Meet
Sundari
Sundari is a warm and cheerful host whose easy laugh will instantly make you feel at home in her beautifully converted in-laws’ house in Chennai, surrounded by fruit trees and decorated with traditional art and décor. Sundari has been cooking since the age of eight, even preparing meals on her own coal stove while her mother cooked for the family. Today, she delights in sharing her South Indian culinary traditions and culture with guests through authentic home cooking experiences.
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)
Enjoy a traditional South Indian vegetarian meal in Chennai, served the local way and eaten with your hands from stainless steel plates or fresh banana leaves (when seasonally available). The dishes highlight classic South Indian flavors such as mustard seeds, chilies, coconut, and tangy tamarind, along with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Your meal may include authentic Tamil vegetarian dishes such as rasam (a peppery lentil soup flavored with lemon, tomato, or tamarind), sambar (a lentil and tamarind vegetable stew), kuzhambu (a tangy and spicy curry often made with sun-dried vegetables), kootu (a comforting dish of vegetables, lentils, and coconut), vegetable curries, rice, raita, and appalams (pappadams), served alongside a variety of traditional Indian condiments and snacks.
Your meal concludes with a cup of South Indian filter coffee, a beloved local specialty made by blending frothy boiled milk with strong coffee decoction brewed in a traditional metal filter.
Cooking experience:
(1-8 guests)
Begin your experience with a warm welcome and a short tour of Sundari’s home in Chennai. She will introduce you to the South Indian vegetarian dishes you will prepare during your hands-on cooking class.
Then join Sundari in her kitchen to learn how to cook a traditional South Indian vegetarian meal using authentic ingredients and techniques. During this Chennai cooking class, you will prepare 3 dishes that are part of a typical Tamil Brahmin meal. After cooking, sit down together and enjoy the dishes you prepared, eating the local way with your hands from stainless steel plates or fresh banana leaves.
Your menu may include classic Tamil vegetarian dishes such as rasam (a tangy peppery broth), sambar (a lentil and tamarind vegetable stew), seasonal vegetable curries, rice, raita, condiments, and traditional snacks.
Alternatively, you may request to learn how to prepare a South Indian brunch featuring dosas, idlis, and vadas, served with a variety of fresh chutneys. Sundari also offers traditional Chettinad, Kerala, and Karnataka cuisine, giving guests the opportunity to explore a variety of South Indian regional flavors. Please include your preference if you would like to try one of these cuisines instead.
Market visit:
(1-8 guests)
After your cooking class and meal, take a short walk with Sundari to the nearby Sastri Nagar neighborhood supermarket in Chennai, where she regularly shops for ingredients. During this guided market visit, Sundari will introduce you to a variety of South Indian spices, fresh produce, lentils, and pantry staples commonly used in local cooking. As you explore the aisles together, she will explain how these ingredients are used in traditional South Indian dishes and share tips on selecting and storing them. Sundari can also help you purchase authentic South Indian spices or ingredients to take home.
Please note: This experience includes a visit to a neighborhood supermarket rather than an open market. Due to traffic and the busy nature of roadside vendors in Chennai, the supermarket offers a more comfortable and practical way to explore local ingredients and learn about everyday South Indian cooking.
Notes:
1. Sundari serves only vegetarian food, as she is a Tamil Brahmin who follows a vegetarian diet.
2. If you join Sundari for dinner or on the weekend, her husband Krishna will also join. He is a foodie who enjoys meeting new people.
3. Sundari can also offer the market tour and cooking class starting at 12:30 pm and is happy to be flexible with timing when possible.
Languages spoken:
English
Sample menu
Traveler reviews
Sundari’s cooking session in her home was wonderful - we reached out directly, and she was very accommodating, providing helpful and clear instructions on how to get there and what to expect.
When we arrived, Sundari gave everyone a lovely welcome into her home and introduced herself, before taking us through to the kitchen.
Sundari has such a genuine and warm personality — her love for cooking truly shines through, and the meals we made were absolutely delicious. It took about 2 1/2 hours for the 3 dishes we made (including eating time), and it didn’t feel hurried or rushed. You can elect to make more courses, but we were on a tighter timeframe.
Sundari was clear throughout, and was happy to answer any questions, and also provided very clear written recipe instructions to take home, so we could recreate our dishes another time.
A wonderful and authentic experience, with a wonderful host, with delicious food at the end. What more could you want? Thank you Sundari!
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james
October 06, 2026
If you are on the fence about booking this class, just do it. From the moment you step in, Sundari welcomes you with so much warmth, kindness, and genuine hospitality that it feels less like a formal class and more like cooking in the kitchen of a dear friend.
What makes this experience truly special is how personalized it is. Being able to choose the dishes means you actually learn to make the exact flavors you love—whether you prefer rich, comforting curries, fresh regional specialties, or crisp breads. Sundari's instruction is hands-on, clear, and paced so well that even a complete beginner feels confident.
Beyond just the recipes, the real magic is in the storytelling and tradition. Sundari didn't just teach us how to mix spices or time a tadka (tempering); she shared the history, regional roots, and cultural stories behind every ingredient. You walk away understanding why things are done a certain way, not just blindly following steps.
To top it all off, sitting down at the end to feast on everything we created together was unforgettable. And leaving with a full, detailed set of recipes means the magic doesn't end when the class does—I have already recreated the dishes at home, and my kitchen smells just like the real deal.
Thank you, Sundari, for an incredible, soulful, and delicious experience. I cannot recommend this enough!
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daniela
October 02, 2026
We had such a wonderful cooking class with Sundari in Chennai! She was incredibly kind, welcoming, and such a great teacher. She was especially wonderful with my 9-year-old and made the whole experience so much fun. And the food was SOOOO delicious!! 😍
My favourite part was her making me feel at home and having nice conversations amongst the cooking🥰
I highly recommend Sundari to anyone looking for an authentic and memorable cooking experience in Chennai. We can’t wait to learn more from her in the future! ❤️
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jessica
August 16, 2026
I had such a wonderful time with Sundari! The traditional dishes she taught me were absolutely delicious, and I learned so much throughout the experience.
Sundari is a warm, charming, and caring person who went above and beyond to make sure I had a great time, even outside of the cooking lesson. If you’re looking for the best places to buy spices or other local products, just ask her—she’ll happily point you in the right direction.
Having traveled to many countries, she brings a unique perspective and a wealth of life experience that truly enrich her cooking and teaching.
Although Chennai is a long flight from Japan, I’d definitely come back to learn more of her amazing recipes. Thank you so much for such a memorable experience!
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Philip
July 21, 2026
I had such a wonderful time with Sundari! The traditional dishes she taught me were absolutely delicious, and I learned so much throughout the experience.
Sundari is a warm, charming, and caring person who went above and beyond to make sure I had a great time, even outside of the cooking lesson. If you’re looking for the best places to buy spices or other local products, just ask her—she’ll happily point you in the right direction.
Having traveled to many countries, she brings a unique perspective and a wealth of life experience that truly enrich her cooking and teaching.
Although Chennai is a long flight from Japan, I’d definitely come back to learn more of her amazing recipes. Thank you so much for such a memorable experience!
-
pekang
July 19, 2026
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