Anjum Anand

OT What does travel mean to you
Anjum Anand For me, travel is all about experiences. Its about immersing myself in other cultures and getting to know what theyre about.

OT What are your favourite holiday destinations What remains on your bucket list
Anjum Anand I absolutely love New York, because who doesnt Also, I was in Canada this summer and absolutely fell in love with the place. As far as my bucket list is concerned, Id like to visit South America, South Africa and Japanand these are my next three planned destinations.

OT Any travel memory of yours that stands out
Anjum Anand Oh gosh, just one Id say my honeymoon. My husband booked us a ticket around the world, but didnt tell me about it. He just told me to pack for both hot and cold. One of the places we visited was Mexico, where we rented a car and drove across ruinsan amazing trip.

OT What was it like growing up in Europe
Anjum Anand I grew up in London and Switzerland, but I was in Geneva during most of my formative years. Its a great place to grow up because you become open to many cultures. My parents quickly got to know all the other Indians in Switzerland, so I was surrounded by them.

OT What do you have to say about India, especially with regard to food
Anjum Anand Indias the best For me, Mumbai is quite lovely and the food amazing. I think both Mumbai and Delhi have delicious food. I went to Hyderabad last year to experience proper Hyderabadi food. We were invited to a nawabs, where we had some of the best cuisines.

OT How was the experience shooting Anjums Spice Stories and hows the Australian culinary scene with regard to Indian food
Anjum Anand Going there for me was great because I got to showcase those Indian dishes that I thought the Australians would like. We did some barbecue stuff because they absolutely love that. I tried to tailor it to their palate. However, in terms of Indian food, I dont think Australia is there yet.

OT How did you approach the challenge of making Indian food healthy and nutritious
Anjum Anand I suppose the perception is that Indian food is very heavy with its cream and ghee. But I think if you cook Indian dishes with half the oil that your mum or the cookbook tells you to put in, the food still tastes great. Its just how much you end up eating or snacking. Theres nothing wrong with the meals themselves.