Anjum Anand

OT: What does travel mean to you?
Anjum Anand: For me, travel is all about experiences. It’s about immersing myself in other cultures and getting to know what they’re about.

OT: What are your favourite holiday destinations? What remains on your bucket list?
Anjum Anand: I absolutely love New York, because who doesn’t? Also, I was in Canada this summer and absolutely fell in love with the place. As far as my bucket list is concerned, I’d like to visit South America, South Africa and Japan—and these are my next three planned destinations.

Colourful Tokyo is next on her bucket list

OT: Any travel memory of yours that stands out?
Anjum Anand: Oh gosh, just one? I’d say my honeymoon. My husband booked us a ticket around the world, but didn’t 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 ruins—an 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. It’s 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: India’s 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 nawab’s, where we had some of the best cuisines.

OT: How was the experience shooting Anjum’s Spice Stories and how’s 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 don’t 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. It’s just how much you end up eating or snacking. There’s nothing wrong with the meals themselves.