Lata Mangeshkar’s zest for life was infectious. And it often reflected in her kitchen that emanated delicious aroma every time she took to cooking with great enthusiasm.

Despite being particular about her food choices and practising discipline while eating, she loved to indulge in her favourite delicacies once in a while. Owing to her Konkani roots, spicy seafood dishes were her favourite. Her father, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar was from the village of Mangeshi in Goa. Mangeshkar also loved mutton preparations flavoured with zesty spices.

Tarun Gunjal, the CEO of Sarjaa Restaurant & Bar, Pune, the 25-year-old restaurant owned by the Mangeshkar family, shares that singer was actively involved in putting together the menu. “Lata ji loved mutton and seafood, and she was a fan of all things spicy. Mutton Kothimbir, a recipe of mutton prepared with coriander, was her favourite and she even taught the recipe to my mother. She also loved Mutton Kakori Kebab. Food was a passion for her and we often sent her food parcels to Mumbai,” recalls Gunjal.

Although Mangeshkar would rarely eat out, but when she did, she liked to indulge wholeheartedly. “We were lucky to often serve her in London. Zeera Chicken, Methi Chicken and Dal Makhani were her go-to dishes whenever she visited our Brilliant Restaurant in Southall, London. My dad also used to pack her favourite food and take it to the flat she used to stay in, which overlooked Lord’s Cricket Ground,” shares UK-based Indian chef Dipna Anand.

Delhi-based chef Nishant Choubey also happened to serve her at a pre-wedding function in Pune in 2018. “It was an all vegetarian menu, and I curated a special Sattvik menu for her which she loved. She enjoyed Aloo Sabudana Tikki Chaat and Nariayal Makhane ki Kheer and I was delighted when she asked for another helping! The waiter told me she was praising the food. I will always cherish that moment… it’s a blessing that I could serve her something made by me,” says Choubey.

Chefs who have bonded with her over food say that her love for life and her humility set her apart. Despite being a living legend, she was always unassuming. Veteran chef Sanjeev Kapoor recalls his most cherished interaction with Mangeshkar on a flight many years ago. “As I boarded the flight, she was already on her seat. She was on 1 D, while mine was 1 C. Both were aisle seats. She had closed her eyes and was resting. So I didn’t want to disturb her to say hello. I dozed off after a while. When the flight was in mid air, she woke me up with a gentle tap on my shoulder and said, Namasakar, main Lata Mangeshkar hoon. That was Lata ji…unbelievably down to earth,” says Kapoor.

Mangeshkar talked about her love for food throughout the flight. She told Kapoor that she liked to watch his shows but when it came to cooking, she liked to give it her own twist. “She told me how much she loved preparing seafood and how Asha ji also cooks along with her.” Kapoor says he will always treasure the memories of that journey. “She had the most compassionate and innocent smile. One can never forget that,” he says.

New York based celebrity chef Vikas Khanna also shared a very special bond with Mangeshkar. “Lata ji was a big fan of Masterchef and she had watched me on the show. It was Ganesh Chaturthi and a friend took me to meet her because she wanted to see me. We had a very long chat. Since then, I started visiting her regularly during Ganesh puja. She looked like the incarnation of Maa Saraswati, chanting right next to you. We built a very special bond… every time she read in the paper about me being in India, she would text me and I would visit her. When I gave her the copy of my book Utsav and told her there are 12 copies in the world and one is for her, she was very touched,” he says.

On Ganesh Chaturthi, the chef would always carry modaks and puran polis made by him for Mangeshkar. “I made my own special versions of modak for her, both savory and sweet, which she totally loved. But I always found the ones served at her home the best,” says Khanna. A visit to Mangeshkar’s house was like visiting a temple for him, says the chef. “It was always a very deep and emotional experience… her death is a huge personal loss and half of the planet is feeling the same way but remember, she’s always going to be with us... she has to,” he says. Indeed, India’s Nightingale will live on!