The Indian Nigella who has outsold Harry Potter

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Now television cook Anjum Anand has become a huge success in her own right, after last week's sales of her book on Indian food beat even the latest Harry Potter to soar to the top of the Amazon bestseller list.

Anand, 35, who has encouraged comparisons with "Domestic Goddess' Nigella Lawson by handling mangos in a way some viewers have perceived as somewhat suggestive, published the book to coincide with her BBC2 series, Indian Food Made Easy, which aims to convince people that Indian food can be simple, delicious and healthy.

Anand says she first took a serious interest in cookery when she was in her early 20s.

Scroll down to watch Anjum Anand cook up a storm

Television cook Anjum Anand has been dubbed the 'Indian Nigella'

Determined to find a weight-loss regimen that would work for her, she concocted pared-down versions of traditional Indian dishes that reduced fat rather than flavour.

After losing an astonishing 5st, Anand, who was born in the UK to parents who emigrated from the Punjab 45 years ago, said she realised her interest in cooking had developed beyond simply losing weight.

After stints at restaurants including New York's Cafe Spice, she published her first cookbook, Indian Every Day, in 2003.

So how does she feel about being compared to Nigella? "I don't see myself as a sexy cook,' she insists. "I think I'm very different from Nigella. She oozes sex appeal. I think with me you see more passion, less sexiness."

The success of her book suggests that her fans see it rather differently.

Watch Anjum Anand cook up a storm