As an actor Pankaj Tripathi is like a lavish thali, there is so much to choose from his performances. Pankaj, whose Hindi is as pure as shudh ghee, says, “Jeevan ki poori jadojahad toh khaane ke liye hai, khane ki liye toh hum sab kuchh karte hain (Our entire life is driven by the need to eat food. We do everything for food). We have to understand how we are eating and what we are eating. What we eat makes our body.” In an exclusive chat with The Free Press Journal, the foodie shares his food secrets. Excerpts:
I begin my morning by: Drinking warm water. Once a week, I have warm water with lemon and honey.
My diet preference: Is largely homemade vegetarian food. I enjoy all Indian cuisines. In non-veg, I enjoy fish, especially the Bengali dish Bhetki Paturi and Hilsa.
My breakfast comprises of: Sprouts and fruits. I like to have seasonal fruits and sprouts almost every day.
For my lunch: I try to have a balanced diet that has a combination of carbs, proteins, and vitamins. Basically, my meal should have all the nutrients.
I make it a point: To eat homemade flax seed powder twice a week.
Between breakfast and lunch, I have: Just coconut water.
A must in my meals: Salad.
In the evenings, I snack on: Some chana and peanuts.
My dinner comprises of: Soups and salads.
My favourite desserts are: Halwa and ras malai. But I ensure that I have just a bit of it.
To keep fit: I do yoga five times a week and jog daily. When I am shooting outdoors for a film, if I find a lawn or a garden, I jog, but I never miss yoga.
For exercising: I have a small personal gym at home. I do some light exercises just for fitness, not for bodybuilding. I like working out by myself. I also do stretching four to five times a day as I have a little problem in my upper body.
I consciously have: Healthy foods.
In foods, I avoid: Deep fried and spicy food.
One thing I cook best: Khichdi.
My favourite cook in my family and they make the best: At home, we have Rubin dada. He is an expert at cooking Chinese food and sautéed vegetables, and Uma makes very good Bengali food which is my weakness.
My favourite restaurants in Mumbai and abroad: I love the idlis at Dakshinayan, Juhu. On foreign shores, I love Continental and Thai food. Whichever country I visit, I like to eat the local cuisine of that place; I don’t hunt for any Indian restaurants.
My comfort food is: Plain rice, dal, khichdi, curd rice and idlis.
My favourite drink is: Sattu with roasted zeera, kala namak and nimbu. It’s popular in Bihar.
On a hot summer day: I love eating watermelon and light and simple homemade Bihari food. Also, lots of liquids, especially nimbu pani.
During winters, I relish: Litti chokha and kulcha. I also look forward to Punjabi food.
During the monsoons: Sometimes I indulge in crisp and slightly spicy bhajiyas.
One tip on food to my readers: Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Masoor dal khichdi
Ingredients:
1 cup rice (washed well and soaked for 20 mins)
1/2 cup whole masoor dal (washed well and soaked for 30 mins)
2 -3 tablespoons ghee (homemade preferably)
1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
2 tej patta (bay leaves)
1/2-inch fresh turmeric (cut into juilines)
1-inch ginger (cut into juilines)
1/4 cup green peas
8 to 10 French beans (cut into small cubes)
1 medium-sized carrot (cut into small cubes)
8 to 10 small florets of cauliflower
Salt to taste
3 cups water
Method:
In a pressure cooker, lightly heat ghee. Add jeera and tej patta .When the jeera splutters, add juilines of fresh turmeric and ginger. Sauté for a few seconds. Add the vegetables and mix well. Sauté the vegetables on a low flame for five minutes.
Remove the water from the rice and dal and add it to the vegetables. Gently mix and saute for three minutes. Add three cups of water and salt as per taste. Gently mix and close the cooker. Let the khichadi cook till two whistles on a medium flame. Once the cooker cools, open it. Serve hot with pickle.
