7 Cooking Classes in Ella: What to Book and What It Costs

1.Traditional Sri Lankan Cooking Class

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

Join Ranjani, also called Ranji, in an open-air kitchen in Ella for a two-hour Sri Lankan cooking lesson. You will prepare dishes such as dhal, curry, coconut sambol, string hoppers, hoppers, or honey roti, learn about spices and their health uses, then eat together from banana leaves. Recipes arrive by WhatsApp.

“This cooking class is great, very homely and we learnt lots about traditional Sri Lankan cooking with yummy food at the end! We learnt about local traditions and was overall a great hands on experience thank you”

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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 two to three hour, hands-on Sri Lankan cooking class. You will prepare curries, sambols, salads, papadom, or coconut roti, learn traditional spice and coconut milk techniques, then eat the meal together. Recipes and selected spices are included.

“An amazing experience!! Absolutely fantastic from Start to finish, Neranji was so kind and welcoming and explained everything so well to us. We learned so much about Sri Lankan cuisine and the food was so well prepared and we were involved in everything. Definitely the best cooking class in Ella and you won’t be disappointed, such good value for money and you enjoy the food afterwards. A must try when in Ella!!”

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3.Cooking class with amazing Spice Garden Tour

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

Tour a family-run 2.5-acre spice garden with guides such as Sam, Senaka, or Upulu, then join a small-group cooking class in Ella. You’ll make coconut milk by hand and prepare rice, curries, sambol, banana chips, and papadam over a traditional fireplace before eating together.

“Very nice spice gardeb tour and interactive cooking workshop.”

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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 teach you to prepare several Sri Lankan curries, rice, coconut sambol, and papadum. You will chop, grind spices, cook over fire and gas, and eat the finished meal with views across the surrounding countryside. The small group is limited to six people, and recipes are shared for cooking at home.

“Would definitely recommend this experience to everyone that visits Ella! Truly authentic and Irosha and her mum were so kind and accommodating to our dietary requests! Traditional methods of cooking and gave us tips for cooking! The meal was delicious and we all had a part to play throughout the experience! A massive thankyou and would recommend to others!”

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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 cooking class in Ella’s outdoor kitchen. Prepare rice, several curries, sambol, and poppadum with clay pots and firewood, choosing dishes and spice levels to suit you. The class costs $17 per person, welcomes small groups of up to eight, and includes recipes to take home.

“It was a beautiful and informative class. Her kitchen faces a peaceful scenery! Sadamali was incredibly friendly and she demonstrated traditional Sri Lankan cooking techniques. The food was amazing - it consisted of rice and various curries of your choosing. Highly recommend!”

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6.Sri Lankan Authentic Cooking expirience

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

At Honey Bee Garden Cooking Class, Ruwini guides you through Sri Lankan spices, rice, coconut roti, dhal, pumpkin, beans, aubergine modju, sambal, and papadam. You will crack and scrape coconuts, prepare fresh coconut milk, cook as a team, and sit down to eat the full meal. The two-hour class is in English and limited to 10 people.

“Amazing cooking class. Lucky to have the lady for just the two of us. Best food we have eaten in Sri Lanka! Was unreal :)”

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7.Private cooking class – Personalized classic menu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · 3 hours · from $42

Join hosts Sithara and Upali at Sweetvalley Cooking School for a private, three-hour Sri Lankan cooking class. Explore spices, make curry paste, and prepare a custom menu ranging from snacks to desserts. Vegan and gluten-free meals can be arranged, with hotel pickup included.

“Me and my husband spent a wonderful evening at Sithara and Upali’s home - they were so warm and welcoming, opening their home to us and not only teaching us to cook delicious Sri Lankan food but also sharing stories from their lives, travels, food and culture. I would recommend this experience to anyone staying in Ella wanting an authentic cooking experience. We learnt to make 10 delicious dishes - and we were able to request a vegetarian menu and also specific dishes we wanted to learn (I think it was the best Cashew curry I have ever tasted but every dish was the best we had eaten in our…”

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