Starry secrets

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Anuradha Sawhney

It was around three years back when she was told that she was running the risk of getting heart disease that the idea to do a book for the ever-growing vegan population of India germinated. She realised the power of the right diet and shared her story with people in the hope that it would help them too.

But what sets retired head of PETA Anuradha Sawhney’s book The Vegan Kitchen apart is the Bollywood tadka that she has given to it.
From breakfast, starters, dips and spreads, salads, soups, rice and vegetable dishes, the book boasts of secret recipes from stars’ kitchens. Dilip Kumar’s recipe of peas and potato curry, Vidya Balan’s khichdi and Hema Malini’s sambhar are among the 50 that readers can find inside its pages.
But how did the celebs enter the picture? “In this world of MTV and glamour, nothing sells better than celebrities. So if I wanted my book to sell, the best way would be to get celebrities to give me their favourite vegan recipes and that is exactly what I did.”
Getting Bollywood stars to contribute wasn’t difficult. Her connections from the past helped. “I thought it would be an arduous task. But, nothing ventured, nothing gained. And since I had worked with all of them when I was heading PETA India, when I approached them to contribute one of their favourite vegan recipes, they did so very willingly.”
The first celeb whose recipe set the ball rolling was Rahul Khanna. “I call him my good luck charm as he agreed to contribute a recipe as soon as I contacted him. After that it was smooth sailing. I got at least three recipes every week. The last recipe I got was from Om Puri, and that was only because I had been using the wrong contact details for him,” chuckles Anuradha.
The book gives a refreshing insight into stars’ lives and how they love regular food. “When the recipes started to come in, I noticed that even the biggest of stars has a secret comfort food which is so easy to make. Be it pumpkin pacchadi for Vidya Balan, or roast baby potatoes for Rahul Khanna, or just a grilled mushroom dish for R. Madhavan. I must add that these recipes fit the bill of being nutritious, whole grain and plant-based to a T.”
Anuradha got 76 stars to contribute their recipes, and as the book has only 50, she is already working on a second volume. Which is good news for star-struck foodies.