Sharmini’s Indian cooking classes (Full and half days)

Full-Day Indian Cookery Experience (Non-Vegetarian)

Venue: Joseph Rowntree School, Haxby Road, York
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm (arrive 9:45 am)
Day: Saturday


Join me for a full day of hands-on Indian cooking, where you’ll discover how simple ingredients and a few perfectly balanced spices can create dishes full of depth, aroma and colour. This is more than just a cookery class; it is an immersive experience that will awaken your senses and transform the way you cook curries.


What the Day Involves

• A warm welcome with tea, coffee and biscuits
• A captivating introduction to the world of Indian spices. Explore their origins, distinctive aromas and how they blend in harmony to create layers of flavour in every dish
• Morning demonstration and guided hands-on cooking, learning the authentic techniques that bring each recipe to life
• Lunch featuring the dishes you have created, shared together in a relaxed, friendly setting
• An inspiring afternoon of cookery where you will prepare additional dishes and accompaniments while deepening your understanding of flavour, texture and timing
• Q&A session with personal tips, feedback and encouragement throughout the day

• With only 8 to 10 participants per class, the experience feels personal and unhurried, allowing everyone to relax, learn at their own pace and savour the joy of cooking together


What’s Provided

All ingredients, spices and equipment are supplied, including premium-quality meat sourced from trusted local butchers and organic spices selected for their purity and depth of flavour.
Please bring a cooler bag and containers to take home the dishes you create.


An Experience to Savour

Throughout the day, you will master the art of layering ingredients and recognising the perfect moment to add each one, an essential skill in authentic Indian cooking. You will see how just a handful of spices, when used thoughtfully, blended into a paste or gently roasted, can build beautifully rich and complex flavours.

My students often describe this experience as inspirational and confidence-building. It is a day filled with aroma, colour, laughter and discovery, and the joy of mastering flavours that capture the essence of Indian cooking. You will leave inspired and confident, with a lifelong skill to cook with creativity and heart.

Choose Your Culinary Journey: Full Day vs. Half Day Classes

Whether you are looking for a quick introduction to Indian cooking or an immersive culinary experience, we offer classes tailored to your schedule and goals. A highlight of both our half-day and full-day sessions is an engaging “Spice Talk,” where you will discover the essential flavors and aromas that form the heart of Indian cuisine.

Half-Day Classes

Our half-day sessions are perfect for a focused, hands-on introduction. During this class, you will:

  • Enjoy an informative Spice Talk to introduce you to key Indian spices.
  • Prepare two delicious main dishes (one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian).
  • Watch an expert demonstration on how to create a traditional Indian salad or lentil dish to complement your meal perfectly.

Full-Day Classes

For those who want to master the art of Indian cooking from the ground up, our full-day itinerary offers a comprehensive, deep-dive experience. In this class, you will:

  • Receive a personal folder containing a complete set of recipes to take home.
  • Dive deeply into our Spice Talk to truly understand various spices, their flavor profiles, and how to use them in the perfect proportions.
  • Learn the fundamental methods of building a rich, authentic curry.
  • Watch detailed demonstrations before stepping up to your own workstation to recreate the process yourself.
  • Acquire the foundational knowledge needed to confidently create any type of curry in your own kitchen.
  • Prepare a complete, hands-on feast featuring rich mains like Saag Chicken and Prawn Mango Curry, alongside fluffy rice and fresh Aloo Paratha (potato flatbread).
  • Watch an expert demonstration on crafting a fresh, vibrant Kachumba (Indian Salad) to perfectly balance your meal.

Tripadvisor reviews:

  • star rating  Better & Different - My wife bought me this cooking lesson as a Christmas present (well, when you get to 76 what else is there to buy someone - I have enough socks and... read more

    avatar thumb Chris E
    2026-08-20

    star rating  A great authentic experience! - I can’t recommend Sharmini highly enough. This cookery session was such a lovely experience, supportive, fun, and full of real learning. Sharmini taught us with real expertise and patience, and... read more

    avatar thumb Natalie R
    2026-06-08

    star rating  Fantastic half day Cookery Class - I attended Sharmini's Cookery Class in June and it was brilliant from beginning to end! Firstly, Sharmini is so knowledgable about spices so it was fascinating to see where everyday... read more

    avatar thumb natsinclair86
    2026-06-07
  • star rating  Great Day! - Excellent day - learned some fantastic recipes that taste amazing and had a really fun time doing it! Definitely recommend!

    avatar thumb JJMRieder
    2026-05-16

    star rating  Curry cooking course - What a brilliant course. As a keen cook I was delighted to learn really helpful tips and changes to make my curries taste more authentic. We had great fun, ate... read more

    avatar thumb 401jlc
    2026-04-18

    star rating  Awesome Indian cooking lesson. - Brilliant insight into Indian cooking. Very well presented and the learning was friendly and fun. I can’t recommend this enough, thank you both so much. My confidence in using spices... read more

    avatar thumb Jerry D
    2025-10-19
  • star rating  A Great Indian cooking experience. - Excellent venue, easy to access. Onside parking. Well appointed cooking facilities. Sharmini 's teaching style is clear, fun and easy to follow. Dishes showed different techniques to improve existing knowledge... read more

    avatar thumb Judith K
    2025-10-18

    star rating  Great day, great food, great people - We were gifted this experience and what a treat it was! Sharmini was so warm, friendly and very knowledgeable. We learnt a great deal including how to cook... read more

    avatar thumb Julie M
    2025-09-28

    star rating  Amazing cookery course - This was a gifted cookery course. I learnt so much about quality spices and it opened my eyes to proper Indian food. The atmosphere was very friendly and relaxed and... read more

    avatar thumb Simone R
    2025-09-27