Why a vegetarian cookbook?
The chef and restaurateur on her new all-vegetarian cookbook, <i >Diva Green</i>
Why a vegetarian cookbook?
It should have been my first, because I cook a lot of vegetarian food and have grown up in a vegetarian home.
How does one make vegetarian food sexy?
There is so much variety—it’s all about how you put it together to make the vegetable the hero. It needs starch and carbs to hold it up.
You’re big on pumpkin and eggplant, which have been sort of the underdogs.
Yes, they are on all my menus, at least three-four dishes each. Earlier, my staff would groan ‘how will we sell it’? But now, they’re popular! In fact, pumpkin is the new rage worldwide.
What’s more popular at your restaurant Diva: veg or non-veg food?
Vegetarian food has become more popular. It just tastes so damn good. Meat is easy to cook, veg is lot more exciting and challenging.
Did you hate greens as a kid?
Most. I liked aloo, bhindi, tori. I hated carrots, but now they are among my favourites.
When did you start cooking?
I was nine when I made my first meal—baked beans and veggies with macaroni and Amul cheese. My parents called me a genius.
What led to a fascination with Italian khana?
I travelled to Italy for a school trip when I was 10, and every night we would eat minestrone soup and spaghetti tomato basil. I fell in love with the food.
The cookbook has recipes from all over....
It’s a collection of easy-to-cook, tasty recipes. I’ve put it together with a bit of what I had in my head, my heart and my notebook.
Spaghetti with strawberries? Howzzat?
I had it in Venice first, and the tartness of strawberries works great! I like to use fruits to get that sweet and savoury combination.
TV shows or cookbooks?
TV shows are addictive, cookbooks require a lot more work. Diva Green took me two years to complete.