Meet
Anita and Pushpa
Anita curates authentic experiences in India to the international market and also has an e-commerce called 'Helping Arts' where she promotes handcrafted, sustainable products by local artisans. She is passionate about travel and learning about cultures, art and craft, traditions and cuisines. She also promotes living a sustainable lifestyle and creates awareness about using single use plastic, composting, gardening and eating healthy locally produced food. Anita’s paternal grandmother lived in Indo Chine (Vietnam and Cambodia) during the French colonization for 40 years. There she learned to cook French, Vietnamese and Cambodian food. Later she came back to Pondicherry and with Portuguese and Tamil Nadu influence, she enjoyed cooking various fusion dishes, that Anita’s mother, Pushpa, learned and today cooks and shares with people who are interested in trying the cuisine of Pondicherry - which is very unique with it's influence from Vietnamese, Creole, French and Portuguese cuisine.
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:
(4-12 guests)
Anita and Pushpa are excited to showcase traditional and authentic Pondicherry cuisine, which you will only find in a local’s home. The meal will be served on a banana leaf and you will be encouraged to eat with your hands, like the locals do. Eating food on a banana leaf and with your hands has a lot of health benefits and somehow the food always tastes better! You will get to try authentic French Pondicherry Créole cuisine that Anita’s mother, Pushpa, learned from her mother-in-law, Silouveyammal, who lived in Vietnam and Cambodia for 40 years. Apart from trying a home cooked meal using family recipes, you will also learn about the history of Pondicherry, interesting information about architecture, people, culinary traditions and cuisine.
Cooking experience:
(2-12 guests)
In your Pondicherry cooking class, you will join Pushpa in her home kitchen to learn some of her favorite dishes that she has been cooking for her friends and family. In this hands-on cooking class you will learn how to cook Pondicherry's Créole cuisine, a unique fusion of French and Tamil traditions. In your 2-hour cooking class in Pondicherry, learn to cook one side dish, one main dish and one dessert from scratch. You will help Pushpa to clean, cut and cook all the ingredients to create a delicious meal from Pondicherry, which was once the original headquarters of the French in India. After cooking you will share the meal you helped prepare.
Market visit:
(2-12 guests)
Meet Anita at her home and then walk to the neighborhood market, it is where all the local's shop. Farmers sell their produce here and you will get to see fresh, seasonal produce - fruits, vegetables, herbs etc. Walk around the market while Anita shares more about the produce and how it is used to cook the cuisine of Pondicherry. You will even buy a few ingredients from the market before returning home for your Pondicherry cooking class (if you've booked a cooking class) and meal.
Notes:
Anita and Pushpa can accommodate lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. If you have any dietary restrictions please let them know in advance, while booking your Creole cooking class online.
Languages spoken:
English, French, Tamil
Sample menu
Traveler reviews
Booked with a friend.
What a great experience from start to finish, from preparing to cooking to eating!
Saranya was an absolute star.
She was very knowledgeable, experienced and patient. She explained everything we needed to know before we started and all the way through the cooking session.
We learnt so much about a different type of cooking and just as much about Pondi lifestyle and culture whilst we ate our meal.
I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in cooking.
Thank you so much.
-
uresh
January 27, 2026
