'I am a Foodie' - Shweta Kawatra

Are you a vegetarian or a non veggie?

I am both a veg and a non veg. I love eating all kinds of food, be it vegetables or meat.

What are you most likely to order if you walk into an Indian restaurant?

Dal Makhni and Pudina Parantha..

Is there anything you don’t like to eat?

Absolutely nothing! I love food, and I am a complete foodie, and can eat anything. I eat all the vegetables including karela or Ghia or all the other vegetables people normally don’t like to eat. I probably would not be able to eat weird stuff like monkey or snakes, but with exception to totally unfamiliar thing, I practically eat everything.

Your favourite restaurant..

Thai Ban. I have been going there for the last 12 years or so. I remember when I was new in Mumbai, I had another girl living with me in PG accommodation. A meal back then would cost around 300 Rs. We would get spoiled some more and even have dessert. We would be so full that on our way back home, we both would push our car to make up for all the calories we had put in. It used to a small shack then.

And it still continues to be your favourite?

Yes, and not only that, I have been ordering the same dishes for the last twelve years. Now they don't even bother to bring me the menu, they simply bring me the food.

Strangest dish that you have tried?

Alligator’s meat. It’s completely white, and is very soft.

Where?

We went to Florida for alligator watch, not from too close of course (laughs) or we might have become the meal. There we had alligator meat.

Do you like to cook?

Yes, but I love to cook for my husband. And I mostly cook chicken. He is a complete chicken-e-tarian. He can eat chicken for breakfast, for lunch, for snack, for dinner….he would even have chicken pop corn if there were any!

Do you have food fights?

Sometimes, when I want him to eat vegetables. I literally have to bribe him, telling him that I would cook him this, that and the other, chicken of course, if he would eat this. After all, he cannot live on protein alone !

Your favourite ghar ka khana?

Curry Chawal. Also, I love my nani’s ‘khatte channe’. She makes them so delicious that my mouth is watering even thinking about them. Whenever I go to Delhi, I phone ahead and tell her that I am coming so that she can prepare it for me in advance.

What kind of food habits do you follow?

I eat five times a day. I eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a princess, and dinner like a pauper. My meals typically consist of vegetables, dal, dahi and roti. I also have some gur at the end.

What do you do during shoots?

I carry my own lunch.

Do you cook yourself?

I have a ‘bai’ (maid) who cooks for me.

Do you direct her, or does she cook on her own?

She is from Delhi too, so she cooks North Indian food. The only thing I ask of her is to use less oil. She makes good food.

Can you share a food recipe?

I recently tried out something on my own which I can share.

Oh Wow! What is it called?

It has no name.

So lets calls it Jalapeno chicken.

OK, jalapeño chicken it is!


Jalapeño Chicken

½ chicken

For the marination:

2 Big onions grated
lots of ginger-grated
5-6 big cloves of garlic grated
herbs, ½ tsp each of these : oregano, basil, red chilli flakes
Add jalapenos, olives, mustard powder, 3 tsp of jalapeño oil and salt.
Marinade the chicken, cover and keep it in the fridge overnight. The longer the marination, juicier is the chicken.

Then cook for half an hour, and serve with rice. It is absolutely fantastic!!

Author:Minnie Gupta