Explore Real India

Wow. This was a wonderful experience. JD with Art of India Cooking was an expert chef and walked us through the steps of creating the best butter chicken and parantha I have ever had. He took photos I can use to recreate the dishes at home and shared his special recipes. JD shared a lot of expert tips I can use to up the level of my cooking at home. I definitely recommend this cooking class!

This was the best class! It was fun, engaging, and educational. Probably the best hour and a half I spent in Delhi. Chef JD (author of The Art of Indian Cooking) taught us how to cook the dishes, which were delicious. Then he sent us home with the recipes. They wont turn out as good without Chef JD by my side, but he gave me a lot of tips while I was in the kitchen cooking with him. I am looking forward to trying the recipes in his cookbook.

JD Bindra is a published and acclaimed Indian chef. He and his father are also experienced teachers who welcomed us into their home and gave us a wonderful shared experience. Best butter chicken ever. Highly recommended.

We had an absolutely amazing experience with JD and his family! We felt completely welcomed into their home and like one of the family! The food was delicious and explained so well. They made my birthday extra special! Would recommend to everyone!

On request we have got a vegan / vegetarian cooking class. We were welcomed with very good chai before we started cooking. JD's instructions were understandable and helpful. He also told us a lot about the spices used. The result was very good! The conversation with JD were relaxed and interesting and we felt very comfortable.

The cooking class in New Delhi was a very nice and authentic experience. Our host was extremely hospitable and made us feel welcome from the start. In a pleasant atmosphere we cooked traditional dishes together, which were all very delicious. We also got interesting insights into Indian cuisine. In addition, our special desire to cook a vegan dish was also addressed. Highly recommended!

We had a fantastic time at the cooking class. The authentic atmosphere at home has added to the experience. The food was incredibly delicious, and JD even adapted it to our vegetarian and vegan preferences. We had a lot of fun and there was plenty of water and food. ☺️

JD was an amazing host and cook. His whole family welcomed us warmly into our homes. We had a lot of fun cooking, particularly making paratha. We also enjoyed his personal chai recipe which was so tasty and we were able to buy some to make at home. Would recommend to anyone who finds themselves in Delhi!

My husband and I had a fantastic cooking class with JD. We arrived to a lovely cup of chai tea in the family home. Next we donned aprons and started cooking. With just the two of us in the early afternoon class, we did all the hands on cooking! JD had chopped vegetables and measured ingredients ahead of time so we could spend our time learning the ingredients and the importance of adding them in a specific order. The results were an amazing meal that we then shared with JD. Highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to learn authentic Indian dishes!

I picked this class because of the reviews, but was pleased to hear from my coworkers in Noida that they knew of Jandeep and highly recommended him. They were right. He was very thorough with his explanations, patient with someone inexperienced in Indian cooking, and I loved that he had everything pre-measured ahead of time. That meant I could focus on the things I didn’t know instead of the things I already knew how to do. Best of all…the food was delicious. I liked it so much I bought spices from him and ordered his cookbook. He didn’t mention any of those to me ahead of time, only when I asked about recipes. Some places try to sell you things once you are on the tour…not here. It never came up until I asked. If you’re looking for a fun, simple way to learn how to cook amazing Indian food, this is the class for you.

The cooking class at J.D. was absolutely madness. Incredibly nice and accommodating people cook traditional Indian dishes together here. The food was very delicious. Would highly recommend to anyone who is in Delhi! Thanks again J.D.

We attended a cooking class at JD today and were totally thrilled! We were super warmly welcomed and met at a Masala Chai (which was the best we had in India). Then we cooked two dishes under instruction. It was all very understandable, we had a lot of fun, and also learned a lot about the different spices and ingredients! I would also book a cooking class with JD again immediately on the next trip to India. Very big recommendation! Thanks for this authentic experience, the great evening and the delicious food! Luke and Katya

I was put at ease with all the intricate details of seasonings. The food turned out to be amazing. I was first intimidated, however in a few moments I was put at ease. I was guided with patience and my favorite was making the sauce Shahi Paneer. Now that I have experienced making this dish and dessert I am happy to make it for my friends and family. I recommended this as a wonderful experience in learning the heart and art of Indian cooking.

