IN her little kitchen into which sunlight streams and where two shy Nepali boys stand in attendance like sous chefs, Mandira Bedi cooks lunch for husband Raj Kaushal by referring with fierce concentration to a diary that is crammed with home recipes authored by her mother. The lunch is eclectic. A Pepper Mutton, best had with pav from a nearby bakery; a Kaali Dal her mother perfected for parties, and which is known as Party Dal, that goes well with home-made rotis; and, a sinfully rich and gooey Coconut Cake that is really to die for.

Mandira is vegetarian by choice, she gave up meat 12 years ago for a mannat; Raj is a hardcore non-vegetarian, and the Pepper Mutton is to keep him happy. �I don�t even taste non-vegetarian food so I have no andaza,� explains Mandira. �That�s why I must follow a recipe. But my cooking is still very creative. To put things in at the right time is a work of art.� As it turns out, she has followed the recipe down to the minutest detail, and her food is truly delicious. Raj swears by Mandira�s cooking. �She�s fabulous,� he says, �what I like about Mandu is that she gets everything just right. She doesn�t go overboard on the spices or oil. I�d gladly have her cooking 24/7.�

They are a fun couple, utterly and entirely in love with each other. It shows in the way he pours out a glass of her favourite wine, the Italian bubbly Asti Spumente, from his well-appointed bar. �This is my department but she tries to infringe all the time,� he grumbles good-naturedly, sweeping his hand at the bottles of single malt whisky and wine. Amazingly, Mandira began cooking only after she married Raj. �Initially, she used to get stressed and would call her mother in Delhi for help. Now she can rustle up things in five minutes. She loves cooking but has no reason to now. She cooks when she wants to.

Sometimes once a week. Other times once in six months. But she supervises the cooking when we entertain at home,� Raj says. Sundays, when the couple is at home, they generally experiment with food. He thinks her tastes are boring. �Broccoli, mushroom, soya sticks in a dip, that kind of thing. All health stuff. I eat a complete meal after that,� Raj says disparingly. She counters, �Sunday for him is a full meal, Mutton Biryani, Butter Chicken with roti. I am happy with a dahi-chawal, rajma-chana and khichdi, that�s what Sunday means to me.�

They go eating out often. Chinese is a favourite cuisine, they go to China Gate in Bandra, to Olive for Khus-Khus Salad and Mushroom Cappuccino, Moti Mahal for the Paneer Makhanwala, Kali Dal and Chicken Makhanwala with rotis, at times for a good thali at Hotel Siddharth also in Bandra, for Mani�s dosas in Santacruz, some Udipi restaurants they used to frequent before they got married and she became a star.

Raj�s being a non-vegetarian does not bother Mandira one bit. �We are like yin and yang,� he explains. �I like spicy stuff, she goes in for bland and healthy food, she�s hyperenergetic, I�m calm and controlled.� She is a Sardarni, and comes from a family of hearty meat eaters.

She doesn�t miss non-vegetarian food. Vegetarianism is catching on in the world. Though sometimes when she travels, her meals are only potatoes and beans, �the side accompaniments in a meal�, she says. And Mandira reveals the yang side of her: �I don�t eat anything I shouldn�t. But I have a sweet tooth, I love chocolates, I can�t get enough of Chunky KitKat. I love cooking, my tastebuds are sharp, but I dislike going to the market and shopping for food: my boys do that. I�ve developed a taste for wines, they contain less calories than a spirit and chaser. I can tell a good glass of wine. I�m also a vodka drinker. And if I�m at a party and the host is serving single malt, I will accept a glass, why not?