SIMPLE sattu sharbat to aloo parathas and barfi: on the occasion of Father’s Day, Slurrp asked celebrities about the one dish they associate the most with their dads. The answers covered a gamut of courses and cuisines, but one thing united them all: it was their fathers’ touch that elevated what may otherwise have been yum-but-regular food, into something truly special and memorable. Tuck in!
PANKAJ TRIPATHI
My father used to make amazing sattu sharbat. In Bihar, there is a tradition of having a glass or two of channa or corn sattu sharbat at around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. For us, that was our second lunch because there was no culture of breakfast. So he used to prepare the sattu sharbat, especially when we kids didn't know how to.
AKSHAY OBEROI
The second you asked this question, I thought about paratha because my dad is a hardcore Punjabi in terms of (food) likes and dislikes. Every Sunday morning, my dad used to make aloo ke parathe with white makhan, so when I think about him, I think about that dish.
PRATIK GANDHI
My father was a true Gujarati foodie. He loved inviting people over and feeding them. He used to make around 12 types of Gujarati pickles during the mango season, and these were recipes that he learned from my grandmother, which my mother still makes for us. He loved brinjal in all forms, and one of his favorite dishes was undhiyu, which he would call “Gujarati sizzler”! He would eat it without any roti or puri.
GULSHAN DEVAIAH
Coconut barfi that my dad makes himself. He sometimes experiments with it, but mostly it’s really nice, and I cherish it since my childhood.
ABHILASH THAPLIYAL
Dahi bhalla… because my father used to love dahi bhalla, and it is something we don't eat every day. Every time I eat dahi bhalla, it reminds me of how my father used to relish it. Apart from that, my mother cooks amazing pahadi food, so from chaisu to phanu, we eat all of that (cuisine). My father used to love that. He hated dry sabzis, and that has come to me. I don't like dry sabzi either, so my plate should have one kadhi or dal. I remember when my mother was going through a tough time… she was hospitalised, that was the first time he made chai. And he made such amazing chai! I am a chai-holic, if that's a term, just like my dad.
ISHA TALWAR
My father makes the best Punjabi pakode wali curry! He is an amazing cook. My mother very happily hands over the kitchen to him.
ISHWAK SINGH
We are foodies, and while growing up, my dad used to take us out very often for different cuisines. But the one thing that we both are very fond of, is mutton biryani.
RAGHAV JUYAL
The one dish that brings back old memories with my father is momos. He simply loves momos and was the one who introduced me to them. I still remember when he took me on his Chetak scooter to the Tibetan Market in my hometown, Dehradun, and we had momos for the first time from his regular stall!