Yesterday we took part in a cooking class in Delhi – and we can say from the heart: It was a wonderful experience all around. Even at the beginning, we were curious to see what we could expect. Our expectations were high – and even exceeded. The host was incredibly warm, we were immediately welcomed openly and welcomed. You felt comfortable and in good hands from the first moment. The dishes we prepared together were clear and structured. Every step was explained in an understandable way, so that even we – without much cooking experience – could easily follow. It was huge fun to actively participate, try new things and enjoy the home-cooked food at the end. It was also particularly nice that we got a lot of interesting background information about Delhi and local life – things that you only learn from locals and that made this experience even more authentic. So excitedly we decided to book yet another tour where we will be shown local specialties and special places. Communication takes place in English and was always straightforward and pleasant. All in all, it was an absolutely recommendable experience that we would repeat at any time. If you don’t just want to see Delhi, but also want to taste and really experience it, this is the place for you.

Wonderful experience! JD is an experienced, passionate chef who creates a relaxing, fun environment for participants to learn the art of Indian cooking. We haven’t to learn several of my favorite dishes including butter chicken and kheer! 10/10

JD and his family were so welcoming and knowledgeable and just fun and pleasant guy to be around. Learned so much and ate so much delicious food. One of my favorite highlights of our trip to Delhi.

It was an amazing experience! Be able to do an Indian cooking class at a local person's house. I went alone and felt super comfortable with the group that touched me. I would do it again and I highly recommend it

We had an awesome time learning with JD!! He was very nice, an excellent teacher and spoke very good English. I highly recommend booking a class with him.

JD was extremely informative, friendly, and has wonderful English. The dishes we made were delicious, and we actually made them ourselves with his supervision. And, we can make it at home also. JD has also written a book, Art Of Indian Cooking which I will be ordering when I get back home.

Had a really fantastic time at this cooking class, best curry I've ever made and the hospitality from the hosts were fantastic!

Make lots of curries at home but this was the best one I ever made by far

We had the best time at JD's cooking class, when we arrived him and his family were so welcoming and made us feel at home! Everything was prepared before our arrival and was so well organized that all we had to worry about was having fun. We made 3 different curries, bread, rice, desserts and were greeted with his own blend of chai on arrival. The food was so yummy and he even sending us the recipes so we can cook them at home. We are all super happy with the experience and would definitely do it again if we visited Delhi again!

I had an exceptional experience with JD yesterday- a true, authentic and meaningful visit to Old Delhi. The food he selected was absolutely delicious from vendors he’s been using for years. The temples were special, particularly the Langer at the Sikh temple where @ 15,000 people in need are fed for free every day. At the end I asked if I could do his full-day city tour today. He wasn’t available personally at such short notice, but he set me up for another exceptional experience with an excellent guide and driver. Definitely going to take his cooking classes next time, and I noticed he has a bunch of other experiences on his website ExploreRealIndia Great value for money, and the little extra he charges compared to other tours is absolutely well worth it.

I appreciated having a knowledgeable and wise guide to help us understand and appreciate all that is going on here.

JD is enterprising, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and a great companion around Old Delhi. The day walk was entertaining and the restaurant choices historical and delicious. I was lucky to have him all for myself as I was the only person in the tour group on a Tuesday morning. His ratings are well deserved and I would happily recommend him to anyone who wants a tour of Chandni Chowk

This experience has been an authentic exploration of Old Delhi. JD is very nice and knowledgeable about everything. In only 3 hours, we get to visit, learn and try different foods that were curated among so many options. Would recommend it to anyone visiting New Delhi!

Amazing ride this morning with JD in Old Delhi! A really great experience: very complete, you learn a lot without seeing time pass. The morning is ideal with a pleasant temperature. We tasted a lot of local specialties, had a rickshaw and visited temples! Everything was fluid and well organized. JD is a truly exceptional guide: passionate, funny, and very caring. And as a woman, I felt totally safe. We recommend 100%! JD is well worth its 5 stars and also offers other super interesting experiences. He is a complete guide who masters his subject very well! Thank you again JD!:)

I like how JD introduces the culture, the daily life of the people in Old Delhi, JD knows this place as if he was a friend of everyone here.

I came to India as a solo female traveler and this is one of the activities I booked outside my tour group. JD was so kind to me and made feel like family. This was an authentic raw experience of Delhi that I was craving for away from all the tourist traps. I loved it so much. I learned so much. My favorite was visiting the different temples ESPECIALLY the Sikh temple. I learned a new way of thinking and left with appreciation of such a self-less religion. May God continue to bless you in what you do 💙.

JD was an awesome host with so much information and knowledge to share! The experience exceeded my expectations. It ended up that I was the only one who booked the experience on my day. As a female, I felt perfectly comfortable with JD. There are so many different religious temples in the spice market and I think I got to experience all of them. It was a fabulous experience! As we walked through the market, we went to different food stalls and I was able to taste all of the different flavors from the many different regions of India. I also loved that JD has been very intentional about curating food stalls that are safe to eat and will minimize the chance of his guests having stomach issues after. Since I love trying new foods, this was awesome to know. The food was so good!! We also visited a shop or two, but I never felt pressured to buy anything. If I had just walked the spice market by myself, I would NEVER have gotten what I got with this tour. I highly recommend it!!

