Theory of Cookery by Krishna Arora is a comprehensive textbook on culinary science, food preparation, cooking methods, ingredients, and kitchen operations. It is primarily designed for hotel-management, hospitality, catering, and culinary-science students, while also serving as a reference for professional cooks and instructors.

The book explains cooking as both an art and a science, covering the effects of heat and cooking processes on food, selection and handling of raw materials, preparation techniques, spices and seasonings, and different cuisines. It also discusses cooking methods such as boiling, baking, broiling, roasting, frying, steaming, and other heat-based techniques.

The book is structured according to the requirements of hotel-management and catering-technology courses in India, making it particularly relevant for students studying food production and culinary science. It also covers Indian and international cuisines, kitchen management, and food-production practices.