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Cooking Classes

Come join me while we unlock the secrets of regional Indian cooking together, one flavour at a time!

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Looking to host an authentic Indian dinner for friends or family in the comfort of your home? Or how about a private cooking class with friends? You have come to the right place.

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Supper Club

A handcrafted tasting menu featuring special recipes from regional Indian homes and street-food snacks, to give you a glimpse of the culinary vibrancy of India.

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Wondering what to gift your loved one for a birthday or an anniversary? How about vouchers for the Spice Verandah cooking classes?

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Testimonials

  • Amazing cooking classes and best Indian food I’ve ever had!!! Thank you for teaching me how to prepare the best dal makhni 🤗🤗🤗

    Dagmar
    Dagmar
    Vienna
  • I’ve already attended 3 cooking classes! 🤓 I wanted to get the idea of the differences between the cuisines of India and one really can learn how to recognize different mindsets by just knowing the dish. Anjali is very informative and really DEBUNKS the myths related to Indian cuisine (which, by the way, keeps me alive in this flavorless country).

    Now, for those interested in “exotic” flavors and yet unprepared to face chillies and rich dishes, these cooking classes may still be helpful in changing your approach (to better!) to preparing rice, loved-by-everyone Indian flatbreads and simple desserts. Also, the classes changed my approach to cooking onions!

    Since the menus are created to suit your interests (not the recipes – they are original!), one can always opt for less hot meals and enjoy the cooking class even with somewhat sensitive taste buds. Needless to emphasize though, all the spices are original and from India, spice blends are homemade and other ingredients of top quality! Worth every cent!

    Nora
    Nora
    Vienna
  • I came across these cooking classes purely by accident and registered with my husband to do the first cooking lesson with Anjali. It was blowmind to say the least. Since then I have done 3 or 4 cooking classes with her. Anjali is an amazing, warm person – her passion for cooking is surreal and is demonstrated in every cooking class. Watching her face light up while explaining recipes to us warms my soul. I have never met anyone who LOVES to cook like her and the classes are easy to follow and very well explained. But most of all, when you actually taste the food you realize how much love has gone into the preparation and cooking of it.
    These courses are for everybody whether you are a fan of Indian food or not as if you aren’t- you will surely fall in love with the exotic spices used. Courses are tailored to individual needs which makes it very special. Kudos to Anjali for following her dream from lawyer to chef and making herself and so many of us addicted to her food.

    Sandra
    Sandra
    Vienna
  • great experience. fantastic food in a cerm warm amd cosy atmosphere.

    Willeke
    Willeke
    Netherlands
  • Great experience for our family. We spend great evening with Anjali and we learned how to ake delicious Indian meal.

    Emin
    Emin
    Croatia
  • Highly recommend. Good food and a great evening.

    Heidi
    Heidi
    Norway
  • It was just a WOOOOOWWW experience. Anjali, her husband and the food were amazing!!!! Taste, perfection and full harmony!!!

    Aldijana
    Aldijana
    Vienna
  • We had a great time!

    Bryan
    Bryan
    Vienna
  • The cooking class with Anjali was an absolute positive experience: lovely hosts, easy to cook and learn menu, delicious food. We spent a wonderful time with them, we recommend this… read more

    Krisztina
    Krisztina
    Hungary
  • A unique experience!!!! She is an awesome cook who can really transmit the taste of India. An amazing class and amazing meal with a great person!!!!

    Marianela
    Marianela
    Mexico City
  • Anjali ist eine hervorragende Gastgeberin. Sie hat uns in ungezwungener Atmosphäre die Basics indischer Küche erklärt, gezeigt und ausprobieren lassen. Heraus kam ein super leckeres Menü. Wir haben uns mehr als wohl gefühlt bei Anjali und ihrem Mann, haben einiges über die indische Kultur erfahren und können die Aktivität wärmstens empfehlen.

    Tanje
    Tanje
    Bavaria
  • This was a really unique experience. The host has profound knowledge in Indian cuisine from all regions of India. Socialising was one of the most important aspects of this experience. We really made new friends. We participated actively and the outcome was amazing. Very tasty food and something totally new we didn’t try before. We definitely recommend this amazing experience.