JD showed us a beautiful, spiritual and very delicious side of Delhi. The street food was very delicious, and none of us had digestive problems, although not all of us have a strong stomach. In the company of JD we felt very safe (we were three women). It seemed that many knew and respected him, so no one approached us during his presence. JD answered all our questions and took great photos of us. I am very grateful for the encounter with him.

We absolutely loved our tour with Jd. He was a great guide and gave wonderful insight into this fascinating city. Book this tour, you won’t regret it.

JD is a knowledgeable local guide who has a taste for the history, culture and food of Delhi. JD makes Old Delhi accessible, and introduced us to new cultural experiences including rolling chapatis in a Skih Gudwara, exploring Delhi's oldest Jain temple, and experiencing the sights and smells of Delhi spice market. The food was amazing Chole, Samosas, Lassi, all the good stuff, but the guide may have been even better. JD was such a great host we hired him for a photography tour of Lodi street art.

Today is the second time we have booked an activity with JD – and what should we say: We are absolutely thrilled again! Some time ago we already took part in his Indian cooking class, which already convinced us at the time. Today we did a tour of Old Delhi with him – and it was just great. JD took us to places we probably never would have dared to go on our own. We visited a wide variety of temples and religious sites and learned an incredible amount of exciting background knowledge. You immediately notice how much heart and knowledge he brings. Another highlight was the fantastic food tour. We were able to taste numerous traditional dishes – without any concerns about hygiene or quality. JD knows exactly where to eat safely and authentically. This combination of culture, history and cuisine was just perfect. In just two and a half hours, we learned and experienced as much about Delhi as we could not have done on our own in several days – especially in places not found in any classic guidebook. Highly recommended! We would send any of our friends to JD right away. It really couldn't have been better.

This tour was amazing! I never would’ve explored old Delhi on my own especially because I didn’t know where to go. It was like having a best friend that lives in Delhi showing you their town. I love that I got to try street food without wondering if I was gonna get sick. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone that wants to have an authentic experience while learning some history, seeing some religious temples, and eating some amazing foods! JD is a chef himself so he knows food and hygiene. and he speaks great English and knows a lot about the city he loves.! I can’t recommend this more.

JD was an absolutely perfect host! We were able to discover a large number of rites and customs, not to mention delicious street food in 3 hours! We felt perfectly safe, had a great time and JD did everything to make us discover the richness of his city. I recommend to anyone looking for authenticity and learning. Thank you JD!!

This was probably the most unique and fun tour I have ever done. Jd was genuinely one of the nicest most knowledgeable guides. The tour felt like a local friend taking us to all of his favorite spots with some great hidden gems. It would be hard to find a guide in the Delhi area with such extensive knowledge and background for the price.

An incredibly good tour guide, very friendly, open-minded and respectful. It was wonderful to be so close to everything, to be able to participate in the hustle and bustle of the market as well as to soak up the tranquility of the places of worship. We even visited the commercial kitchen and helped to prepare flatbread and shape loaves of bread. What an experience! We tried incredibly good street food and, thanks to our knowledgeable guide, we could be sure that we wouldn't upset our stomachs. Sensitive as he is, he also let us slowly approach the spicy food and tailored it to us in some cases. Great! He also had a keen eye for beautiful photo opportunities, both tourist must-haves and inspiring places of abstract beauty. Anyone visiting Delhi should take this tour!

JD guided us through Old Delhi and he was absolutely incredible. The food was amazing, and the whole experience felt truly special. JD is funny, is so knowledgeable, and genuinely kind — he brought the city to life and made the tour unforgettable. I couldn’t recommend him more.

JD was fantastic, very knowledgeable and fun. This tour proved to be a great introduction to Delhi on our first day there. We joined in the volunteers in making roti at the kitchen where 15,000 free meals are served every day, saw the spice market and had some great tastings including fresh baked cookies (so yummy dipped in the offered Chai tea), lassis, curries, and samosas. During the tour JD was a wealth of information, and guided us safely through the busy markets and along the streets in an easy non rushed manner. Definitely recommend.

