Cooking with Monisha

Indian In 6, 100 Irresistible Recipes that use 6 ingredients or less

After Stylish Indian in Minutes, it had to be Indian in 6- 6 ingredients that is and not 6 minutes as many readers presumed when they first heard of it!

I loved writing this book because it was a bit of a challenge. It was fun trying out the recipes over and over again much to the delight of my friends who received many dinner invitations!
Stylish Indian In Minutes

What can I say about this book? It had been a twinkle in my eye for a long time when my publisher and friend Kyle Cathie okayed it. It went on to win the 'Cookery Book of the Year 2003' award and brought many good and exciting projects my way. It was also a dream to write because it is about Indian cooking that's right down my alley - fresh, fast and fabulous! Super to look at as well.
Indian Beauty Secrets

When I was still a teenager, I did a professional diploma in Herbal Beauty with Shahnaz Hussain, India's leading beauty expert and advisor to the late Indira Gandhi, India's only woman Prime Minister. While studying with her, I also got a distance -learning diploma in Beauty from ITEC, London. All this, coupled with the wise advice handed to me by my grandmother, mother and aunts helped me write this book. All those female relatives gathering at home on hot, tropical Bombay afternoons to discuss everything from pimples to the menopause provided rich pickings while writing. Thank you, all of you, for the uninhibited and sometimes outrageous discussions about the intimate details of female (and male!) existence!!
Inside India

By this time, I had just had my second baby, a little girl. As I was nursing her and this book involved going to lots of homes in India, I had to carry her under one arm and my files under the other as I went to the photo shoots. Even today, wherever I look at the pictures in this book, I remember how little Saayli is just off camera in so many of them, sleeping peacefully on a nearby sofa or bed.

My husband and I were also restoring our first proper home in India - a 1930's Art Deco apartment. It was great to be walking into some of India's best homes - what inspiration! My home was later featured in the Times Magazine (UK) and in a book called The Times' 'Innovative Interiors'. It was the only Indian home featured in a collection of international inspirational interiors.
The Indian Pantry

I had just had my first baby in London and was moving to Bombay with him. My husband had already left for Bombay so I was more or less on my own. That's when I was offered this book - like a shiny plum - and I jumped at the offer. Much of this book was written with my son asleep/crying/playing beside me at I punched away at my computer, liberally interspersed with nursing, burping, nappy-changing etc. But doing this book was so much fun! I met so many interesting people and learned so many new things!
The Prestige Festival Cookbook

I co-authored this book and Exotic Curries of the Orient with my mother when I had moved to London and she was living in Bombay. Those were the days of snail-mail and I remember putting batches of recipes in the post in London, hoping that they would reach Bombay in time for the deadline. The Festival book actually describes most Indian festivals and gives simple, traditional recipes of the feasts that are prepared. You can imagine how popular it is in India, especially with young people living away from home!
The Indian Luck Book

What a stunning, fun book to work on! Research for this one was amazing. I met countless astrologers, numerologists, colour therapy practitioners and palmists. As part of the research, I read my friends' palms, wore various gems to see their effects, wrote down my dreams diligently and analyzed the numbers of nations to predict the future or verify their history. All in all - a fab learning experience and I think, a great book!
Great Diamonds of India

This book took me the most time in research - a few years in fact. I got to work with some of the finest institutions of the world - the Louvre in Paris, the Smithsonian in Washington DC and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and of course the chance to spend time with the world's fanciin Paris, the Smithsonian in Washington DC and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and of course the chance to spend time with the world's fanciest jewels. I remember taking my son (then aged 6) to the De Beers office in Bombay to look at models of 100 of the world's most famous diamonds. Both of us gawked and gaped at the model of the Koh-I-Noor. "Where is the diamond, mum? This is just a rock!" he said as the crystal gem filled his palm.
In Quest of God

We went on a pilgrimage to the holy Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in the Tibetan Himalayas in 2001. The raw beauty and spiritual message that were evident there touched us deeply and we came back with a greater insight into life and its intricacies.

A book had to follow - there was no book on the market that could have prepared us for our unique experience. This book is very dear to my heart and my husband's photographs of our journey make it more special.
Healthy Indian Kitchen

I love colour and it has been a great passion in my life. Colour in food, in one's home, in the environment and in personal style has fascinated me and that's why I have spent hours researching this beautiful subject. In India, colour seems more important than anywhere because it is so much more vivid and natural . . . we have the 'orangeast' sunsets and the greenest jungles .

In this book I combined the health principles of colour (and its effect on your 'chakras') and Ayurveda, an Indian system of holistic well-being. Its principles are everyday fare in India and most of us grow up knowing our right foods from our wrong.