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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Rita

Goa, India

USD
$75-$100 per person

Traditional Goan cuisine in Dabolim

Host offerings
  • Cooking studio
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Rita

Rita, who learned to cook from books and classes, became so well-known for her Goan cooking that she has been mentioned in cookbooks such as John Gregory Smith's “Mighty Spice Express” and was featured in Fox Traveller's “Twist of Taste.” She lives in a lovely home located very close to the Goa airport. She has a beautiful outdoor space and garden that houses a studio kitchen where she teaches cooking classes.

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.

Cooking experience: (2-20 guests) Your experience starts with a welcome beverage and snack, as you learn to prepare masala chai with spices and herbs. Before you start your cooking class, Rita will give you a brief introduction to an array of spices and herbs used in Indian cuisine. During the cooking class you will learn to cook 2-3 traditional Goan dishes in Rita's colorful outdoor kitchen studio. Followed by your meal together where you will sit down to enjoy the dishes you helped prepare. Your meal might start with rissois de camarao (prawn puffs), followed by vindalo or xacuti (Goan curry), cabbage foogath (cabbage stir fry) and caldin (prawn curry with coconut milk) or khatkhatem (mixed vegetable stew). For dessert you may enjoy bolo mimosa (coconut pie) or manganem (a traditional sweet dessert made with coconut milk).

Market visit: (2-20 guests) You will visit a local market with Rita and discover local and regional Goan produce before returning home for your traditional Goan cooking class.

Notes: Rita lives a few minutes away from the Goa airport – an experience with her would make for a great stop on your way in or out of Goa. Please note that Rita does not offer meals alone unless they are accompanied by either a cooking class or market tour or both.

Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Portuguese

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.
  • Rissois de Camarao (Prawn Puffs)
  • Chicken Vindalo or Xacuti
  • Prawn and Cauliflower Caldin
  • Cabbage Foogath

Traveler reviews

5.0 (8)
I highly recommend this excursion. Everything was very organized. The food was delicious. Rita is very talented. You won’t regret signing up for this class.
- CIndy_S January 21, 2024
Rita was a gracious cooking class host and taught my mum and I how to cook various local Goan dishes. Rita had a lovely area set up that we cooked in where she explained the dishes we were making as well as the food and spices we were cooking with. She gave us some Indian snacks to begin with to have with the masala chai we made, but don’t make the mistake of eating too much of these otherwise you will not be able to eat the other amazing food you will get to make! I highly recommend Rita’s cooking classes to everyone who comes to Goa. It’s a lovely way to understand how Goan food is made and an insight into how to make it.
- maggie March 07, 2023
Wonderful experience, do this while you’re in Goa! My mom and I took Rita’s class and it was the highlight of our entire trip, she is a wealth of knowledge about cooking and about Goa. She very generously answered our many questions about Indian culture and cuisine. The market tour was very interesting, a lovely market. She helped us navigate the market and taught us all about the produce offered. I definitely would not have gone to a market alone but with Rita it was a breeze! Once we got back to her impressive, clean, and efficient kitchen, she kept us busy with cooking and explaining things. The reward of a tasty meal after our hard work was wonderful!
- meredith January 18, 2023
Rita and Mukund are wonderful hosts, very kind, patient and informative. They welcomed us with a homemade chai tea which I will be making upon my return home. We had an incredible day with breakfast, a market visit and lunch which we all made together. Highly recommended for visitors to Goa to experience the food and warmth of the Goan people!
- 640Michael December 18, 2022
We watched the chef and Amol cook 4 dishes and then we ate them on the lovely terrace. Very good food and a lovely environment
- guygilpi January 08, 2020
We had lots of insight information, cool cooking tips from local and interesting chat of cultures and spices mix! Rita has created unforgettable time for us in her colorful study. It makes her stand out in terms of professional approach ( we had certificates handed to us afterwards, take-away package with recepies and class menus, and even nice aprons packed in convenient bag!) The market tour with selection of ingredients is a must addition to the fuller immersion into Goan heritage. I highly recommend Rita's class to anyone who seeks fun, vibrant conversation floating with aromas delicious meal!
- coliuke123 December 02, 2019
During our stay in Goa, my wife and I travelled to Dabolim to spend a day learning the secrets of Goan culinary craftsmanship with Rita. On arrival we were served Masala Chai and Cinnamon black coffee and also prepared some ourselves- which was a great way to start!We then enjoyed a delicious breakfast of traditional Dosa and Sambal before we were taken to a local market to source our fresh ingredients with Pajoo, who was an insightful guide!On return we ripped into the cooking of 5 Goan and Indian dishes under the tutelage of Rita and with 1:1 mentoring from either Suwarna or Pajoo, who were excellent assistants!The cooking process was relaxed, fun yet structured in a way that encourages full involvement and engagement from participants.After we had prepared the food we enjoyed the fruits of our labours in the form of 5 tantalising dishes and some choice cold beverages from our host.Rita’s Gourmet is a must for any food-loving traveller who ventures to the South of India. It was a great experience and we recommend it to everyone!
- Venture749667 October 10, 2018
One of the highlights in Goa, because of a taxi-strike Rita did shedule to another day , thank you for this flexibility . A verry funny visit to the local veg and fishmarket, good time while following the cooklesson, more then demonstrating, fully participating is encouraged. All questions about spices and recipies were enthousiastic answered with much colour.. a happy experience. Thank you. Nice pictures were taken by the staff troo , we have a good mermory now , and a cooklesson certificate and the cook cap and short were given present . Together with the other guests we had amusing time, much fun and same time serious cooking, family lunch, great . Henry George & Jef
- Jef V February 18, 2018
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Rita

$75-$100 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
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $75
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $100 $86
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $75
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $100 $86
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 9:30am-1:30pm 4:30pm-8:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:30am-2:30pm

Meet Rita

Rita, who learned to cook from books and classes, became so well-known for her Goan cooking that she has been mentioned in cookbooks such as John Gregory Smith's “Mighty Spice Express” and was featured in Fox Traveller's “Twist of Taste.” She lives in a lovely home located very close to the Goa airport. She has a beautiful outdoor space and garden that houses a studio kitchen where she teaches cooking classes.

