Meenakshi Garodia grew up in New Delhi, India, in a large family. She completed her Undergrad in Economics from Delhi University and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. After working in the family textile business for three years she then moved to the US after  her marriage. She has been in Boston for 14 years and has worked in different fields such as finance and sales.

Tell us about your show"VegAround the World" with Meenakshi Garodia

This show is primarily about experimenting with food and stepping away from the mundane in the kitchen. I explore one country at a time through the vegetarian aspects of its cuisine. In each episode we "visit" one country- discuss some cultural facts, perhaps some history, and include appetizers, main courses, desserts and a local drink. Many of the recipes take no more than 5 - 20 minutes to prepare and have been simplified extensively- my tag is "Simple Recipes- Authentic Taste"!

Also I find this is great way to introduce children to different cuisines- without taking them to so many restaurants. My son Neil is my biggest fan- he loves all the food and regularly requests the French or Korean or whatever he feels like!

How did you get inspired with this idea?

My family was always adventurous in its food choices, and I grew up eating delicious food from different parts of world. Even travelling abroad, we would often try and sample local delicacies, despite being   vegetarian or, we desis call it, "Eggetarian". Consequently, I am an unabashed foodie and have found that cooking doesn’t need to be complicated or scary.

Even before the show came along, I often did country themes while entertaining at home.

I wanted to provide a simple one stop place where it's easy to prepare a complete meal.

Today, with the multitude of dietary restrictions people have- a lot of people are looking to incorporate more vegetarian meals in their diet but get stumped for options.

And I wanted to demonstrate that it is not only possible, but even easy, to be experimental even if vegetarian. It was a good opportunity to break the stereotype that if one is vegetarian, one eats only salads!

Were  you always fond of cooking growing up? What were your favorite foods?

 Actually, I didn't know how to cook till I came to the US! But as I grew up eating and surrounded by delicious food, I think that really developed my palate. So when I cook now it has to live up to a high standard!

Cooking is a creative outlet for me. When I cook, I rarely look at recipes and prefer experimenting through trial and error…though this can result in some awful outcomes sometimes.

As for favorite foods- that’s like asking a mom to choose a favorite child! It is not possible!

What are your other hobbies?

I read a lot- used to read a  book a day for the longest time. I enjoy travelling, and try to get to at least one new country a year. Music is another enduring interest.  I actually blog about them. I volunteer a bit.And of course, spending time with my son!

What do you keep in mind while cooking - Is it nutrition, flavor or simple ingredients ?

While designing a complete meal, I do try to balance the nutrition aspect, however the real focus for me is the taste followed by the authenticity of the food and how easily and speedily that can be achieved. I love good food and I love cooking but I don't want to be in the kitchen forever! I prefer enjoying it with family and friends.

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