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Host: Mala

New Delhi, India

USD
$36-$64 per person

An authentic meal with a Punjabi family in Anand Niketan

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

Meet Mala

Mala is married to an armed forces officer and hence has been cooking and hosting formal and informal parties at home for as long as she can remember. Being part of the armed forces she has travelled to many cities in India, giving her an exposure to varied Indian cuisines. However, Mala is originally from Punjab, in the north of India, which is known for its rich, buttery flavors due to the extensive use of dairy products like cream, desi ghee, and butter. Punjabi cuisine is also well known for their tandoori cooking style.

Mala lives with her husband and two children in the family home where she grew up. Having been part of the army for many years has made them the consummate entertainers who excel in caring for their guests. Before settling in Delhi, they have lived in many small cities across India where ready-made ingredients were not available and so Mala learnt how to cook everything from scratch. Their extensive traveling also piqued her interest in learning about out new dishes from different parts of India.

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: (2-4 guests) Mala and her husband Rajnish will welcome you into their warm and beautiful home, which is decorated with plants, lights and Mala’s art work. If you visit during the evening hours you will also meet her children. You will share a traditional Punjabi meal which may include dishes such as rajma chawal (red kidney bean curry served with rice), dal makhni (slow cooked lentils), chicken masala, mutton curry, aloo methi (fenugreek leaves combined with potatoes) and will end with either rice pudding or a home made kulfi (frozen dessert made with milk).

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) You can expect to learn from your host Mala how to make 2-3 of the dishes you will be eating. She may teach you how to make palak paneer (spinach and fresh cheese), roti (flat bread) and raita (spiced yoghurt) or puri aloo (spicy potato gravy served with puffed, deep fried Indian bread). You can expect to be cooking for 1 hour before you share the meal you helped prepare over conversation with your host.

Market visit: (2-4 guests) After you sip on your jaljeera (a refreshing appetizer made with water and cumin seed powder) and get to know the family, Mala will take you to the Sarojini Nagar market, a one-stop destination for all of your home needs. This is Mala’s favourite place to shop in for the freshest fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price.

Languages spoken: English

Traveler reviews

This is a new host who does not yet have any reviews. You can see reviews of our other New Delhi Traveling Spoon experiences on TripAdvisor:
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Mala

$36-$64 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
Not offered $36 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
$62 $50 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $64 Not offered
Alcohol
$4 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
Not offered $36 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
$62 $50 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $64 Not offered
Alcohol
$4 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
12:30pm-2:30pm 7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
10:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Mala

Mala is married to an armed forces officer and hence has been cooking and hosting formal and informal parties at home for as long as she can remember. Being part of the armed forces she has travelled to many cities in India, giving her an exposure to varied Indian cuisines. However, Mala is originally from Punjab, in the north of India, which is known for its rich, buttery flavors due to the extensive use of dairy products like cream, desi ghee, and butter. Punjabi cuisine is also well known for their tandoori cooking style.

Mala lives with her husband and two children in the family home where she grew up. Having been part of the army for many years has made them the consummate entertainers who excel in caring for their guests. Before settling in Delhi, they have lived in many small cities across India where ready-made ingredients were not available and so Mala learnt how to cook everything from scratch. Their extensive traveling also piqued her interest in learning about out new dishes from different parts of India.

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: (2-4 guests) Mala and her husband Rajnish will welcome you into their warm and beautiful home, which is decorated with plants, lights and Mala’s art work. If you visit during the evening hours you will also meet her children. You will share a traditional Punjabi meal which may include dishes such as rajma chawal (red kidney bean curry served with rice), dal makhni (slow cooked lentils), chicken masala, mutton curry, aloo methi (fenugreek leaves combined with potatoes) and will end with either rice pudding or a home made kulfi (frozen dessert made with milk).

Cooking experience: (1-4 guests) You can expect to learn from your host Mala how to make 2-3 of the dishes you will be eating. She may teach you how to make palak paneer (spinach and fresh cheese), roti (flat bread) and raita (spiced yoghurt) or puri aloo (spicy potato gravy served with puffed, deep fried Indian bread). You can expect to be cooking for 1 hour before you share the meal you helped prepare over conversation with your host.

Market visit: (2-4 guests) After you sip on your jaljeera (a refreshing appetizer made with water and cumin seed powder) and get to know the family, Mala will take you to the Sarojini Nagar market, a one-stop destination for all of your home needs. This is Mala’s favourite place to shop in for the freshest fruits and vegetables at a reasonable price.

Languages spoken: English

Traveler reviews

This is a new host who does not yet have any reviews. You can see reviews of our other New Delhi Traveling Spoon experiences on TripAdvisor:
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
Not offered $36 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
$62 $50 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $64 Not offered
Alcohol
$4 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
Not offered $36 Not offered
Cooking Experience + Meal
$62 $50 Not offered
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $64 Not offered
Alcohol
$4 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
12:30pm-2:30pm 7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
10:00am-2:00pm 4:00pm-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.