Karen Anand

An author, TV personality and sought-after restaurant consultant, she’s both a gourmet and a gourmand. HELLO! dips into her delectable world of culinary masterpieces — with special excerpts from her new book

- NAYARE ALI

In keeping with her penchant for perfection, culinary genius Karen Anand is dot on time for the launch of her book in Bengaluru. The poolside venue at the luxury hotel is crowded with ardent admirers queued up to get signed copies of Masala Memsahib: Recipes and Stories from My Culinary Adventures in India, Karen welcoming each of them with a smile.

Earlier, she spent time in the property’s kitchen, whipping up a delicious treat of her favourites for all. On the menu were prawn balchao, Bengal’s beguni with tomato chutney, and sweet potato smashes with mango chilli mayonnaise, among several other delectable dishes.

For Masala Memsahib, her old-school memoir of sorts of culinary experiences, the food writer and restaurant consultant travelled to five Indian states to document their diverse eating practices and gastronomic histories. As we chat, we realise there’s so much more to the woman who revolutionised the way Indians conceived food with her innovative forays into cooking. In this interview, the author takes HELLO! on a culinary voyage, recalling everything about her love affair with food and much more.

How long did it take to put together Masala Memsahib? I’ve been collecting recipes since I was 18 and been writing Indian recipes since I came to the country in 1984. It’s essentially been 30 years of collecting recipes and stories, but I actually finished the book in 2020. So in less than a year.