The bright cover of his upcoming book — Kunal Kapur in the Kitchen — has the chef on a Lambretta, with a wooden box of fresh produce on the back seat. "I thought it was a perfect expression, a reminder of a carefree childhood when we used to wait for the men in our family to return on their Lambretta and Yezdi — we'd stop them at the gate and ask them to take us out for a spin. It was an ideal vehicle to go to the market," says Kapur. The book has recipes of 15 meals, peppered with childhood memories and conversations.

When you are in the kitchen, what's the first dish you want to make?
Back in Delhi where I lived in a joint family, our house number was 143. My chacha (uncle) used to make an amazing mutton that we had with lachcha paratha. It was a hit with the neighbours too. It got to be known as Mutton 143. So, when I enter the kitchen, that's what I like to make.