Food Facts - Lata Mangeshkar

FOOD FACTS - Lata Mangeshkar

The first thing I have in the morning: Is some warm water. Earlier, I would get up early but now I get up late, by 6am. Thereafter I have my breakfast. I don't have any favourites — I generally have a cup of tea or coffee along with some biscuits.

I am particular about: Nothing really. I eat everything sparingly. I eat oil and pickles too. I love spicy food, especially mirchi but these days I avoid it. And yes, I don't drink cold water. I also avoid khatta and dahi.

My diet: Is non-vegetarian. I like seafood; we always have seafood at home because my father was from Goa.

My lunch: I have phulka and sabzi. Dal is a must. I eat all sabzis and I am not allergic to anything.

My culinary abilities: I cook Kolhapuri Mutton and sabzi. I learnt cooking at an early age. My naani and my mother taught me how to cook. Lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri's wife taught me how to make Mughlai dishes and how to use kesar in them. My favourite cook in my family was my mother. She would make pulav for my father, which I simply adored.

I love eating: Pani puri. But I don't eat chaat.

I prefer: Coffee to tea. During my song recordings, I like to drink one to two cups of hot coffee.

My dinner: Usually comprises dal and rice. I have dinner around 9.30pm.

My favourite desserts: I am fond of gajar halwa and add a lot of kesar to it. I like kesar and add it along with some badam to milk.

The last thing I have before going to sleep: Is a glass of milk.

My Sunday meal: Is nothing special. We eat simple food like we do throughout the week.

Before a recording or a concert I eat: Very little but after the concerts I eat a lot. I carry honey and water with me.

I love to dine at: Yash Chopra's house. We have lovely Mughlai food and conversations about music.

The vegetable or fruit I love to buy: Mangoes. But I am a compulsive shopper, and I love purchasing things. When I am at a market, I buy vegetables and fruits, when I go to a bookshop I buy books and if I am at a sari shop, I buy lots of saris.

My favourite cuisine: I'm fond of all cuisines, whether it is Chinese or Gujarati.

I like food that has been cooked in: A lakdi or koyle ka chulha. The food gets cooked very well in it.