Bollywood's Raveena Tandon talks food, family and fun

We spoke to Raveena Tandon about her passion for food ahead of her trip to Dubai this weekend to take part in the Masala! Food Fair, where she will do a live cooking demo.

Life is not solely composed of tasks but also of tastes. In the same manner, an actor’s life does not always revolve around movies but other elements too. We spoke to Raveena Tandon about her passion for food ahead of her trip to Dubai this weekend to take part in the Masala! Food Fair, where she will do a live cooking demo.

What are you most looking forward to at the Masala! Food Fair?

Since I’ve never been to a food fair before and I believe this one has a variety of South Asian cuisine, I am really looking forward to trying it out. I hope I can pick up some great kitchen secrets from one of India’s premiere food experts, Sanjeev Kapoor! What also grabs my attention is that a food fair like this makes for a great family outing. Dubai really is different in this sense – there’s so much for a family to look forward to.

What is your favourite desi food indulgence?

In totality, I love Indian food from various states in the country. In the sense that I like South Indian oats, I love idlis, dosas and all kinds of South Indian cuisine. I also like Gujarati food; dhoklas, Gujarati dal and everything. Then of course the Punjabi in me comes out since I love tandoori food like tandoori paneer and chicken. I am good with a few dishes from every state in India. And a big thanks to my husband Anil, who has really taught me to appreciate food over all the years that we’ve been married. He loves food and knows so much about various types of cuisine.

Your favourite restaurant in Dubai is...

Zuma and La Petite Maison are among my favourites. I’m not too familiar with many desi food joints in Dubai but I am told that Tresind is a very good Indian restaurant. I don’t normally go to Indian restaurants in Dubai but Chef Himanshu is brilliant. I have tried his food in India. He’s a whiz at his craft. I am looking forward to eating at Tresind this trip.

Any celebrity chef you look up to?

I like Nigella Lawson and the things she dishes up.

Do you often cook for your family?

Yes, I do cook for them occasionally. I cook non-fussy and fairly oil-free Punjabi and Sindhi meals (since Anil likes his home food too), like dal, sabzi, Sindhi kadhi and sai bhaji. I also include tandoori food, since both my kids love tandoori chicken. But I think what I love most is to make desserts - gulab jamuns and bake different kinds of cakes in particular.

Punjabis are known to be great food lovers. How do you maintain your figure, while being around great homemade food?

Well quite obviously, my workouts are a very necessary part of maintaining my figure. So yes, I work out regularly. And if given the option of Punjabi food, I eat a lot of tandoori food, which is of the healthiest kind.

Kids usually enjoy eating junk food. How do you make sure your children eat right and healthy food as well?

My children, Rasha and Ranbirvardhan, are not too fond of junk food since they’ve been brought up on a staple diet of home food. But Ranbir has a taste for all sorts of cuisine including Japanese food! That’s a trait he’s acquired from my husband Anil I think, who loves to experiment with various kinds of cuisine.

Raveena shares her family’s favourite recipe with us:

“A family favourite is definitely sarson ka saag (vegetable dish made out of mustard leaves) with makkai ki roti (corn bread),” she says.

Sarson Ka Saag

INGREDIENTS

• Mustard leaves: 5 cups

• Blanched spinach: 1 1/2 cups

• Chopped green chillies: 2 1/2 tsp

• Chopped ginger: 2 tsp

• Oil/ ghee: 2 tbsp

• Chopped onions: 1/2 cup

• Chopped garlic: 1 tsp

• Chopped tomatoes: 1 cup

• Chilli powder: 2 tsp

• Maize flour mixed with 1/3 cup of water: 3 tbsp

• Milk: 1/4-cup

• Salt to taste

• White butter (for garnish)

METHOD

> Combine mustard leaves, spinach, green chillies and ginger with one and a half cups of water in a wide pan and cook on medium flame till the greens are cooked and the water dries up. Put aside to cool and blend to a coarse paste.

> Heat the oil/ghee in a pan; add the onions and garlic and sauté on a medium flame till the onions are transparent. Add tomatoes and cook till the mixture emits oil. Add the prepared paste and cook on a medium flame for five minutes, stirring continuously.

> Add the maize flour paste, milk and salt and mix well. Simmer for another five minutes while stirring continuously. Serve hot garnished with a dollop of white butter.

arti@khaleejtimes.com

• City Times