‘Main Khaane Mein Kamiyaan Nahi Nikalta’, Sanjeev Kapoor On Life Beyond the Kitchen | Food News

Sanjeev Kapoor

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor isn’t just a master of flavors, he’s a storyteller who stirs memories, emotions, and life lessons into every dish. In an interview with The Indian Express, as he sat in a bustling restaurant surrounded by the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the Padma Shri awardee painted such vivid pictures of his culinary world that one could almost taste the warmth and nostalgia in his words. His conversation flowed like his cooking seasoned with humor, wisdom, and the unmistakable passion of a man who has lived his craft.

Though known for his deep connection with food and health, what surprises most people is his fascination with technology, fitness, and relentless innovation. For Kapoor, the art of living well is as precise and mindful as his cooking. His mornings begin with quiet ritual and discipline, a glass of water infused overnight with neem and bel leaves in a copper tumbler, followed by yoga, tea, and a handful of nuts. “There’s sound science behind morning routines,” he says, explaining how small, consistent habits shape the day and eventually, the person.

His philosophy on gut health reflects the same holistic sensibility. “What’s good for you is good for your gut,” he notes, adding that food shouldn’t serve one organ at the expense of another. India, he reminds us, has long celebrated fermented, gut-friendly dishes from khameeri roti to Odisha’s pakhala bhaat.

Kapoor’s festive food memories are equally heartwarming. He fondly recalls how his father would transform leftover Diwali sweets into a warm rabdi or freeze it into kulfi. That memory later inspired one of his most popular restaurant creations, the Tawa Mithai Chaat, a playful mix of sweets flamed on a pan with rabdi at the center. “The inspiration came from home,” he smiles. “I just gave it a name.”

When it comes to diet and balance, Kapoor’s approach is refreshingly practical. “Balance sab dimaag mein hai,” he says. If he eats more, he simply moves more even using time at airports to walk instead of wait. “You don’t always need extra time; your routine can give you enough.”

At home, he remains a cook at heart. “Being a chef means creating,” he insists. Even a simple meal can be transformed with a small twist proof that creativity doesn’t need extravagance. And when dining out, the critic in him rests. “Main khaane mein kamiyaan nahi nikalta,” he laughs. “I look for what’s good, not what’s wrong.”

Kapoor’s curiosity extends beyond food. A self-confessed tech enthusiast, he proudly recalls that his website was among India’s first seven, and that he was the first Indian to have a digital avatar. “If you ask Alexa for a recipe,” he grins, “there’s a 90 percent chance it’ll be mine.” His love for innovation keeps him testing beta versions of apps like Perplexity and Grok, long before they hit the mainstream. “If there’s nothing new, it’s no fun.”

As for what’s next, Kapoor reveals that a biopic on his life is in the works, directed by Hansal Mehta and produced by Aamir Khan Productions. “One day Aamir Khan called me,” he laughs. “I told him, my phone is blessed now!”

Whether talking about ready-to-eat food or home-cooked meals, Kapoor remains balanced and pragmatic. Both, he believes, have their place, convenience and freshness can coexist. “Packet wala khana convenience ke liye hota hai, taste ke liye nahi,” he says.

Despite his fame, Kapoor remains strikingly grounded. He eats everything from idlis and samosas to burgers and sugarcane juice and insists he loves them all equally. There’s no favorite dish, no food hierarchy, only joy.

And when asked for advice for young chefs, his response is characteristically simple and spirited:

“Kisi ki advice na lein — apne mann ki karein.” (Don’t take anyone’s advice. Follow your heart.)