It’s been two months since we returned and N and I are missing our travels more than we expected. We thought we might revisit a few of our most memorable experiences here.

We went on lots of market tours during our travels and took a couple of incredible cooking classes, too. Udaipur, in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, was one of our favorite cities in India. It’s friendly and accessible, easy to walk and to navigate and filled with compelling sights and smells. While we were here, we went to an in-home cooking class led by a quiet, lovely Indian woman named Gita. She didn’t speak much English, but this was definitely one of those times when not many words were needed; the idea of food as a universal language is such an accurate cliché.

Traditional masala boxes contain cooking spices. Women are often given these as a wedding gift to bring to their new husband’s home.

Combining fresh tomatoes, coriander and garlic for tomato chutney.

Toasting whole spices brings out their aromatic oils.

Making aloo gobi masala, cauliflower and potatoes with peas.

This will be the filling for our samosas.

Rolling fresh dough for samosas.

The dough, speckled with cumin seeds, is cut into quarters.

Years of practice make this look easy.

Filling the samosas…

…and into the fryer they go.

You don’t need fancy kitchen gear to produce amazing food.

Many homes in rural India still don’t have refrigerators or freezers, so you buy what you need and cook fresh food every day.

Indian cuisine includes an array of incredible breads.

Poori puffs up when it’s cooked over an open flame.

The best part of any cooking class is sitting down together to eat delicious food!

Our kind, generous host, Gita – a truly incredible cook.

We miss you, India!