What To Expect From The Chakra Spice Masterclass

You’ve seen the Chakra Spice Masterclass advertised on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and you’re curious but wondering if it’s worth the money? Read on to see what you can expect from the class.

The very lovely owner of the Jaipur Group (which owns Chakra) kindly invited me to take part in their monthly Chakra spice masterclass. Let me tell you, he didn’t have to ask me twice. 

If you follow me on social media (and if you don’t, really, you should) you will know that Ananda in Dundrum is one of my favourite restaurants. The Chakra Spice Masterclass is curated by Ananda’s head chef, the very talented Karan Mittal. So when Asheesh Dewan contacted me to offer me a spot, I absolutely jumped on the chance.  You see, last year my friends Alan and Lucy gifted me with Fresh India for my birthday and I had been dabbling with it with more success than not. 

It’s one thing to read a recipe book and try and recreate it, but there is nothing quite like seeing a master at work from up close. You can smell the aromas of the freshly ground spices, you can touch and you can taste and, for me, it’s the best way to learn so the idea of the Chakra Spice Masterclass is right up my alley. 

The concept is as follows, you pay €70.00 per person and you get a talk by Chef Karan Mittal on spices, a cooking lesson in the kitchen and a full lunch.

Things To Know About The Chakra Spice Masterclass 

• The whole session takes a good 3 hours.
• Wear comfortable clothes. I recommend layers as it is quite warm in the kitchen.
• You must be happy to stand for an hour in the shoes you are wearing.
• If your hair is long, make sure you have something to tie it up as for hygiene purposes it needs to be covered with a net when you’re in the kitchen. 
• The talk will include how to use them in food, how to store them, a bit about their provenance and what they are used for in India. You get to touch and smell the spices and you get the opportunity to ask as many questions as you possibly can. I asked a lot of questions. A lot.
• You will be given a note book and a pencil to take notes so you can come in empty handed. 
• If you have breakfast, make it a light one as you will be fed Jaipur Group style which means you will be fed with their signature generosity and will have to be rolled out of the place. 

My highlights from the Chakra Spice Masterclass were simple. I now check the freshness of my spices every three months. I use them differentely and with more confidence. I now make potatoes and peas cakes regularly (we were shown how to make them in the kitchen).

Although, as explained above, I did not pay for the class, at €75.00 for 3 hours and a huge lunch made by some of the most talented chefs in Dublin, the Chakra Spice Masterclass is incredible value and I will be buying it as a gift for people in the future.