Rishikesh, India
East Indian Cooking Class in Rishikesh
Discover the subtle, mustard-perfumed flavours of Bengali cuisine in Rishikesh.
About This Class
East Indian cooking - centred on the rich culinary tradition of Bengal - is unlike any other regional cuisine in India. It is built on Panch Phoron (the Bengali five-spice blend), mustard oil, poppy seeds and a cooking philosophy that prizes delicacy over intensity. Where North Indian cooking is bold and Mughal-influenced, Bengali cooking is nuanced, layered and deeply connected to the seasons, the rivers and the land.
In this hands-on class, you will discover the unique ingredients and techniques of East Indian cooking through a hands-on meal that begins with luchi (puffed fried bread) and ends with mishti doi (sweet yogurt set in earthen pots). Nandini brings her passion for regional Indian cooking to every class, making unfamiliar ingredients and methods immediately approachable.
- Learn to make and use Panch Phoron - fenugreek, nigella, cumin, mustard and fennel
- Work with mustard oil - the distinctive fat that defines East Indian cooking
- Make aloo posto - a uniquely Bengali dish using white poppy seed paste
- Fry luchis until perfectly puffed and golden - the pride of Bengali celebrations
- Set mishti doi in earthen pots for the classic Bengali sweet with caramel undertones
What You’ll Cook
Luchi
Deep-fried puffed bread made from refined flour - feather-light and impossibly flaky. The pride of Bengali celebrations and the perfect vehicle for cholar dal.
Cholar Dal
Bengal gram cooked with coconut, raisins, ginger and a fragrant Panch Phoron tadka - a festive, sweet-savoury dal unlike any other in Indian cooking.
Aloo Posto
Potatoes cooked in a paste of white poppy seeds and green chilli - nutty, creamy, subtly spiced and wholly unique to Bengal.
Panch Phoron Sabzi
Seasonal vegetables tempered with the Bengali five-spice blend, mustard oil and dried red chillies. The dish tastes complex. It takes about ten minutes to make.
Mishti Doi
Sweetened fermented yogurt set in clay pots with a caramel undertone - the iconic Bengali dessert that balances the richness of the meal.
Aam Panna
Raw mango cooler spiced with roasted cumin and black salt - the tangy, cooling Bengali summer essential that doubles as a digestive.
The Experience
Welcome & Panch Phoron
Smell, taste and learn the five spices of Bengali cooking: fenugreek, nigella, cumin, mustard and fennel. Understand how this single blend transforms every dish it touches and why order matters.
Prep & Mustard Magic
Learn to work with mustard oil, make poppy seed paste and understand the Bengali approach to cooking: restraint, patience and deep respect for seasonal produce and natural flavours.
Cook Together
Fry luchis until they puff golden, temper cholar dal with Panch Phoron, grind and cook aloo posto, and set mishti doi to ferment. Hands on, every step guided by Nandini.
Eat & Share
Sit together and enjoy a full Bengali spread. Leave with your recipes, your own Panch Phoron spice blend and a new appreciation for one of India’s most underrated culinary traditions.
What’s Included
Included
Not Included
Class Details
Why Learn East Indian Cooking in Rishikesh?
Bengali cooking is one of the least-taught of India’s great regional traditions outside of West Bengal itself. It is built on Panch Phoron, mustard oil and a cooking philosophy that values restraint over intensity. Our east Indian cooking class in Rishikesh is one of the few places you can learn this cuisine hands-on, outside of Bengal, with a chef who has cooked every dish many times over.
With groups of just 2 to 10 people, Nandini has time to explain the story behind each dish. Why luchi is the bread of celebrations. Why aloo posto uses poppy seeds. Why mishti doi is set in clay, not steel. You leave with the recipes, your own portion of Panch Phoron blend and a real understanding of what makes Bengali cooking different.
Meet Your Instructor
Nandini
Chef & Founder, Rishikesh Cooking
Nandini grew up cooking beside her grandmother in the Kumaon foothills - measuring spices by instinct, not by spoon. What began as a personal passion became a calling when travellers kept asking: “Can you teach me how you do that?”
Today she leads every class herself. Her teaching style is unhurried, patient and full of the kind of kitchen wisdom that only comes from decades of cooking for family. She has welcomed guests from over 40 countries and takes genuine delight in watching someone master their first perfectly-puffed chapati.
Nandini speaks fluent English and Hindi, and is happy to adapt any recipe for allergies or dietary preferences with prior notice.
What Our Guests Say
Find Us
We are located in the heart of Rishikesh, easily reachable from Laxman Jhula, Ram Jhula, and the main market. Our home kitchen is a calm, welcoming space just minutes from the Ganges.
Getting Here
- →Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
- →5 min drive from Laxman Jhula
- →10 min walk from Ram Jhula
- →Classes by appointment only