8 27 February 2021 | The Guardian Weekend
Front Q&A
Born in Delhi, Jaff rey, 87 , trained at R ada. In 1973, she
published An Invitation To Indian Cooking, and became a TV
chef in 1982. Instantly Indian, her 30th book, was published
in 2019. She has three children and lives in New York with her
second husband, the violinist Sanford Allen.When were you happiest?
I am happiest when I am working.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lying and deceit.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Walking along Regent Street in London with half of my sari
trailing behind me.
Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing
you’ve bought?
A 19th-century ebony and cane chair from the Raj period.
What makes you unhappy?
Not working.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My height. How tall am I? I’m not telling!
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would
you choose?
All the coral that has been lost in the sea.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Nobody has been honest enough to tell me.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A doctor, a painter , an actress.
What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
“Paki ”; this was in the UK.Madhur Jaff rey, actor and cookery writer
Second biggest
life lesson?
The bigger your
boobs, the lower
they fallRICHARD BEAVEN/ THE GUARDIANWhat is your guiltiest pleasure?
Crisps, plain or with vinegar.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
My close family. We would all cook, we are a cooking family.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I try not to overuse any. I have my pet hates, though : “Going
forward” and “At the end of the day ”. You won’t hear me
uttering those.
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
I would go to my 40s when I was travelling the globe and
working in the UK, America and much of Asia. I looked my
best then.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
It’s nearly happened twice, each time after an operation.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
If only I could drive. I have tried learning. I almost
demolished James Ivory’s house in America. That was
scary; I never drove again.
What has been your closest brush with the law?
At the airport in New York, trying to bring in a prosciutto di
Parma from Parma, and another time, alphonso mangoes
from India. I was caught each time – and I know they didn’t
throw my ham and mangoes away.
What keeps you awake at night?
Unfi nished work and caff eine.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
None: I do not want a funeral.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
To be happy you have to have the courage to pursue your
dreams. The second lesson is, the bigger your boobs when
you are young, the lower they fall when you are old Rosanna Greenstreet