wonderful time! We learned a lot about local spices and produce, many cooking techniques to practice at home, and had a delightful family dinner. Shalini was fantastic.

I recently attended a cooking class that was an absolute delight from start to finish. We began with a fun trip to the market, learning how to pick the freshest ingredients, which made the experience feel authentic and immersive. Back in the kitchen, the atmosphere was warm and lively as we prepared several dishes under the guidance of a fantastic instructor. There was plenty of talking, laughing, and sharing stories as we cooked, making it feel like a gathering of friends rather than a formal class. The highlight was sitting down together to enjoy the delicious meal we had created—it tasted even better knowing the effort we’d put in. This class wasn’t just about cooking; it was about connecting and having fun. I left with new skills, great recipes, and wonderful memories. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a joyful culinary experience!

I recently attended a cooking class that was an absolute delight from start to finish. We began with a fun trip to the market, learning how to pick the freshest ingredients, which made the experience feel authentic and immersive. Back in the kitchen, the atmosphere was warm and lively as we prepared several dishes under the guidance Shalini. There was plenty of talking, laughing, and sharing stories as we cooked, making it feel like a gathering of friends rather than a formal class. The highlight was sitting down together to enjoy the delicious meal we had created—it tasted even better knowing the effort we’d put in. This class wasn’t just about cooking; it was about connecting and having fun. I left with new skills, great recipes, and wonderful memories. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a joyful culinary experience!

This was one of the best experiences we have had among our global travels. Shalini is fantastic, shes an amazing cook and gives you lots of informative information about indian cooking and about life in india generally. she has a beautiful home and a very nice family. The food was as good as anything ive eaten and the whole experience is just fantastic. i couldnt recommend this experience enough. It is absolutely fantastic an a great way to spend an afternoon!

Amazing experience! Would definitely recommend. Shalini and family were very welcoming and informative. Thank you for a lovely evening!

If you love Indian food and want to have an authentic and great night with an Indian family - please book a cooking class with Shalini. She’s a lovely warmharted person and she made us feel like a part of her family for the night. First she took us to the market for a tour and told us all about Indian ingrediënts and spices. Then she made us snacks and chai and after we cooked lots of authentic veg recipes. Her mother in law helped us out and we really learned so much about the indian cuisine. We cant wait to try the recipes at home! ❤️

This was a highlight of our trip to Jaipur. Shalini was a wonderful guide around the local shopping areas. And then welcomed us in to her house to learn how to cook some wonderful vegetarian food. We sat and enjoyed dinner with the whole family. Just delightful!

We had a great experience cooking with Shalini! We first went to nice shops and Shalini explained a lot of Indian ingredients and spices. Then we chose the vegs that we wanted to cook together and went to her house, a welcoming Indian home. We felt very comfortable and at ease with her and we had a lot of fun! Shalini explained everything in details and offered to help us later when we’ll attempt the recipes back home. Super recommended!

We had a great time with Shalini, when we arrived at her home she showed us how to make a delicious local tea, we then went shopping for food in some of the local shops that she and her family visit. We then spent time preparing and cooking a lovely meal, Shalini is obviously an excellent chef and was very informative. We then sat down with her and her family to eat all the food we had made together. We had a lovely time and Shalini was so friendly. We felt totally at ease with her.

When you only have a few days in a city it’s hard to actually get an experience that gives you a glimpse into the lives of locals. Doing the cooking class with Shalini and her family was an experience that allowed for that. If you want to learn how to cool Indian cuisine that is the focus. If you want to experience a little of life in India that happened as well. Also the food was awazing, some of the best eggplant I’ve ever had. Shalini and her family were happy to have us in their home and we felt comfortable and welcomed the whole time.

Shalini’s home cooking experience was a real highlight of our 10-day trip in India. Shalini is so warm and welcoming, as is her family. Communication was easy and efficient and Shalini answered any questions we had in a timely manner. She also accommodated a gluten allergy that one member of our group has. Her energy and teaching made the entire experience so fun. After the meal was prepared it was nice to sit and share a meal together with her, their eldest son and husband and talk about each others daily life, share stories and ask questions. While sharing a meal could feel a bit forced or awkward in some situations, with Shalini and her family it was a special addition to a wonderful experience. Thanks, Shalini, for an unforgettable evening.

This is the best cooking class I’ve ever taken is so special to be in somebody’s home and learn so much about local culture. It was very nice to pick out our own vegetables and learn about the different spices. I would strongly urge anybody to do this, while they are in Jaipur.

The host is so warm, friendly and inviting. You get a real Indian family evening with her husband, children and mother in law. It’s typical Indian food- nothing special, but you learn how they make food. Highly recommend.

We had a wonderful time with Shalini and her family! Shalini greeted us with fresh chai and vegetable pakora, and then we walked to the market to pick up vegetables for dinner. She showed us how to make mutter paneer, dal fry, bhindi masala, and chapati, and everything was delicious. We had dinner with her sweet family, and they made us feel like part of the family. This was a beautiful experience and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants a truly authentic Indian family experience!

Shalini was an incredible host - we learned so much about Indian cooking and experienced a slice of life in Jaipur. She and her husband took us to her local market where we learned about different grains and spices and then visited a vegetable market where we picked out veggies for our dinner. She showed us how she makes masala chai and we enjoyed meeting her family. Dinner was incredible with so many delicious flavors. Thank you for an amazing evening Shalini ❤️

We had an excellent, memorable experience cooking with Shalini in her family’s home. Shalini is great at explaining the ingredients and steps in Indian cooking, and made us feel completely at home. It was very special to have dinner with the whole family in their home, and we learned a lot!

