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Sanjeev Kapoor, widely regarded as one of India’s leading chefs and a household name thanks to his iconic cooking show Khana Khazana directed by Hansal Mehta, has opened up about his experience cooking for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a new interview with Mashable India, Sanjeev Kapoor spoke about the special occasion when he prepared a meal for PM Modi during a visit to Abu Dhabi.
Recalling the experience, he shared that he served the Prime Minister both his own cooked dishes and local specialities of the region. “Sab unhone try kiya, saying kisi jagha ka culture pata karna ho toh khana se pata chalta hai” (He tried everything, saying “if you want to understand a place’s culture, you understand it through the food”). He also spoke about the Prime Minister’s simple yet appreciative approach to food. “Bohot simplicity hai unke khane mein (There’s a lot of simplicity in his eating) but at the same time he has a lot of respect for food.”
He fondly remembered PM Modi enjoying traditional Indian dishes alongside local foods like hummus and ful medames. “Main unko phool madanas bata raha tha ki sir ye na aise hota hai.. iss mein ye thoda kata hua pyaaz, tamatar daal dete hai.. Toh unhone kaha ki ye toh apna baaji pav hogaya!” (I was explaining to him what phool medames is… we add some chopped onions, tomatoes… and he said, ‘Oh, this is like our baaji pav!’), he recalled with a laugh.
The chef highlighted that the Prime Minister maintains a pure vegetarian diet, favouring simple staples like khichdi, parathas, and thepla. “He isn’t fussy at all. He isn’t like agar ye nahi mila toh mera din nahi hoga… he is very simple and believes in simplicity.”
Back in early 2018, Sanjeev Kapoor had been invited to cook for Prime Minister Modi during the UAE visit, upon the invitation of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed. At the time, Kapoor had shared a series of photos of the dishes he prepared on Instagram, captioning it: “Absolute honour & privilege to cook for our Hon. PM @narendramodi on invitation from Hon. Crown Prince of UAE. My respect for both these great leaders grows more & more.”
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