My desire in coming out with this book is to encourage more people to take up cooking - as a hobby or to put a tasty meal on the table for the family and friends. Some of my recipes can be traced to a few generations, so you can't get it any more authen-tic.The many ideas and tips picked up on my travels and from personal experience as well are included here. I hope these will not only help you conserve time and energy but aid the budget conscious homemakers/home economists too. So bring out that passion in you and use these tips to your advantage. I have taken both Asian and Western palates into consideration when presenting my recipes. Everyone now has an opportunity to explore the art of exotic Indian cooking as well as traditional local flavours with all its wonderful spices.