Zarine Khan is making her television debut with a show on Living Foodz called “Spices and Secrets with Zarine Khan”. On the show, Zarine, the wife of seasoned actor-director Sanjay Khan, will unravel recipes and share secrets of Mughlai, Persian, Continental and, of course, Parsi cuisine. She says cooking is a basic skill, which everyone should learn, boys and girls alike. “It’s very fulfilling to cook for your loved ones. They say even Prince Charles finds cooking very relaxing. My advice for amateur cooks would be to have a few simple recipes on their fingertips and perfect them. The rest will follow.”
Edited excerpts:
How did the idea of cookery series developed? What isitsuniqueness?
Earlier this year, my book was awarded the ‘Best Book of the Year’ in its category at the Gourmet Awards, following which I was offered ‘Spices & Secrets with Zarine Khan’ by Living Foodz. I personally love the channel and thought it was an amazing opportunity to bring to life the recipes I have perfected over the years.
The uniqueness of this show it that my guests on the show are close friends and family who have dined at my home and loved my food for many years. The show has a very special, personal touch to it because it’s not just about the food, it’s also about the memories me and my guests share over the food.
How do you describe your style of cooking?
Easy, homemade cooking is my style. Even on the show, all the dishes I have prepared are very easy, made with ingredients that are readily available at home. Home-made food tastes the best because it’s made of fresh stock and masalas. I do not use any packaged spices or mixtures for my food, everything is freshly grounded.
Will the cookery show be presenting only Parsi dishes? Please tellus aboutsome of your signature dishes.
It will have a mix of Parsi, Mughlai, Persian and Continental cuisines. The dishes I selected to prepare on each episode were based on the preference of my guests and what they have loved eating at my home. A few of the most loved dishes on the show were my mutton biryani, jhinga pulav, laal masala chops, among others.
What is the secret behind your household’s famous biryani?
The only special ingredient I add is my love. I always say, if you don’t cook with love, the taste of your food never shines through. Because when you love what you’re doing, you do it with a lot of passion. Cooking is an art and you need to be patient when you’re cooking. What most chefs do wrong these days, is rush through the process of cooking and the result is never as good as food which is cooked patiently and with love. That’s the secret behind my biryani too.
From Sanjay Khan’s wife to “Spices and Secrets with Zarine Khan”, how hasbeen your journey?
It’s been quite an eventful journey, with a lot of happiness as well as ups-and-downs, but with our never-say-die attitude, we have managed to overcome our bad times. Nothing in life ever comes easy and I have reached where I am today because of my strong will power. My family is very strong willed, which is the reason we have all succeeded in our endeavours.
