RONIT

Thought for food

I am a vegetarian who has eggs occasionally. Even when we make an omelette or an egg bhurji at home, we use more vegetables than eggs.

I begin my day with tea flavoured with ginger and lemon grass.

My breakfast comprises of toast, cornflakes/muesli or parathas or fruits and fruit juices.

I like plain parathas made by my wife.

Besides maida and rice, I eat everything. I make an exception and eat rice only when I am having a Chinese meal; otherwise I eat rotis.

I don't like French beans, but by and large, I am not a fussy eater.

When I am shooting, lunch comes from home. It is normal Indian khana. In Bengali food, my favourite fare is a dish my mom makes — cabbage and alloo in curd gravy, garnished with raisins.

My wife, like my mother, is a very good cook.

In the evenings, I prefer to have an early dinner, by 8.30 or so.

If I am eating dinner at home, I like eating baigan ka bhartha, palak paneer and plain tur dal with hing and jeere ka tadka.

I love eating out as often as possible.

In a restaurant, I give more importance to good food. The ambience may not be so hot but the place has to be definitely clean and hygienic.

The restaurants that I patronise serve me food with very little oil; they know that's the way I like it.

My favourite restaurants are Saffron and Spices at the Marriott and Legacy Of China. Since I am a vegetarian, I look forward to eating at Govinda, Hare Rama Hare Krishna.

My favourite cuisines are Indian, Thai and Chinese. I am not very fond of Continental and Italian food.

In Thai food, I relish Red Thai curry with lots of vegetables in it. I like to eat it with a small helping of soft steamed rice.

I like everything about Gujarati food, especially patra, dal, kadi, undhiya and Shrikhand. Gujarati food has a wide range of flavours — in Saurashtra, which is quite close to the Rajasthan border, they make very spicy food. Kutchi food, on the other hand, has a mix of sweet and sour flavour. I don't like the very sweet Gujarati food but I like the Kutchi and the spicy fare very much.

I frequent a gym to keep myself fit. I work out for an hour or so and do a lot of cardio exercises. I had met with an accident in November. I was hospitalised and bed ridden for some time. Later, the partying season started so I ate and drank. But now I am back to being fit.

I am not very fond of chocolates or desserts but I like to eat rabdi, malpua, ladoos and mithai. After dinner, I feel the urge to eat something sweet.

I am not very fond of fruits. Biwi khilati hain iss liye kha leta hoon. I like bananas, kiwis and strawberries but apples are a no-no.

Soft drinks are taboo.

I am not a daily drinker, but if I am socializing, I enjoy having a beer or vodka depending on my mood. With my drinks I usually avoid eating snacks unless I am being served vegetable kebabs.

For a romantic meal, we like to be at home as outside there always people around you. My wife and I are very fond of candles, so we have a candlelight dinner at home. I cook a pasta for my wife and organise for some red wine to accompany the meal.

When I cook Chinese food, I never use cornflour and monosodium glutamate in my food. Instead of cornflour, I use carrot pulp as a thickening agent — it is so much healthier. I peel and grate the carrots and blend them in a mixie.

I never use the microwave; I always cook on the gas.

I would help my mom in the kitchen so I learnt to cook when I was very young.

I have done hotel management from M S U in Vadodara. I was staying in a hostel and would be a kadka, so I normally ate lot of channa and bananas. I drank a lot of milk because they served it free in the hostel.

Whenever I feel like having chaat, Neelam makes bhel-puri and dahi batata puri at home. Instead of puris, she uses toasted bread.

If I am watching a cricket match at home, I binge on poha or dhoklas or popcorn. Sometimes we call for sandwiches from Barrista or for hot samosas.

Whenever I go abroad to the States to meet my daughter, (who lives with my ex-wife), I usually eat a lot at the salad bar. Or I eat falafel. I avoid Chinese because I find the Chinese fare outside India quite unpalatable.

My daughter loves seafood. Her mom is a Muslim so they are basically non-vegetarians.

During winter, mirchi ke pakode with a cup of hot coffee is ideal.

Monsoons in Goa are more fun than they are in Mumbai. We like eating at the shacks in Goa. We ask them to cook the vegetables in the gravy that they have prepared for the fish curry.

During summer I like drinking sugar-free fruit lassi.

I am like an aloo. Aloo is one vegetable, which blends well with everything.