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Host: Uma

Chennai (Madras), India

USD
$32-$70 per person

South Indian vegetarian cuisine near the Chennai airport

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

Meet Uma

Uma is a South Indian vegetarian who has honed her culinary skills cooking for her extended Indian family for nearly three decades. An expert cook, she says she can convert any diehard non-vegetarian into a vegetable lover. ​Uma lives in the Guindy neighborhood of Chennai, about a 15-min drive from the Chennai airport as you head into the city. Her home is also close to the ITC Grand Chola, Ramada Plaza and Park Hyatt hotels. This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and explore traditional culture and cuisine either when you arrive into Chennai or on your way out!

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: (1-4 guests) This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy traditional South Indian cuisine with a creative twist made by a local who lives close to the airport. Uma prepares a delightful array of vegetarian festival foods to give you an insight into Tamilian cuisine and culture. Learn about the symbolism of kolam (rice flour drawings that most Tamilian households have) and about traditional utensils and musical instruments. Join Uma at her dining table to enjoy a vegetarian menu that may include tangerine rasam (a tangy, refreshing broth made with tomatoes, pepper and citrus), beetroot vada (deep fried beetroot and multigrain dumplings), vegetable poriyal (stir-fried vegetables with coconut) and sundal (an absolutely delicious green pea and chickpea salad garnished with coconut and raw mango) accompanied by rice and pickles. Your meal concludes with dessert. Uma serves her food on bio degradable, eco-friendly palm leaf pressed plates. Occasionally, Uma's friend Mala may join you at the table.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Learn to cook in Uma's kitchen South Indian vegetarian dishes with a creative touch. Start your experience with a visit to her terrace garden where you might pick a few seasonal vegetables or herbs to use in your cooking experience. During your 1.5 hour cooking experience learn to cook 3 dishes. Share the meal you helped prepare at Uma's dining table over conversation about life in South India. Uma includes a variety of healthy and flavorful vegetables in her food in a unique way that you don't typically find elsewhere.

Languages spoken: English

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.
  • Welcome drink
  • Beetroot vada
  • Vegetable poriyal
  • Sundal
  • Rasam and rice
  • Dessert
  • South Indian coffee

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
An excellent event with nice food. Uma and her friend Mali (spelling?) were excellent hosts and their English was excellent - so we were able to have interesting and detailed discussions on a variety of subjects. The house can be difficult to find, so you or your driver will need a mobile phone to navigate the last 100 metres or so. Read more about Private South Indian Vegetarian Dining with a Local Near the Chennai Airport 2020 - https://www.viator.com/tours/Chennai/South-Indian-Vegetarian-home-cooked-meal-with-a-local-near-the-Chennai-airport/d4624-7626P493?mcid=56757
- Bernard December 20, 2019
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Uma

$32-$70 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+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $38 $32 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $70 $58 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $38 $32 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $70 $58 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 11:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-7:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 9:00am-12:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Uma

Uma is a South Indian vegetarian who has honed her culinary skills cooking for her extended Indian family for nearly three decades. An expert cook, she says she can convert any diehard non-vegetarian into a vegetable lover. ​Uma lives in the Guindy neighborhood of Chennai, about a 15-min drive from the Chennai airport as you head into the city. Her home is also close to the ITC Grand Chola, Ramada Plaza and Park Hyatt hotels. This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and explore traditional culture and cuisine either when you arrive into Chennai or on your way out!

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: (1-4 guests) This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy traditional South Indian cuisine with a creative twist made by a local who lives close to the airport. Uma prepares a delightful array of vegetarian festival foods to give you an insight into Tamilian cuisine and culture. Learn about the symbolism of kolam (rice flour drawings that most Tamilian households have) and about traditional utensils and musical instruments. Join Uma at her dining table to enjoy a vegetarian menu that may include tangerine rasam (a tangy, refreshing broth made with tomatoes, pepper and citrus), beetroot vada (deep fried beetroot and multigrain dumplings), vegetable poriyal (stir-fried vegetables with coconut) and sundal (an absolutely delicious green pea and chickpea salad garnished with coconut and raw mango) accompanied by rice and pickles. Your meal concludes with dessert. Uma serves her food on bio degradable, eco-friendly palm leaf pressed plates. Occasionally, Uma's friend Mala may join you at the table.

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) Learn to cook in Uma's kitchen South Indian vegetarian dishes with a creative touch. Start your experience with a visit to her terrace garden where you might pick a few seasonal vegetables or herbs to use in your cooking experience. During your 1.5 hour cooking experience learn to cook 3 dishes. Share the meal you helped prepare at Uma's dining table over conversation about life in South India. Uma includes a variety of healthy and flavorful vegetables in her food in a unique way that you don't typically find elsewhere.

Languages spoken: English

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.
  • Welcome drink
  • Beetroot vada
  • Vegetable poriyal
  • Sundal
  • Rasam and rice
  • Dessert
  • South Indian coffee

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
An excellent event with nice food. Uma and her friend Mali (spelling?) were excellent hosts and their English was excellent - so we were able to have interesting and detailed discussions on a variety of subjects. The house can be difficult to find, so you or your driver will need a mobile phone to navigate the last 100 metres or so. Read more about Private South Indian Vegetarian Dining with a Local Near the Chennai Airport 2020 - https://www.viator.com/tours/Chennai/South-Indian-Vegetarian-home-cooked-meal-with-a-local-near-the-Chennai-airport/d4624-7626P493?mcid=56757
- Bernard December 20, 2019
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $38 $32 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $70 $58 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $38 $32 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $70 $58 Not offered
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 11:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-7:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 9:00am-12:00pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
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 3% 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.