Lord Krishna mentions the values of Satvik food in the Bhagavad Gita - it is said to keep our minds calm and increase one's intake of knowledge. ✓ Aumshanthi's Satvik Indian Menu is a handy guide to those who wish to learn about this cuisine, which is free of onion, garlic, excessive spice or salt. An array of thirty delectable menus including chutneys, chaat, cereals, salads and more, have been complied, ranging across a multitude of flavours from Kashmir to Kerala and from Gujarat to West Bengal.

Aumshanthi is an author, yoga guru, avid traveller and expert on Indian food. She was born and brought up in Delhi, and completed her Bachelors in Home Science before pursuing teacher training in yoga from Swami Vivekanada Institute, Bengaluru. She has released four successful books so far and has completed a devotional journey around India by visiting all twelve jyothirlingas in chaar dhaam.

If one has faith in the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach", Malti has won over many hearts and certainly my admiration and tastebuds. What is unique about her talent is the swiftness and speed with which she prepares cuisines of different regions and varieties. Dishing out a complete meal for eight or ten people takes her as little as an hour-and-a-half. Over the years that I have known her, I have been impressed by her art of whipping up a great meal without spending several tiresome hours in the kitchen.

I strongly believe that we were born herbivores; if God wanted us to be carnivores. I am sure we would have been endowed with a pair of large canines! I recommend all food enthusiasts to explore the huge and unexplored arena of vegetarian cuisine. Malti has opened up a whole new world of healthy and delicious Indian vegetarian recipes for all of us to devour.

When I work feverishly on a script or when I am thick in the middle of filming, I prefer being alone, cooking my own meals. I remember many occasions, when I have called Malti and asked her to give me easy-to-prepare recipes for wholesome meals to take me through those frenzied days.

I find cooking an immensely relaxing exercise. In my farmhouse, on the outskirts of Bangalore, I have deliberately built two kitchens one for my staff and the other which is my personal and private sanctum, is where I experiment with different kinds of food ideas. Malti has been instrumental in helping me set up this kitchen and constantly provides me with new and innovative recipes, which 1 try out with gusto.

In a country as diverse as India, it would be surprising if the culinary history wasn't as rich and varied as its culture. Each region has as heritage of cuisines with smells, aromas and cooking styles uniquely peculiar to its geographic location, climate, lifestyle and tastebuds. In the cold reaches of the Himalayas in the North, saffron is used widely in cooking as it helps keep the body warm; in the deserts of Rajasthan, the luscious red chilli is used extensively as it has hydrating powers; the abundant growth of coconut trees in the coastal South contributes to its cooking being rich with the delicate flavours of coconut powder and spices. This book attempts to bring together the various cuisines of India in order to give the reader a feel of the vastness of our gastronomic map. The unique of this book is that I have tried to put together a book of menus rather than a straightforward compilation of recipes. I have created a 30-day menu planner by which readers can plan a special meal, every day of the month. The most important ingredient of cooking a good meal is perhaps the love one invests while planning, preparing and serving it. When I whip up meals for my family and friends, I sometimes try to add a special touch or sudden innovative spice to my dishes, apart from the ones listed in the recipe. Cooking is an intensely personal experience for me and seeing people I love relish the food I have cooked, is satisfaction enough.

I learnt to cook when I was a child of ten. My most excited hours were spent in watching my mother pottering in the kitchen grinding aromatic spices, supervising the consistency of her daals and curries, checking the delicate seasonings which would crackle on the simmering fires. Fortunately for me my family encouraged my initial forays into the intricate web of culinary land, never once disheartening my first tentative and sometimes even disastrous ventures!

I am immensely grateful to my mother, friends and relatives who have tasted my food and commented like connoisseurs and indeed have encouraged me to try new techniques and conjure up novel dishes.