NITA MEHTA, author, publisher and entrepreneur

If cooking is the way to a man’s (or woman’s) heart, then Nita Mehta is the queen of (plentiful) hearts with her cookery classes, cookbooks (almost 500 titles sold over 5 million plus copies), her own range of masalas and her chain of restaurants, Nita Mehta’s Kelong.

Talking about her journey, she recalls, “Bahus are not supposed to work outside and earn money, quipped my mother-in-law when one day I announced my interest in starting my own cookery classes. Both my children were young at the time and my in-laws were not happy with my decision, but I listened to my heart and cajoled them. Finally gave in… that’s how my journey started.”

She adds, “I would like to tell all women who have a dream to step up: opportunities don’t come knocking on your doors, rather you have to look out for them, find your passion, be courageous, stop wandering around or get old waiting for opportunities and explore reasonable ways to pursue what you love. Self-empowerment is a great way to lead by example and live a harmonious life.”

For Nita, it is about more than just dishing out yummy recipes as she says, “Cooking is a metaphor for life. When you cook, you need structure and an understanding and acceptance of the rules that actually matter, but just as importantly you need to be able to loosen up and go with the flow.”

Her interaction with women also made her realise the need for value-based books for children. In this endeavour, she was supported by her son Anurag, who is the CEO of her publishing company. “My call has always been to make life more enriching for women, be it through cooking or giving values to children. This gives purpose to my life and keeps my passion alive.”

‘I’d like to tell all women who have a dream to step up: opportunities don’t come knocking on your door, you have to look out for them, find your passion, be courageous and explore reasonable ways to pursue what you love’