The way to every man's heart is through his stomach. And sarod maestro Amaan Ali Khan nods his head in complete agreement. So when Amaan was recently in Mumbai to launch a new album, CS got him talking about his favourite cuisine and his mother's food:

A safe bet
Since I hail from Delhi, it is difficult to like any cuisine other than Indian. But for someone like me, who travels frequently, the only cuisines I rely on are Chinese and Italian.

If in doubt, I just close my eyes and order for Chinese or Italian. Many-a- times, I visit new countries and can't understand a word on the hotel's menu. I just head to the nearest Italian or Chinese joint and order food.

Mera Bharat mahan
Having said so, Indian food is the best. Nothing can match rajma chawal, butter chicken, aamras puri to name a few. And food is what I miss the most while travelling abroad.

I feel cheated when I head to a so-called Indian restaurant and then discover that the food being served is nowhere close to what our cuisine is.

The restaurateers hail from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh. So, whenever I travel abroad, I never even try any Indian dish no matter how famous it is.

Street treats
I had a sweet tooth earlier, but lately I have become diet conscious. Some of my favourites are gulab jamun, chocolate brownie, aamras puri, etc, etc. And since I've stopped binging on sweets, I've shifted my focus to chaat and the street food.

I was recently in Bengal, and I had a good time trying golgappas at all the suggested local places. I have a must-visit restaurant list for every Indian city.

Mother's recipe
Nothing can match maa ke haath ka khana on this planet. My mother is an Assamese. She is a lovely cook. One of her signature dishes is the Tenga mass, a light and sour fish dish. It is my favourite.

Other thing that I love is the mutton biryani that my paternal grandmother taught her to cook. My grandma was a great cook and now my mother has taken over.