    Raif
    Raif
    Vienna
  • “Expect to be welcomed into the home like an old friend not a client. Anjali and her husband were wonderful just to have a meal with. But of course the class was the best I’ve taken. She taught us technique and spice quantities that makes repeating these recipes at home very doable. The food was authentic, but honestly the best part was being with such a nice couple.”

    Bub
    Bub
    Los Angeles
  • “You will not regret taking this class! I loved participating, getting a sense for what each ingredient should smell like, feel like. Anjali keeps a spotless kitchen and observes the highest standards of food safety. You will walk away from this class more excited about Indian food than you have ever felt before. And if you are only visiting Vienna, you will just kick yourself that you can’t take more classes from her– so sign up for multiple ones while you are there! You will learn something new every time. It kills me that Los Angeles is so far away!”

    Jeremiah
    Jeremiah
    Los Angeles
  • “Hands-down the best evening we spent in Vienna! Though a bit an atypical tourist experience, we absolutely loved the time we got to spend with Anjali and her husband and recommend it to everybody. You will feel welcome, learn a ton about indian food and have a great meal to finish the evening where you’ll gorge yourself on the goodness you helped to prepare. Best part: you get all the recipes in writing and time will fly while you’re in the kitchen.”

    Anina
    Anina
    Vienna
  • “We can recommend this to everyone, especially if you love Indian food. It was really fun and time flew so quickly. excellent host. a very lovely couple. had a blast. go and experience this! 🙂 everyone else who reviewed this was absolutely right.”

    Markus
    Markus
    Vienna
  • “The indian cooking class was a wonderful experience. We not only got to learn the basis of indian cusine but also got to meet Anjali who is a very thoughful and caring host. Definitly i would recommand it to anybody interested in indian cuisine but also in spend a great evening !”

    Laure
    Laure
    Paris
  • “Anjali was an amazing teacher! We really enjoyed learning our favorite recipes, getting to know more about Indian culture and her love for cooking. Would definitely do it again, there is so much to learn!”

    Itziar
    Itziar
    Vienna
  • “This class was without a doubt the highlight of our time in the city. Anjali prepared and sent us in advance a menu that suited both of our (somewhat complicated) dietary requirements and gave us very clear instructions on how to get there. We were greeted warmly with drinks on arrival, and then spent the evening learning tips and tricks of Indian flavours and cooking techniques while cooking a monstrous Indian meal. Anjali shared stories about her region in India, explained the differences in flavours from the various parts of India, and she even prepared us a special Indian cocktail. The food was DELICIOUS and the hungover leftovers the next day were even better! Anjali was a wonderful teacher, host, and storyteller, and we left feeling full, cultured, and convinced that we were now Michelin star masters of Indian cooking. We also felt as though we’d made a new friend. I will undoubtedly be a return customer next time I’m in Europe. Anjali – you are the best thank you for sharing this evening with us! (P.S Being given permission to play with my food/ eat curry with my fingers made my inner child violently gleeful and I’m still not over it.)”

    Sam
    Sam
    Melbourne

Recent Blogs

Easy Dal Tadka

Anjali Venugopal June 22, 2020 NO COMMENTS

Every household has its own recipe for a good and hearty dal. This is mine. I believe for the perfect dal, less is more. I do not like spices and other other unnecessary ingredients to overpower the simplicity of the dish. I keep it simple and fuss free and a 100% hearty.

Things you will need:

(Serves 2-3)

  • Masoor Dal- 1 cup
  • Toor Dal- ½ cup
  • Water- 5 cups
  • Tomato- 1 medium sized, chopped
  • Turmeric powder- ½ teaspoon
  • Kashmiri Red Chilli powder- ½ teaspoon
  • Cooking oil/ghee- 2 tablespoons
  • Mustard seeds- ½ teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds- ½ teaspoon
  • Dried red chilli- 3-4
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh coriander for garnish

How to go about it:

  1. In a pressure cooker, add the Masoor dal, Toor dal, chopped tomato, water, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. On a medium to high heat, cook the contents for 4 whistles. Allow the pressure to release on its own before opening. (In case you prefer to cook your dal in a regular pot, you may do so. Soaking the lentils for 20-30 minutes will help with the cooking time. Allow the contents to boil and cook well, with the pot uncovered, until the dal can be easily mashed with the back of your spoon. If you’re using the pot method, you may need to keep adding water in case you feel the contents are getting too dry.)
  2. Once the dal has been cooked, mash it all up using a whisk or the back of your spoon. If you feel the dal is too thick, add a bit more water, mix well and bring to a boil, keeping the pot or the pressure cooker uncovered. If you feel the dal is too watery, place it back on the stove, bring to a boil and allow the water to evaporate till you reach the desired consistency. Keep aside.
  3. In a small pan heat the ghee or cooking oil. Allow the mustard, cumin seeds and dried red chillies to splutter. Empty the contents into the cooked and mashed dal and mix it all up well. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Andhra Chilli Chicken

Anjali Venugopal June 16, 2020 NO COMMENTS

A fiery Andhra speciality just the way it’s served in the famed Andhra restaurants in Bangalore. This is one of my most favourite things to eat and it’s ridiculously easy to prepare at home. You need to be lavish with the green chillies for this recipe for best results.

Things you will need:

(Serves 2-3)

  • Chicken (preferably on the bone)- 500 grams, cut into smallish pieces
  • Green chillies- 12-15 slit. Keep some more aside, only to be used if needed. If you’re using a variety that is not very hot, you will need to use more, around 20, to get the real flavour of this dish.
  • Ghee- 4 tablespoons
  • Green chilli sauce – 1 tablespoon
  • Lime juice- 1 tablespoon
  • Soy sauce- 3 tablespoons
  • Salt to taste
  • Water- 1.5 cups
  • Cornflour – 1.5 tablespoons dissolved in ¼ cup water

How to go about it

  1. First step is to cook the chicken. For this step, feel free to use a regular deep pan or a pressure cooker. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in the pan or pressure cooker. Medium heat. Add the slit green chillies and saute for 20-30 seconds. Add the cut pieces of chicken and toss them around until the pink is lost and the pieces begin to turn white. Add a bit of salt. Make sure you don’t add too much because remember the soy is quite salty too. Add the water and either pressure cook for two whistles or allow the chicken to cook with the pan covered for about 20-25 minutes or until it is cooked thoroughly and the meat begins to fall off the bone.
  2. Keep the chicken and the broth aside. Now do a quick taste test to check the heat of the chillies. The Andhra Chilli Chicken is fiery. You have to be able to feel beautiful kick of green chillies at the back of your tongue. If you feel the broth is hot enough, let it be. If not, slit a few more green chillies and keep aside.
  3. Next, in a deep pan or wok, heat two more tablespoons of ghee. Medium heat. Once hot, if you are adding more green chillies, now is the time. Add them and saute for 20-30 seconds. Next, fish out the chicken pieces from the broth and add them to the hot ghee. Give a quick mix. Add the lime juice, chilli sauce and soy sauce. Mix well for 30 seconds. Add the leftover broth from before. Mix it all together and bring to a boil. Add more salt if required at this point.
  4. Add the cornflour solution, mix well and allow the sauce to thicken. Once your reach your desired consistency, turn off the stove and serve hot with Biryani or just some steamed rice.

Butter Chicken

Anjali Venugopal June 14, 2020 NO COMMENTS

I had my first ever Butter Chicken at Moti Mahal (Punjabi Bagh), Delhi. And for this reason, my Butter Chicken standards are very, VERY high. I dislike half ass butter chickens just as much as I love a beautifully made one. I have been trying to perfect my recipe for a couple of years now and I think I am finally ready to share a recipe. Okay, in all honesty, I still wouldn’t say this is the best I have had BUT it’s getting pretty damn close. If you’d like to give it a shot, here goes.

This recipe is not easy and is split into two – the grilled chicken/chicken tikka and the Butter Chicken sauce. For most of us who don’t have a tandoor at arm’s reach this is the most we can do. But a properly made grilled chicken, with the right spices is one of the base points of this recipe so, try not to cut corners.

Also! This recipe works well for a Paneer Butter Masala too 🙂 Marinate the paneer with the marinade for chicken tikka and grill it before adding to the sauce. Works well without grilling too. You can add the paneer as it is.

