Day 17 - Udaipur

Up so early today as Meenu's cooking class starts at 7:30 and my first thought is I want more sleep.

Drag myself out of bed and head down to Meenu's shop and her husband answers the door and let's us up to the kitchen with is small and clean. He starts to explain to us about making Chai Masala Tea and the whole time I am wondering where Meenu is! Why did she get to sleep in. While the tea is boiling Meenu comes in and goes through the essential Indian Spices and again how to make Chai. The one thing I must say about Meenu is that she has amazing english skills and is very persuasive.

We learn how to make Masala (the base to all india food) with the 5,4,3,2,1 method for adding spices, coriander dried, chilli powder, salt, turmeric, and garam masala. We also get to make chapattis, parathas and naan - which was probably the most fun and at my cooking skill level.

Meenu's kids poke their heads in before school and chat to us and you kind of get to see what morning life is like. It's a rush.

After eating everything we made - which was pretty good if I don't say so myself. The hard sell is on from Meenu. With her secret spices - which sadly do not look anything secret. But after a bit of persistence I agree to buy some tea just to leave - I am sure what she is banking on. All in all was not a bad experience and was fun to learn to make what we have been eating for the last 2-3 weeks.

Walking through town we run into a guy that has just set up a cashmere stop and explains he will be going to Sydney in a month to a course. He is really nice and before we went to the store we said we were not looking to buy. After a bit of a chat, out come the pashminas. I HATE SHOPPING on holiday s but we sit through the pitch and he make me try on a few scarves which is not ideal in 30 degree weather. The stuff in nice but I am just to disinterested. After leaving the store I am ready for dinner and beers during the early evening.

Tonight's dinner spread is a whole tandoori chicken - really just to get the awesome photo of it coming out of the tandoor and mutton masala. After a few beers and settling the tab it's an early night as we are leaving the hotel at 5:00am to get the 6:00am buss to Jodhpur.