“What a clever course and I feel like I learnt so much. Bloody brilliant!” Steph E, London
“Thank you SO much for a totally magical day. I had such a wonderful time exploring the spice and vegetable shops in Tooting with you and learning as best I could under your expert guidance. I will try to revisit some of them soon while they are fresh in my memory, and take my first tentative steps along your ‘Seven Kitchens’ road. You are a brilliant cook and an inspirational teacher – we all felt gathered up and inspired by your knowledge, artistry and enthusiasm! Duncan B, London
“Thank you so much for today I loved it! You were brilliant, it was so informative. The best cookery course I’ve done.”Lucinda B, London
“Thank you for such an amazing day. It was so insightful and such fun. You have propelled me on to the next level of food interest – I shall, if possible, become even more greedy!” Will K, London
Location
London. The course begins in Tooting for the spice tour and then the cooking part is at my house on Wandsworth Common, 10 minutes drive away.
Cost
As of February 2026, the cost per person is £130. Classes begin at 9.15am and finish around 3pm. Each class begins with a spice tour first before returning to cook at my house. Email me chilliandmint@gmail.com for more details. Please note I cannot accommodate those with serious nut allergies.
About Torie
Torie True is an award-winning food writer, cook, and cookery teacher specialising in Indian cuisine. For more than 20 years, she has immersed herself in the food, culture, and traditions of India through extensive travel and by learning from her husband’s Indian family in both the UK and Kolkata. This unique combination of authentic family knowledge and first-hand experience has shaped her approachable, flavour-led style of cooking.
Torie has had the privilege of working alongside the Head Chef of Ananda in the Himalayas—voted the world’s leading Ayurvedic wellness retreat by Condé Nast Traveller – during two five-day UK residencies following the pandemic. Together with the hotel’s COO, they showcased Ananda’s celebrated cuisine to celebrities and members of the Royal Family. She has also completed the prestigious 10-day MasterChef programme at the renowned Bangala Hotel in Tamil Nadu.
Passionate about the magic of spices, Torie loves helping people discover just how accessible, delicious, and rewarding Indian cooking can be. Through her popular cookery classes, she demystifies Indian cuisine, building confidence in home cooks while inspiring them to embrace spices for flavour, wellbeing, and joyful everyday cooking. In many ways, she acts as a bridge between Eastern and Western culinary traditions, making authentic Indian food achievable in every kitchen.
Torie is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and serves as a judge for the Guild of Fine Food. She shares recipes, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of her work on Instagram at @chilliandmint.
Her first cookbook, Chilli & Mint: Indian Home Cooking from a British Kitchen, received international acclaim, with reviews appearing as far afield as New Zealand.
Her second book, Seven Kitchens: A Journey Through India’s Culinary Heritage, was published in November 2025, followed by releases in the United States and Australia in 2026. The book has been featured in Food & Travel, Red, HELLO!, OK!, Waitrose Weekend, and The Australian Weekend Magazine. Torie has also appeared on three BBC Radio programmes and on Times Radio, where her recipes were sampled live on air.
Seven Kitchens was named the UK winner at the 2026 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in two categories: Best Indian Cookbook and Best Asian Cookbook Published Outside Asia.
Both of Torie’s books are available from bookshops worldwide and through major online retailers.
Class size
Class size in my home ranges from 4-7 people. At this stage I am only offering this course to adults. I can either slot you into a group OR if you have 4-7 friends who want to join you then you can form your own group.
The Menu
Menus are bespoke for each class, taking into account any allergies or major food dislikes. She sends out the menu and detailed instructions on where to meet a few days before the class.
Corporate Courses
Indian cooking classes would make a great offsite or team bonding experience and this is possible at a number of central London locations – or if up to 7 they can be at my house. Maximum class size would be 15 people. She will create a bespoke menu for the course and will split everyone into small teams to create dishes that you will all share and eat for lunch or supper together. It’s a new learning experience that will be informal and friendly. Equally she can run classes on zoom.
Gift Vouchers
Are you looking to give a friend or loved one a memorable gift, where they will hopefully learn something new? E-gift vouchers are available – so please email chilliandmint@gmail.com
“Torie, we had a great day. Thank you so much. I’ve been eulogising about you to a couple of fellow parents on the way to the rugby this morning.” Richard S, London
“Our day started like an exotic adventure! Torie guided us through some local shops to find an array of unusual spices and vegetables, which we then selected for the dishes we were about to prepare together. It was very exciting and fun to discover some vegetables I may have seen in ingredients lists, but not known what they looked like or how to prepare them. Torie’s recipes are practical and delicious. It has been wonderful to add a new repertoire to my cooking and given me confidence to use spices and make other recipes from Torie’s regular blog.” Gina, London
“Torie knows and loves her food, she manages to take some theoretically difficult Indian concepts and make them really accessible and easy, without sacrificing any of the taste—not always a simple thing to do. Everything that we tried was great and full of authentic flavour; the recipes and left-overs come home. When you go on a cooking course with Torie expect a fully immersive, hands-on experience accompanying ‘the chef’ to Tooting for ingredients, which you will then prepare in her private (and perfect) kitchen.” Leila VB, London