Emma Freud meets Sanjeev Bhaskar

“When I was growing up, the difference between the Asian and British cultures in my life was the thickness of our front door”

I’ve admired Sanjeev Bhaskar since he changed the nature of mainstream broadcasting 25 years ago with Goodness Gracious Me. I’ve known him since he acted in Notting Hill (a movie I script-edited) and I appreciate him for the amount of time he’s devoted to Comic Relief over the years (the charity I work for). But, until he came to my home with a special recipe he created for BBC Good Food and we ate (and talked, and talked, and talked), I hadn’t realised he is also the greatest of humans.

Emma: The recipe that you’ve created for us – why did you choose this?

It’s my version of pau bhaji, which is a classic dish in Mumbai. It’s a staple street food because, effectively, you can make it from leftovers. I like it having so many consistencies – there’s a crunch to it from the vegetables, sweetness from the aubergine pickle, softness from the