Top 6 Cooking Classes in Ella

1.Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 788 reviews · 2 hours · from $19Our pick

At Chamathka Cooking Class in Ella, Ranjani guides a small group through traditional Sri Lankan cooking in an open-air kitchen. You may prepare curry, dhal, sambol, hoppers, string hoppers, or honey roti, while learning about spices, health benefits, and old-style techniques. The two-hour class ends with a shared meal served on banana leaves, with recipes sent through WhatsApp.

“It was a truly amazing experience. You cook in a very traditional way - which is not only super interesting to experience - but also extremely tasty! It was honestly the best meal I had during my trip in both India and Sri Lanka. Alone for the food it was worth it - but the whole class was really fun and good to socialize.”

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2.Sri Lankan Cooking Class with Neranji at Homestay

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 276 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $19Top rated

Join Neranji in her home kitchen in Ella for a 2 to 3 hour, hands-on lesson in Sri Lankan cooking. Prepare seasonal curries, dhal, sambols, salads, papadom, or coconut roti, learn old and modern methods, eat what you make, and take home recipes and spices. Groups are limited to 10.

“A fantastic evening. The cookery demonstration was excellent and the food was superb. Neranji explained everything well and involved the group to produce a beautiful feast.”

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3.Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 239 reviews · 4 hours · from $32

Spend four hours with the family team at Ella Nine Arch Spice Garden. Guide Sam or Senaka may lead you through 2.5 acres of spices, fruit, and medicinal plants before a hands-on class with Nalini or another local chef. Make coconut milk, curries, sambol, banana chips, rice, and papadam, then take home the recipes.

“If you have the opportunity to take this class, take this class! Between the tour of the Spice Garden, the cooking with an incredible chef, the small class size, and more food than you will ever be able to eat, hands-down, the best way to spend four hours.”

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4.Ella Sri Lanka : Mom’s Kitchen Cooking class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 113 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

At Mom’s Kitchen near Ella, Kamala and her daughter Irosha guide you through five or more Sri Lankan dishes in a small outdoor cooking space. You will grind spices, cook over fire and gas, prepare curries and sambol, then sit down to eat what you made. Recipes are shared for cooking at home.

“I booked this cooking course spontaneously on the same day I arrived in Ella, and it turned out to be one of the absolute highlights of my trip. I’ve done several great cooking classes in other countries, but this one was truly special – pure Sri Lankan family-style cooking at its best. The mother and daughter hosting the class were incredibly warm and welcoming, along with their little nephew/grandchild who added even more charm to the experience. They took their time to explain every step, gave us helpful tips, and created such a wonderful, relaxed atmosphere. We laughed a lot and felt completely at home. And the food… just amazing!…”

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5.Ella Cook With Sadamali

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $17Best value

Join Sadamali for a 2.5-hour, small-group cooking class near Ella. You will prepare rice, several curries, and possibly sambol or salad, using clay pots, firewood, and fresh ingredients. Choose dishes to suit your preferred spice level, eat what you make, and take home the recipes.

“Sadamali is a great teacher, she explained things quite thoroughly engaging the whole group whilst patiently accommodating tricky customers. The view from Sadamali's back yard was incredible adding to the experience of making amd cooking the food, which was was delicious. Great experience, I will highly recommend for anyone visiting Ella.”

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6.Sri Lankan Authentic Cooking expirience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 2 hours · from $22

Join Ruwini at Honey Bee Garden for a two-hour, hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class in a traditional home near Ella. Learn about spices, crack and scrape coconuts, prepare rice, roti, sambal, dhal, and several curries, then sit down to eat. The English-language class costs $22 per person and includes recipes by email.

“The host was amazing. Very welcoming. Very knowledgeable and we made a delicious meal. Highly recommend”

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