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Photo: V. Sudershan

seasoned with humour Khayyam spices up lunch with anecdotes

“Kabhie Kabie”, “Ai Dile Naadan (Razia Sultan), “Gapuchi Gapuchi” (Trishul) “In Aankhon Ki” (Umrao Jaan), and innumerable others. Over yakhni (chicken) soup and tomato for starters, Khayyam says, “Eating for me is like ibadat (prayer). I never tried to cook for myself but for my gurus, like Amar Nath ji, Baba Chishti and Husn Lal ji. I knew if they liked my food, they would teach me a thing or two about music that I might never know otherwise.” The composer may not be cooking now but he knows the exact proportion of ingredients to be used in vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

Trying paneer tikka and crispy khaas khas ke kabab with red and green sauces, he reels out several ways of cooking bhuna gosht and peeli dal. “In our Punjab,” he says referring to his native region, “they say, ‘Dal jo nibhe naal’. It means those who can cook dal well, can cook anything.”

Tasting the lahsuni murgh tikka, he pronounces the food “delicious.”. Jagjit Caur chips in, “Kamal Amrohi (the filmmaker) was very fond of treating people with delicious food that he would get specially prepared.

In Mumbai, we never used to get teetar and bater but whenever he hunted some, he would cook and send it to us. And whenever he came to our house, I would prepare his favourite fish for him.” Adds Khayyam, “Raj Kapoor’s family eat a lot. That’s why all of them grow so fat. They are great hosts too. Yash Chopra and his wife are also very fond of feasting people on the film sets. They feed all, from superstar to spot boy, with great love. On his sets, all eat at one place. There is no hierarchy.”“All singers love me and respect me a lot. So I often take some liberty,” continues Khayyam. “Once Asha Bhosle came to me eating peanuts. I said, ‘Why are you eating peanuts? It will dry your throat. Throw it away right now.’ She smilingly followed. She is very fond of makke ki roti with fresh butter that we cook.”

Time for dessert. Khajoor anjeer ka halwa arrives on the table. “It seems rare. I never ate such a delicious halwa,” the veteran seems delighted.

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