Visit the Market and Learn the Art of a Perfect Thali Meal in a Local Home

As a child, Reshma's love for poha (beaten rice with masala) made her curious about cooking and so Reshma spent all of her time watch her mother cook in the kitchen, fixing dishes for loved ones. Like every Indian family, her parents hoped she would become a doctor, engineer or earn an MBA, but she had only one dream: starting her own restaurant. As destiny would have it, she went on to study at the Dadar Catering College. Her passion for food and cooking has translated into a business venture called Every Aroma Caterers and she now offers catering services for parties and conducts cooking classes. When she'€™s not cooking and feeding people, Reshma enjoys photography and playing squash.

Reshma will welcome you into her apartment with a refreshing drink. You'€™ll then head to the Santacruz market (perhaps by rickshaw!) and may pick up some fresh ingredients for the meal that you will prepare together. Reshma will show you the different fruits, vegetables and spices available and explain how to select the best ones.

When you return to her home you will begin your hands-on cooking class. Reshma will teach you to make 2-3 of the dishes that you will later enjoy as part of your meal. She will teach you prepare dishes such as junka (gram flour) and a seasonal vegetable, typical of what her family eats day to day.

Your meal will be served on a thali and will feature a masala (spice mix) called "tikkat"€™, which come from Reshma's ancestral hometown. Since they cannot be sourced locally, Reshma makes her own masalas in her kitchen to ensure her cooking has just the right flavor. You might be served dishes such as chicken masala, tambda rassa (a spicy mutton broth), pandhra rassa (mutton broth with coconut milk), masale bhat (masala rice) and shrikhand (a sweet dish made from strained yogurt).

Please note, this is not a professionally guided experience, but rather an opportunity to visit an authentic, local home where you can meet a Mumbai resident and share the culture and cuisine together.