17 my food habits

Spandane – The Last Lecture Section I – My Life Story

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17 / My Food Habits

Friends, I had mentioned in my school days that English was introduced for the first time in

5th standard. Nowadays, students of 3 years are able to write ABC. We had to cover the

syllabus ranging from ABC, reading English text books, reciting poems, and answer text book

questions etc. It was an uphill task to comply in one year considering that most of the students

had not even learned ABC prior to admission in 5th Standard. Obviously we used so many

words without knowing the exact meaning. One such word was ‘food’. May be after 3-4

months of learning English, I found the meaning of the word ‘food’ by referring the

dictionary. ☺

Friends, society can be divided into various groups and sub-groups depending on various

parameters such as age, caste, religion, education, sex, wealth etc. etc. Society can be divided

based on role of ‘food’ in their Life. I am not joking. Don’t get confused. Based on ‘Food’,

society can be divided in to following categories namely those (i) Who Live to Eat (ii) Who

Eat to Live (iii) Who do not get enough Food (iv) Who get Enough Food but waste the same.

(v) Who get Enough food and are aware about poverty in the country.

Friends, I belonged to categories ii & v. Which class do you belong to? ☺

Now let me turn to the subject proper. ☺ ☺

I was born in a middle class Hindu Brahmin family. Hence, by birth I was a vegetarian. In fact

God has made our body best suited for vegetarian food and hence eating non-Veg. is not

conducive for good health. ☺

The word ‘habit’ has acquired glamour in recent times. Those days, there was no room for

such words. Incidentally let me share the secret that inter personal relationship to a very

large extent depends on your ‘habits’ if you take ‘macro’ meaning of the word. Readers may

refer to Spandane Article on the subject to study the point further. ☺

We were happy with whatever food offered to us by our parents. We ate all types of

vegetables and preparations done by our beloved mother. However, I was bit fussy about

cooked onion being used in the vegetables or in the Dal. There was no problem with eating

raw onion but I was not comfortable with the very sight of cooked onion swimming on top of


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the vegetable or Dal. I had no problem of onion nicely chopped and dissolved in oil. However

I had no guts to refuse due to fear of my father. He was very strict in such matters. Once I told

my mother about it. She confessed that most of the time it is not possible to chop the onion

finely due to paucity of time. She had to cook food for about 8 people in the house. Guests

used to pour in our house regularly. Hence, she had to spend most of her time in the kitchen.

Having understood her plight, I never grumbled in future. She also tried her level best to

avoid the use of onion wherever possible.

My favourite food in the childhood was Rice and thick Dal. Potato bhaji was a bonus.

Saturday I had to attend school in the morning. I used to come home by 11.30 am. My mother

used to cook special rice and thick Dal, especially for me. After marriage, my wife also

pampered me with this menu. What an easy way to conquer a man? ☺ The road towards

‘Love’ goes via ‘Stomach’. Isn’t it? ☺ ☺ ☺

Sabudana Khichadi and potato vada was another favourite dish. I still remember the taste of

these items served in our school canteen. My father used to give 50 Ps. as pocket money on

every Saturday. I would spend that amount for these two items. Of course, My mother would

also cook Sabudana Khichadi on ‘Sankasthi Chaturthi’ every month or on Sunday evening.

I am also fond of ‘Hot Chapattis’. My mother had obliged all of us with hot chapattis. We

used to take our lunch or dinner one by one in quick succession and hence every one had

enjoyed hot chapattis. My beloved wife has happily continued my habit till date. Thank you

Mom & Sumitra. ☺ Two sweet words to conquer a lady.

These were the memories till the age of 11 years. We then shifted to newly constructed

building. My father’s health was also getting worst day by day. My mother used to be under

tension most of the times. She also suffered from serious asthma attack once. My father hired

the services of a lady cook. My Mother soon recovered but could not continue with the same

zeal to satisfy our tastes all the time. I understood this situation more than any one else in

the house.

My Father was advised to consume egg every week. It was really a tough job to get rid off the

egg shells. My mother was worried about the reaction of other residents in the building.

Brahmins were not supposed to eat non-Veg. food. Friends, you must have guessed rightly


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by now. I had tasted egg in my childhood and let me admit that I enjoyed the taste. During

1971 onwards, it was my main food due to paucity of time. My problem of Piles got

aggravated due to this but I had no choice. Ready food like Oats/corn flakes etc. was not

available at that time.