Shalini and her family gave us an amazing experience and welcomed us to her family. It was amazing to live there lives for an evening and learn how to cook simple delicious dishes! We are looking forward to going home to try and replicate them. Thank you to all your family. Vicki, Richard, Katie and Martyn xx

If you plan to visit Jaipur, be sure to book this experience in advance. It is an amazing cultural opportunity to visit a genuinely beautiful family and learn how to cook some amazing authentic Indian food. Don’t worry if you’re not a great cook because Mother Shalini is a wonderfully patient and expert teacher. We are two men who don’t usually cook and with the guidance from Mother Shalini, we cooked some good food that the whole family enjoyed. As we are not spicy food fans, Mother Shalini spiced the food to accommodate our taste which was very kind of her. We cooked Dahl, various vegetables dishes and we learned how to make chapatis and parathas. The whole experience was fantastic and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone. Thank you Mother Shalini and family for allowing us to come to your home and share an experience we will never forget. Wishing you all success for the future.

We would highly recommend Shalini’s cooking class. She showed us around her local grocery store and vegetable market, invited us to select vegetables new to us to prepare, and walked us through the spices and techniques she uses to create an amazing meal. We equally enjoyed the wonderful conversation with her family in her home where she hosted the lesson. It was a great way to learn about daily life in Jaipur.

My bf and I had the best time walking around the local stores with Shalini, learning more about typical daily life in India and the cooking that goes along with it. We loved the food we ate at the end of the night along with Shalini and her family, overall it was a great experience that enriched our travels!

This was an incredible experience! We're crazy about cooking and indian food especially but we've never been able to cook anything like this until now. It's something completely different to learn from a local who's been cooking their whole life as opposed to reading recipes on the internet. Shalini is the most kind and warm host you could ever meet, she took us around the markets where we were able to buy loads of delicious spices to take home, and we got to choose some amazing veg to cook. She's a great instructor, really clear and patient, and we gained some cooking skills that we now get to practise at home!

The Taj Mahal was lovely but the real gem of India is Shalini and her family. I was traveling alone and I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet her, her husband, her wonderful sons, and her in-laws. We had a nice time walking through the market and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to help prepare and cook dinner. It was a beautiful evening in a beautiful city.

Our cooking evening with Shalini has been our BEST experience in India so far! It is so much more than just food. We shared such a memorable time with Shalini and her incredible family (two sons, husband, mother in law and father in law). The dinner we prepared was absolutely delicious and so different to the bland Indian food you often find in the UK. I can’t recommend this experience enough! You will not want to miss out on this. It was fantastic to have been able to prepare each item on the menu by hand and then have the excitement of eating it after. Shalini patiently helps you along the cooking process, with expert tips too from her mother in law! What a wonderful evening.

We loved our evening with Shalini and her family. Our neighborhood shopping trip was enlightening-who knew there was a department store behind those modest doors? Her husband was engaging, the boys delightful and the prep partnership with her mother was endearing. My husband was a reluctant participant and he enjoyed the evening as much as I did. The cooking experience was well organized. I still marvel at the process of four people preparing a multi course meal in a small kitchen with no oven and only two burners. But Shalini managed it with grace and ease! The food was delicious. She even accommodated my request for no hot spices. The evening exceeded our expectations. I highly recommend.

Shalini is amazing!! We arrived and sat down to be introduced to her family. Then out to the market to pick what we needed to cook. Cooking with Shalini is tough.... she made me work hard.... like Cinderella (i’m only joking) and the food was the tastiest ever....the ice cold water was needed :-) One of the highlights in our 3 week travels across India and i’ve kept in touch with Shalini since returning home :-)

The great thing about cooking with Shalini was not only the market tour, working in her large spacious kitchen, learning how create an authentic home cooked Indian meal, talking with her family BUT the follow-up text that included "how to" instructions for replicating all of the delicious foods we prepared together. Jaipur is a fascinating city, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Shalini and her family in Incredible India. Namaste !

This was one of our favorite memories while visiting India. Shalini and her family welcomed us into their home. We toured her neighborhood to a market, and a fresh vegetable stand. She designed our meal around the vegetables we chose. We all ( 5 of us) took turns preparing our dinner in her kitchen, under her guidance. What a great teacher, wonderful family, and great food. I highly recommend this evening Thank you

Shalini is a beautiful soul and was so caring and delightful to us. Helped in the kitchen and we really enjoyed the supermarket tour and the selection of vegetables from the local vegie shop. we got to choose which vegies we would like to cook. She makes it very comfortable and we also enjoyed her mother-in-law who is also a major cook in the kitchen, and loved showing us some of her photos. Wonderful to meet her normal family and share an idea how a typical Indain family lives and cooks? Thank you Shalini we would definitly recommend to all our friends and if we make it back will come again?

Two of us had a great evening cooking with Shalini and her mother-in-law and then sharing a meal with her family. The food was simple, but super tasty! This cooking class is a great way to experience India from inside. Highly recommended!

The cooking class was incredible. Shalini and her family were amazing hosts and teachers with a lot of patience with our lack of cooking skills. The food we made was delicious and the company even better. This was one of the highlights of our whole stay in India and we couldn't recommend Shalini more for this experience