Private Tour
Available languages
4 hours
Mobile ticket
Kodi is a retired banker and his wife Meena is a retired teacher. Kodi is also an antique collector and had been looking for a suitable home for his collection for a while. He stumbled upon a beautiful Dutch home 30 years ago. Kodi and Meena (and Kodi's antique collection!) now live in this stunning home built by the Dutch 300 years ago, located inside the picturesque Galle fort. They love sharing their food and culture with travelers. Meena learned to cook from her mother and grandmother and she still uses the exact same family recipes when she cooks. Meena very excitedly shares, "relatives who try my food often say it reminds them of my mother and grandmother's cooking and this makes me very happy." Join Kodi and Meena for a private experience and tour a seafood and vegetable market in Galle, buy seasonal vegetables and cook and eat a Sri Lankan meal, in a beautiful Dutch home.
Fully refundable up to 48 hours prior to experience; since our hosts begin preparing for your experience up to 2 days in advance, we cannot offer a refund for cancellations made within 48 hours of the experience
Menu may vary depending on the season
If any travelers in your party have any allergies, dietary restrictions or cooking preferences please advise at time of booking
Private, personalized experience
Please note, this is not a commercial cooking class, rather this experience is a visit into a Galle home to meet a local who is an expert cook, and share Sri Lankan culture and cuisine together.
Kodi and Meena can offer a vegetarian meal on request, please advise at time of booking if required. They also run a home stay, so you might see other guests while you're there, however your Traveling Spoon experience will remain private.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
This is a unique opportunity to visit the home of a local and explore traditional culture and cuisine. Kodi and Meena's home is less than a 10 minute walk from the main entrance of the Galle fort. We suggest that you walk from the entrance to their home to take in the beauty of the fort - stunning architecture, cobbled streets, pastel colored buildings, street cafes and views of the lighthouse and ramparts. Kodi and Meena's home is an extension of this old world colonial charm - you will notice this as soon as you enter their traditional Dutch home. The terracotta tiles, wooden furniture and antique pieces will transport you to another era. Meena will be waiting for you in their home kitchen to begin your two-hour hands-on authentic Sri Lankan cooking class. After taking a look at the vegetable you chose during your market tour she will come up with a menu for the day. You will start by washing and cutting all the ingredients. Meena will then show you how to prepare 2 kinds of coconut milk using coconut powder. Later join her to cook 3-4 delicious Sri Lankan curries using spices she grinds at home. Kodi will be the sous chef - together he and Meena form a great team in the kitchen!
main
Dhal (lentils cooked with coconut milk)
main
Fish curry
main
3-4 seasonal vegetable curries
main
Rice
dessert
Yoghurt served with coconut palm syrup
Alcoholic beverages (a glass of local arrack or beer)
All taxes, fees and handling charges
Private market tour + cooking class + lunch
Lunch
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off
2 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Nigel P,,Feb 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
What a privilege to be welcomed into Kodi and Meena’s home to learn how to prepare and cook a delicious Sri Lankan lunch. Our trip to Galle’s Fish and Vegetable markets accompanied by Kodi was so much fun. So many varieties of fresh produce to choose from and characters selling them! Meena’s explanation of preparing the various dishes was very clear and her introduction to the key spices very helpful as were the recipes in written form. As each dish was completed we were getting hungrier and hungrier and finally we could sit down to lunch. It was all delicious and we left feeling inspired to create some of the dishes back home. Fully recommend this activity.
Ann L,,Jan 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
To be in an historical family home inside Galle fort was a wonderful experience. First Kodi drove us to the fish market to select tuna for our curry. We then drove to the old Galle fruit and vegetable market to select food for curries we’d like to make. Meena showed us how to make about 9 different curries. We sat at the table admiring their antiques and enjoying our Sri Lankan lunch








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