My elder brother had tasted non-Veg. food. After passing Inter CA in June 1973, he took me to

a hotel at Lamington Road for a non-Veg. treat. First time in my life, I tasted Chicken Leg

Masala. It was the flagship dish of that hotel. I liked the dish immensely. Thereafter we

regularly visited that hotel. Friends, let me tell you that I was getting the stipend of Rs. 45/-

pm during CA Articleship days but I could enjoy the luxury of non-Veg. on one or two days in

a month. ☺ ☺

Therafter, I made further progress in the direction. I also tasted sea food. I searched various

joints for eating non-Veg. One such joint was ‘Hotel Delhi Darbar’. The hotel was famous for

Chicken Biryani. Hotel Gomantak was famous for sea food. You would read about the hotel

in another article ‘My Health’. During outstation visits, I enjoyed non-Veg at Baroda, Poona,

and Chennai etc. I also remember having regularly tasted ‘Mutton Kababs’ at Girgaon

Chowpatty followed by Maghai pan. During college days, we had celebrated our exam

success with Omlette party in an Irani restaurant at Chowpatty. For Veg food I had visited

‘Thakkar hotel’ at Marine Lines over 100 times in those days.

I joined Crompton Greaves in June 1975 and my tongue could taste non-Veg. preparations of

our canteen. Highly trained cooks were in company employment. The cost of lunch those days

was Rs.50/-. The food was subsidised to staff for a coupon of Rs.1/-. I still remember the taste

of that lunch. This luxury soon ended in 1978 as our department was shifted from Kanjur

Marg to Fort. I once again moved to my favourite dish of Rice and Dal.

I left Crompton Greaves Ltd and joined Indu Nissan Oxo- Chemical Industries ltd. in February

1981 as Financial Controller. Our office was situated next to Balawas Restaurant, New Marine

Lines. 4 Star Hotel West End was just 100 feet away. No wonder, I enjoyed my food and

office work simultaneously. I remember having enjoyed buffet lunch/sizzlers with Japanese

Engineers at hotel West End on regular basis. I was so much in love with that hotel that

I organized my marriage reception / lunch in that hotel on 11-05-1984.


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‘Hotel Pritam’ at Dadar was also favourite joint when I was staying at Wadala. ‘Tomato Fish’

was fabulous, followed by Kiss me Quick Ice Cream. (Combination of Jelly, fresh fruit salad

and ice cream) It was an up hill task to consume it on a full stomach. ☺

Bloody Mary was my favourite drink. I also enjoyed Teachers brand whisky. Sorry Teachers.

☺ I am consuming ‘Teachers whisky’ right now while writing this Article. I have already

given a detailed account of my ‘drinking habits’ in a separate Article - ‘My Bad Habits’. ☺

What an outspoken attitude of openly writing on bad habits? ☺

I shifted to Borivali in January 1983. I tried all hotels in Borivali and finally settled down on

‘Hotel Leisure Point’ situated near the railway station. I am a regular visitor to the hotel

atleast once a month. All the staff members know me. I am given red carpet welcome. They

know my preferences and likes. It is a wonderful experience. This also displays my

‘Loyalty’. ☺ ☺ This quality has practically disappeared.

Incidentally let me share few words on ‘Loyalty.’ I was loyal to my employers. I did not

jump from one company to another company for sake of money. I joined CG and became

master in Management Accounts. I joined INOCIL for getting Project Execution experience.

I left the company after project was executed in time and on commencement of commercial

production. Subsequently I joined Superphone to get the experience of a running company.

I improved the financial condition of the company within a small period of 2 years. I left the

company as it was to be shifted to Poona. The MD had sold off the Kandivali Premises.

I started my CA practice from June 1985. I continued with most of the clients for over 10-15

years. In fact I left my clients one by one from 1995 as a part of retirement strategy. I did

survey work for over 10 years. Offered my services as paper examiner for about 20 years. I had

continued my Tailor from school days till he shifted out of Mumbai in 1990. I have now settled

on another Tailor in Borivali since then.

I purchased almost all electronic equipments from one shop since 1984 namely Gala

Electronics. Well let me not bore you with my Loyalty list. ☺ I am probably saying this after

I have driven you to boredom. ☺

However I have changed my lifestyle after Stress Test in April 1994.


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Let me just summarise the food I like. Food I like (not necessarily I eat this often): Chicken Masala, Egg curry, Fried fish, Rice &

Plain Dal, potato-bhaji, Kheer, potato vada, potato pakoda, Sabudana Khichadi, Puranpoli,

Infact, I eat all sorts of food. My wife is a great Chef. Thank you GOD~~~~!!!!! Or shall I

say ‘Thank God’. ☺


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Healthcare

17 my food habits