Five stars all the way to the amazing Chef Sara! I have decided to treat my wife (who loves Indian/Pakistani food) to a cooking class, and I can honestly say that I can't think of anything that would have brought her more joy than these three wonderful hours with Sara. She was super friendly, hospitable and funny, and she even surprised us both by baking a birthday cake!. I must confess, I've never liked Indian food, but after tasting the chicken tikka masala with naan that we made, I changed my mind! My wife said that this was by far the best meal she's had in her life!!! Thank you Sara for making this the best birthday gift ever! Gabriel. read more

Learn Curry - Sara's colorful spices - Cooking Schools Near Me - Oakland, California

My sister had the brilliant idea of arranging a cooking class for my birthday. After a few internet searches of East Bay Area options, we settled on learning the art of Indian cuisine with Chef Sara. We couldn't be happier with our experience! Due to the winter holidays, when I booked the class, there was no group schedule posted online. After a quick email exchange, I was able to pick a date that was convenient for us. This worked out great for us because we ended up having a private lesson (we were unsure if our date was advertised and were pleasantly surprised when we learned it would be just us). When we arrived, Chef Sara gave us some warm Masala Chai tea (which was delicious). She picked out 3 main dishes for us: Chicken Korahi (Pakistani dish, a tad spicy due to our request); Cauliflower Curry; and Chana Dal (lentils). To top it off, we had chopati (similar to naan) and fried Pakora Dal dumplings (common to eat when it rains). Chef Sara was very pleasant, informative, and flexible to our interests. At the beginning, she asked if we preferred to watch her cook or help along the way. We chose the latter, although she did most of the leg work. The result was amazing - we were hungry by the end, but not starving because she gave us some tastes along the way. We learned some great tidbits, which was a treat for me since I love to cook, but haven't ventured into the world of spices and techniques that Indian cooking offers. The only downside for us was having to travel to the Hercules location (we were hoping for Berkeley or Oakland), but it was worth the trip. All in all, cooking with Chef Sara had a very homey feel (partially because we are in her home, but also because of her down to earth style). Highly recommend signing up for a class! We hope to return with our significant others, perhaps for a special occasion. read more

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My friends and I had the pleasure of attending Chef Sara's class last night and it was amazing. Chef Sara was incredibly kind, entertaining and knowledgeable about her discipline. We turned on Bollywood disco tunes and had a blast dancing and learning as a group. Sara taught us a plethora of new techniques which I'm sure we will all be attempting to recreate soon. From preparing a chicken, mincing an onion in under a minute and what to look for when preparing spices to add to any sauce or dish. The best part was our evening culminating to an incredible meal which I am certain no one will forget. I highly recommend taking her classes with a few friends and don't hesitate to ask questions, turn on some music and have some fun with Chef Sara. She has a wealth of knowledge that any food lover or part-time chef would be lucky to learn. I look forward to learning from Chef Sara again! read more

Chef Sara's passion for indian cooking was apparent from the minute we met her. I had no idea what went into making chicken biryani and samosas prior to taking her cooking class but now I have a whole new level of respect for the cuisine. Sara is an excellent teacher. She answers every question with patience and makes sure to explain why certain techniques and ingredients work the way they do and why others wouldn't work. I would take another class with her in the future. She's awesome. read more

I was going to celebrate my mom's birthday and I wanted to do something different, I signed up for the class for both of us, we had a chance to spend time together and have fun also chef Sara taught us many awesome tips and recipes that we won't forget. Overal we had a really good experience and I would recommend that to all my friends read more

My girlfriend and I celebrated our anniversary in a hands on cooking class with Chef Sara. She took us step by step through the spices and cookware we were going to use and guided us through the cooking process. Chef Sara helped demystify Indian food and instilled confidence in cooking great Indian dishes. We had so much fun watching, listening, and participating in the culinary process. I personally felt so at ease with Chef Sara and did not hesitate to ask questions; Chef Sara happily answered, sharing her years of expertise and knowledge. My favorite part was eating everything of course! However, knowing that we helped create the delicious meal and being in the pleasant company of Chef Sara while we ate, added so much more to the whole experience. I had a great time and would love to learn more from Chef Sara. Highly recommended! read more

My wife and I decided to take Chef Sara's class because we don't know how to cook and love Pakistani and Indian food. Chef Sara's class was perfect for us because she introduced us to the various spices and ingredients that go into our favorite dishes - with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. She also showed us practical kitchen skills and shortcuts to food preparation. In addition to the class being helpful, it was also really enjoyable. We learned how to make chicken karahi, a potato curry, curry lentils, saffron rice and roti - and the best part was eating all of these delicious dishes at the end! If you love Indian food, I highly recommend taking this class! read more

Finally, an alternative to just dinner out. Had the best birthday I could imagine! It was awesome having the whole class just for my friends (thanks for allowing that!) We cannot exaggerate the fun that we had. Chef Sara, you are a great cook, and an even better teacher. Cheers! read more

I pretty much grew up on Indian and Pakistani food. I thought eating it at home would have taken out all of the mystery behind the cuisine. Learn Curry proved me wrong! I was introduced to ingredients that I had no idea were in the food. The teacher took the time to explain what each item does for the dish. This was incredible, as I do believe food to have effects on the body beyond nutrition. I took the class with my brother in law, we both had a ton of fun using our hands to cook, plus we got a nice certificate! thx to Learn Curry. read more

Chef Sara is very knowledgeable and knows how to teach while making a class fun. Her class sizes are very small and you'll definitely learn enough to feel confident trying some of the things at home! read more