I am a solo female traveler who only had one day in Delhi and I am SO glad I picked this tour. JD was wonderful, I cannot recommend him enough. As a female traveler, I was super safe and comfortable the entire time. I was able to see places I never would’ve seen on my own, from tiny laneways packed with shops, to multiple places of worship. We got to try loads of delicious street food too. The places we went gave me a great taste of the culture and life in Delhi. JD has a wealth of knowledge, was able to answer every question with depth and ease. He’s also a really nice guy and made us laugh. The tour was never dry or boring despite being so informative. My only regret is I’m not able to do another tour with JD. In summary, book this tour!!

Loved this tour so much. It was such a great way to experience Old Delhi in a short amount of time without it feeling rushed. We visited temples from three different religions, which was really interesting, and the background Jd gave made everything easy to understand and genuinely meaningful. The food was incredible – every stop was delicious and felt like a proper local experience. Exploring Old Delhi can feel overwhelming, but having Jd guide us made it feel easy, comfortable and really well organized. We got a true feel for Indian culture and Old Delhi, which is exactly what we wanted. Jd was also hilarious and made the whole experience even better. It’s one of those tours we’ll genuinely remember for a long time. If you’re short on time but want an authentic experience, I’d highly recommend booking this tour with Jd

JD was an excellent guide on his experience, he made everything seamless and his knowledge was great. He took us to some amazing food places and showed us parts of Delhi we would not have explored on our own. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this experience to anyone visiting Delhi.

We learned about the history of chai and, of course, how to prepare it. We had a very interesting conversation, and he offered us typical Indian snacks with the help of his dad. He was flexible with us since we got the time wrong time and arrived an hour late 🥲 Thank you so much, JD! This experience is 10/10 and highly recommended 💯

JD was very friendly and shared a lot of different information with us. He explained everything in detail, from the history of tea to the precautions for making jjai and the reason for adding each ingredient. If you like chai, I highly recommend it!

JD and his father were extremely welcoming from the beginning. Not only did we learn to make chai but we learned the history and some cool facts about chai practices today. The setting was intimate and allowed us to interact with other participants in the class. This felt so special because it was in his home and the chai came out bomb and we got to enjoy it with other snacks he had for us. This was such a unique experience and I can’t recommend enough!

I learnt the secret to making great masala chai in J.D’s family home. A nice cozy experience. His father also made us a great breakfast 👍🏻 The location is easy to get to with uber.

I had an incredible experience at JD's masala chai making class! JD is an excellent storyteller, making the session not only informative but also engaging, as he shared fascinating details about the origins of chai. His warm hospitality made us feel right at home, and the tea we made was absolutely amazing. It was a memorable experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking to learn about the art of chai!

We absolutely loved JD’s chai masterclass ! He was delightful, very interesting and chatty. The chai was delicious and the breakfast was a great way to start the day. Not only do I recommend but I will definitely do another of his experiences.

An extremely enjoyable experience. JD was a great host, passionate and knowledgeable about tea and chai masala. It will definitely be something I will try to make back home. The snacks and easy conversation at the end were very generous. I would certainly recommend this experience to anyone who wants a true taste of India!!

The experience has been great. The class was very interesting, has explained everything in detail, with all the tips to make a good tea. He explained the ingredients and all the steps perfectly. He's a very kind and nice guy. We have also been offered a delicious breakfast.

This is an activity I would highly recommend. I had the valuable experience of learning about the history of casual chai drinking in India and actually making it. When I made it myself, I was surprised to see how much work it took! At the end, we drank chai and had Indian breakfast made by our father. JD was very friendly and easy to talk to and taught me not only chai and Indian food, but also many other things. I hear they are also holding cooking classes, so I would like to participate next time. The activity lasts about an hour, so I think you can easily participate.

Best tea lesson you've ever attended. We had a few days in Delhi between flights, and we decided to sign up for this lesson to pass the time. It was the highlight of our time in town! It was incredibly fun and educational. The tea recipe is delicious and we learned about the history of tea in India and how it became so popular. I highly recommend this lesson and you will leave wanting more!

Tea wasn't one of my favorite drinks. But this recipe I learned here changed everything. A way to prepare and server that will make you want to take it every day.

Introduced to Masala Chai while in India. JD taught me the art of making the BEST cup imaginable!

I booked both JD’s Indian cooking class and chai masterclass! These two experiences were easily some of the most memorable parts of my time in Delhi and felt so much more personal than any typical tour. Being welcomed into a local family home made everything feel authentic, from learning to cook a full Indian meal to understanding the stories and spices behind each dish. Both experiences were incredibly hands-on and interactive, and we truly felt like part of the family by the end. The chai masterclass was just as special—we learned how to craft the perfect chai from scratch and gained a deeper appreciation for its cultural significance. If you’re looking for a genuine cultural experience filled with amazing food, meaningful conversation, and warm hospitality, I couldn’t recommend these enough!