Chicken Tikka in oven

Things you will need:

  • Boneless chicken- 500 grams cut into bite sized pieces
  • Skewers

Marinade:

  • Greek yoghurt- 3 tablespoons
  • Garam Masala- 2 teaspoons
  • Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder- 1 tablespoon
  • Turmeric Powder- ½ teaspoon
  • Ginger garlic paste made with 1 inch stick of ginger and 4-5 cloves of garlic or storebought ginger garlic paste- 1 ½ teaspoon
  • Salt to taste
  • Juice of half a lime
  • Kasuri Methi- 1 teaspoon
  • Cooking oil- 2 tablespoons

How to go about it

  1. Make a marinade with all the ingredients listed under “Marinade.”
  2. Marinate the chicken pieces thoroughly with the marinade and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Overnight tops.
  3. When ready to prepare the chicken tikka, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and line a tray with baking paper or aluminium foil. Thread the marinated pieces of chicken on the skewers without overcrowding them. Place the skewers on the tray. Even better if you can balance the skewers on the parallel edges so that the pieces do not touch the bottom of the tray.
  4. Bake the chicken in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the edges char lightly. In case you can’t balance the skewers on the edges, take the tray out at half time and turn the pieces around so that the sides which was touching the base of the tray is now on the top.
  5. Once done, keep the chicken tikka aside while we prepare the sauce.

Butter Chicken Sauce

Things you will need:

  • Unsalted butter- 50 grams or 2 two inch cubes. More if you like. Keep the butter divided into three parts. Salted butter works too but you’ll need to keep an eye on the salt you add later.
  • Onion – 1 medium sized or half of a large one, finely chopped
  • Green cardamom pods- 3
  • Bayleaf – 2
  • Tomatoes- 4 large or 5 medium sized, roughly chopped
  • Cashews- 10
  • Ginger garlic paste made with 1 inch stick of ginger and 4-5 cloves of garlic or storebought ginger garlic paste- 1 ½ teaspoon
  • Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder- ½ tablespoon
  • Water- 1 cup
  • Garam Masala- ½ teaspoon
  • Whole cream- ¼ cup
  • Salt to taste
  • Sugar- 2 teaspoons
  • Kasuri Methi- 1 ½ teaspoon
  • A mixer grinder or immersion blender

How to go about it

  1. In a large pan/wok, heat one part of the butter kept aside. Medium heat. Once the butter melts (and before it browns), add the cardamom pods and bay leaf. Fry for 15-20 seconds or until the flavour releases into the fat. Next, add the finely chopped onions. Saute until they turn translucent. Add a tiny bit of salt to speed up the process. Once the onions are translucent, add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for 30 seconds or until the raw smell goes away.
  2. Next, add the chopped tomatoes and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Saute everything for 20-30 seconds. Add the cashews and 1 cup water, mix it all up and cover the pan. Let it cook on medium to low heat for 15 minutes. Stir it all up once in between to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Once that is done, take the pan off the heat and fish out the bay leaf.
  4. Now is the tricky part. If you are using an immersion blender, transfer the (hot) contents into the blender jar and grind into a smooth paste. However, if you are using a regular mixer grinder, you will need to wait for the mixture to cool down before you grind it all. Please, PLEASE do not attempt to grind it while it is piping hot. I have done it once and I won’t repeat it again. Once reasonably cool, grind the mixture into a smooth paste.
  5. Next, you need to strain the now smooth paste. Strain it into another bowl, using a spoon to keep stirring to make sure you get the maximum out of the paste. Discard what remains in the strainer. Keep the smooth, velvety sauce aside.
  6. Place a (clean) pan on medium heat and add the second part of butter. Once the butter melts, pour in the sauce. Mix well for 10-15 seconds. Now, you may add the salt and the sugar. Add in parts. Getting the right sugar salt balance is the ultimate key for a good Butter Chicken. Keep doing a taste test every now and then till you get it right. The should not be overtly sweet but it should have that light sweetness. Salt to balance the sweetness.
  7. Add the garam masala. Mix well.
  8. Next, add the cream, and keep mixing until the sauce begins to boil lightly. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the third part of butter and crushed kasuri methi. Mix well.
  9. Now add your chicken tikka to the beautiful sauce. Mix well. Allow everything to cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes.
  10. Take off the stove, give a quick swirl of cream to garnish and serve hot with Naans or Rotis.
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