Chef Sara is amazing! She was incredibly accommodating (and switched out a meat dish to a vegetarian one with only a day's notice!) The food ended up delicious, and we learned so much. Chef Sara has a wealth of knowledge about Indian food of all kinds and could answer absolutely all of our questions. Couldn't recommend her class more highly! read more

Learn curry is a great opportunity to learn how to make delicious (and healthy) indian food from a wonderful teacher. I bought my wife (and I) a specialized class with Chef Sara for Christmas that included 6 dishes. Although this was a lot to take on in one session, we had a great time and were amazed with what we could make (with the proper instruction). We were lucky enough to have a very small class size, so I cannot speak to a larger class experience. I would compare Chef Sara's class to learning how to cook with your favorite aunt in her home kitchen. She is very helpful and open to questions and encourages you to get involved and try different techniques (rolling samosa dough, tasting different spices, testing moisture of naan dough, etc.); not just chop, stir, etc. My wife and I asked lots of questions and Chef Sara was happy to answer them all. We even got to bring home some samples of our tasty creations! Although this class would be suitable for beginners, I think somewhat experienced cooks may get more out of it. Chef Sara does give you a recipe booklet after the class, but it is also good to bring a notebook to jot down little tips and tricks along the way. I always thought Indian food had a lot of ghee or oil in the cooking, but except for frying samosas, all of our dishes had very little oil/butter and a lot of fresh ingredients. Looking forward to trying some dishes at home now! read more

My arms are kind of sore. Its sort of embarrassing. Celia didn't warn me that we were actually going to be cooking, not just watching. But I loved it! Sara you are a sweetheart, and I'm glad you are so close to home. Yay for a fun night cooking! read more

Thank you thank you thank you! Chef Sara you were amazing at handling our excited and distractable group. We learned so much, and met up the next day to cook all of those dishes again. We hung our certificates on the wall. My friends will definitely hear about this class! read more

some companies deserve more attention than they get. some are very underrated. Learn curry fits in that category. this is truly a hidden gem in the bay area, but its only a matter of time until people discover it. learn curry customized a indian cooking class for me and my cousins. we wanted more curry, they gave us more curry. the class was a perfect length of time, not too short that we felt abandoned, and not too long that we were overwhelmed. the take home recipe book was a perfect gift. will be spreading the word about this class! read more

normally i am used to cooking thai. i have been cooking it pretty much daily for over 15 years now. I LOVE indian curry as much as Thai curry and I really want to learn how to cook an authentic ones, my husband found this cooking class on the web, we signed up after reading these reviews. BEST DECISION EVER! the class was a blast, more fun than I imagine I could have, since I already cook all the time. Indian food was something else, very different than cooking thai food. we marinated a bunch, chopped, learned different masalas and herbs. then we got hot tea and ate the food. cant say enough good things about the class! read more

Hi Sara! Just wanted to write to you and thank you for the class last night. My wife and I still can't believe that we were able to hand-wrap a Samosa. Thank you so much for your patience and dedication. You are amazing, and more people should know about this class :) read more

I usually don't write reviews on Yelp, but this one gave me no choice. Take this class! It is new but don't let that discourage you. Sara is the owner, she was fantastic. She greeted us respectfully right from the start, and then taught us with amazing grace the basics and secrets of Indian food. We used our hands a lot! The food tasted delicious, and I find myself making my own lunch now. Still have to practice, but the class was a great start, and fun! read more

You get an A+ for being a block away from Bart! Was very convenient for us to attend your class. We are taking the "roti" for lunch everyday now. It goes great with coffee! We are glad to have found you on Google, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. read more

I have taken Indian cooking classes before, but doing it in the intimacy of someone's kitchen made the experience much more enjoyable and easier to take back to my own place. The class was small so ample room for questions. Sara loves what she does. I felt I really learned some subtle aspects of cooking Indian food that I could not have gotten from a book. read more

Chef Sara is the best, most knowledgable, talented, friendliest instructor of Indian and Pakistani food, and the class is really enjoyable and highly recommended. Interactive instructions, delicious aromas and tastes, and great details. She knows every dish, and she'll make you feel at home while answering all your questions. Great idea for a gift. Glad I did this! read more

my friends and I got pretty tired of the usual dinner and dessert routine. one of us went online to see what was out there. we stumbled upon this gold mine! we used the website to sign up, everything went super smoothe. we got a confirmation email, and a follow up call from the owner. getting to the place was easy with bart. there were 5 of us in the class, and we all felt like we got amazing attention. my favorite part was adding the spices to the pot and watching them sizzle. cooking in general is therapeutic, but learning a new type of dish adds that much more to the experience. only thing I say I wish they had was taking American express. but they took visa, so I guess I'll stop whining. will definitely do this again. read more

I admit I was a bit skeptical when my sister said it tasted like "mom's cooking." But it really does! You did an awesome job making complicated spice mixtures sound so simple.And I love how we all had our own chopping blocks to work with. You're the best! read more

Ok, so maybe I put in too many spices. But you tried to warn me! I had an amazing time learning the art of Indian cooking from you. I also loved that we were a small group. Gave me more time to ask my 1000 questions! Learned more than I ever thought I would. Will see you again soon! read more

best day EVER! here it goes, from start to finish. we were greeted by Sara and taken downstairs to the kitchen. we sat down, listened to the Indian music, and Sara started. she talked about Ayurvedic properties of the food, which was REALLY interesting! she was very knowledgeable, it was obvious this wasn't her first rodeo. then she introduced several ingredients that were new to us. this included masalas, and we were allowed to smell them. we started chopping ingredients using Sara's instructions, and the class was all hands on from that point on! there was much more participation than I anticipated. awesome! we then took turns cooking the ingredients in the pot, taking pointers from Sara. when we were done, we ate what we made. I got to say, we did a good job! amazing class, take it. read more