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.

Cooking experience: (2-20 guests) Your experience starts with a welcome beverage and snack, as you learn to prepare masala chai with spices and herbs. Before you start your cooking class, Rita will give you a brief introduction to an array of spices and herbs used in Indian cuisine. During the cooking class you will learn to cook 2-3 traditional Goan dishes in Rita's colorful outdoor kitchen studio. Followed by your meal together where you will sit down to enjoy the dishes you helped prepare. Your meal might start with rissois de camarao (prawn puffs), followed by vindalo or xacuti (Goan curry), cabbage foogath (cabbage stir fry) and caldin (prawn curry with coconut milk) or khatkhatem (mixed vegetable stew). For dessert you may enjoy bolo mimosa (coconut pie) or manganem (a traditional sweet dessert made with coconut milk).

Market visit: (2-20 guests) You will visit a local market with Rita and discover local and regional Goan produce before returning home for your traditional Goan cooking class.

Notes: Rita lives a few minutes away from the Goa airport – an experience with her would make for a great stop on your way in or out of Goa. Please note that Rita does not offer meals alone unless they are accompanied by either a cooking class or market tour or both.

Languages spoken: English, Hindi, Portuguese

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.
  • Rissois de Camarao (Prawn Puffs)
  • Chicken Vindalo or Xacuti
  • Prawn and Cauliflower Caldin
  • Cabbage Foogath

Traveler reviews

5.0 (8)
I highly recommend this excursion. Everything was very organized. The food was delicious. Rita is very talented. You won’t regret signing up for this class.
- CIndy_S January 21, 2024
Rita was a gracious cooking class host and taught my mum and I how to cook various local Goan dishes. Rita had a lovely area set up that we cooked in where she explained the dishes we were making as well as the food and spices we were cooking with. She gave us some Indian snacks to begin with to have with the masala chai we made, but don’t make the mistake of eating too much of these otherwise you will not be able to eat the other amazing food you will get to make! I highly recommend Rita’s cooking classes to everyone who comes to Goa. It’s a lovely way to understand how Goan food is made and an insight into how to make it.
- maggie March 07, 2023
Wonderful experience, do this while you’re in Goa! My mom and I took Rita’s class and it was the highlight of our entire trip, she is a wealth of knowledge about cooking and about Goa. She very generously answered our many questions about Indian culture and cuisine. The market tour was very interesting, a lovely market. She helped us navigate the market and taught us all about the produce offered. I definitely would not have gone to a market alone but with Rita it was a breeze! Once we got back to her impressive, clean, and efficient kitchen, she kept us busy with cooking and explaining things. The reward of a tasty meal after our hard work was wonderful!
- meredith January 18, 2023
Rita and Mukund are wonderful hosts, very kind, patient and informative. They welcomed us with a homemade chai tea which I will be making upon my return home. We had an incredible day with breakfast, a market visit and lunch which we all made together. Highly recommended for visitors to Goa to experience the food and warmth of the Goan people!
- 640Michael December 18, 2022
We watched the chef and Amol cook 4 dishes and then we ate them on the lovely terrace. Very good food and a lovely environment
- guygilpi January 08, 2020
We had lots of insight information, cool cooking tips from local and interesting chat of cultures and spices mix! Rita has created unforgettable time for us in her colorful study. It makes her stand out in terms of professional approach ( we had certificates handed to us afterwards, take-away package with recepies and class menus, and even nice aprons packed in convenient bag!) The market tour with selection of ingredients is a must addition to the fuller immersion into Goan heritage. I highly recommend Rita's class to anyone who seeks fun, vibrant conversation floating with aromas delicious meal!
- coliuke123 December 02, 2019
During our stay in Goa, my wife and I travelled to Dabolim to spend a day learning the secrets of Goan culinary craftsmanship with Rita. On arrival we were served Masala Chai and Cinnamon black coffee and also prepared some ourselves- which was a great way to start!We then enjoyed a delicious breakfast of traditional Dosa and Sambal before we were taken to a local market to source our fresh ingredients with Pajoo, who was an insightful guide!On return we ripped into the cooking of 5 Goan and Indian dishes under the tutelage of Rita and with 1:1 mentoring from either Suwarna or Pajoo, who were excellent assistants!The cooking process was relaxed, fun yet structured in a way that encourages full involvement and engagement from participants.After we had prepared the food we enjoyed the fruits of our labours in the form of 5 tantalising dishes and some choice cold beverages from our host.Rita’s Gourmet is a must for any food-loving traveller who ventures to the South of India. It was a great experience and we recommend it to everyone!
- Venture749667 October 10, 2018
One of the highlights in Goa, because of a taxi-strike Rita did shedule to another day , thank you for this flexibility . A verry funny visit to the local veg and fishmarket, good time while following the cooklesson, more then demonstrating, fully participating is encouraged. All questions about spices and recipies were enthousiastic answered with much colour.. a happy experience. Thank you. Nice pictures were taken by the staff troo , we have a good mermory now , and a cooklesson certificate and the cook cap and short were given present . Together with the other guests we had amusing time, much fun and same time serious cooking, family lunch, great . Henry George & Jef
- Jef V February 18, 2018
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $75
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $100 $86
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $86 $75
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $100 $86
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 9:30am-1:30pm 4:30pm-8:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:30am-2:30pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

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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.

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    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.

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    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.

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