Born in the pre-independent India in the year 1929, Legendary Lata Mangeshkar began singing in her early years and sang more than 15,000 songs in 36 languages and had a career spanning over 73 years.
While the nation condoles the void that will never be filled, we all remember how the legend with the heart of gold and a voice of God, once said, “I won’t ever stop singing. When I die my music will go with me.” Music was her first love, but she equally loved food, and as we remember her, we take a look at some fond food memories of Late Lata Didi.
Old food memories of the Melody queen
The queen of melody loved the food cooked by her sibling, and legendary Asha Bholse. The latter once said in an interview that “Lataji is a fan of my cooking and often tells people that no one can cook like me. I think she particularly likes my Shammi Kebabs which she requests once in a while,” said the veteran singer. While she also mentioned her Lata Didi’s love for Mutton Coriander.
It was not just her soulful voice but also her dedication towards music that will be etched in hearts for ages. Her food habits also reflected her greatness. She had expressed her love for food cooked in a “ lakdi or koyle ka chulha” as the food gets cooked very well in it.
She once spoke a leading daily, expressing how her morning began at 6am with a glass of warm water. Followed by a hearty breakfast, she also spoke how much she loved tea or coffee with a few biscuits.
Her healing voice motivated the Indians after the war as she sang the legendary song ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke logo’, she defined music like no other!
Interestingly, her love for food was simple as she shared in one of the media reports where she said: ‘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.
She often expressed how her love for seafood was shaped in her early years as her father was from Goa. A non-vegetarian at heart, the simplicity of her nature also reflected in her food habits as she once said that ‘ I eat all sabzis. I have phulka and sabzi for lunch and Dal is a must. I eat all the sabzis and I am not allergic to anything.
The Goddess of melody had a sweet tooth as well, as she once shared that “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.”
She also revealed that 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. The singing legend loved mangoes and was fond of almost all cuisines.
Remembering her fond food memories, she once said that “I love to dine at Yash Chopra’s house. We have lovely Mughlai food and conversations about music.”
On this day, when we look back our hearts are filled with a void, but we are sure her melodious songs will heal us and remain with us forever!