Apara Mehta continues to wield her magic on screen and on stage and claims she is just as good in the kitchen

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Saucy Saas

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Apara Mehta continues to wield her magic on screen and on stage and claims she is just as good in the kitchenu00a0u00a0u00a0

I am
A strict vegetarian. I am from the Nagar community of Gujaratis. We are Brahmins and we don't eat onion and garlic. I travel the world but I try to avoid eating onion and garlic.u00a0u00a0u00a0
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I begin my day with
A big mug of tea without sugar. I like the masala tea bags of Tata Tetley.u00a0u00a0
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My breakfast is
When I reach the shoot I order something for breakfast or I eat the khakras that I carry.u00a0u00a0
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MY lunch is
I have started carrying my lunch for the last few years because I can't go on eating outside food. I carry sprouted moong andu00a0 vegetable juice. I also carry very thin chapatis, like khakras, so they end in one bite. I carry a dry vegetable, dahi and chaas.u00a0

My evening snack is
By the time it's snack time, I am running from my shoot to do my show so I do not have the time to eat. When I reach the theatre I order something. I order a sandwich or whatever is available in the nearby area.

My dinner is
I try not to eat after the show. My day begins very early and ends very late, so after the show ends I feel hungry. So I eat the vegetable that is there at home. Sometimes I also have a bowl of dal.

In sweets i like
Once in a while I like theu00a0 Gujarati sweet gud papdi. Thank god I don't like sweets.

My fitness regimen is
I don't do anything. After 12 years and 12 dailies, the longest running ones u2026 your life, your body and mind, can go for a toss. Food and exercise have become secondary in my life.u00a0

My favourite cook
My mom. She cooks everything better than me. Our food is not very sweet; it's spicy because we are from Saurashtra. When my non-Gujarati colleagues share my food, they always remark, 'The food is not sweet at all'.

I cook
Once in a while. The other day my daughter was telling me to make pav bhaji. I make very good undiyo. I also make very good stuffed potato and baingan.

My best dining friend is
My daughter, Khushali. I like to eat sandwiches on the road and I love chaat.u00a0u00a0

My childhood memory of food is
When I was in school I would eat only dal and roti. Later, I developed a taste for aloo sabzi. I started eating vegetables only after I began attending college. My mother and father were the happiest and encouraged me to eat vegetables.u00a0u00a0
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I resemble
A tamarind because I am as chatpata and full of life. I have a great sense of humour, I am always laughing, I like to be surrounded by happiness. I am both sweet and spicy.u00a0u00a0

I can't resist buying
Different dry nashtas

I always carry
Khakras and chivda.u00a0

My fridge always has
Milk, dahi and chaas.u00a0

I love eating
Puchkas (pani puri). Komalika Guha, who playedu00a0 Gayatri in Kyunki Saas... is my best friend. When I was flying to Kolkata for my shows, she told her mom to invite me for a vegetarian lunch. Theyu00a0 thought of all the vegetarian things that they could feed me. It was like an event at their place.u00a0u00a0u00a0

My favourite...
Spice: Green chilli
Kitchen Appliance: A metal tapeli. Quite a few appliances in my house are still very traditional.u00a0
Beverage: Home made green tea with adrak but without sugar.u00a0
Poison: I don't drink at all.

Favourite recipe: Bhavnagari Mirch

Ingredients
1/4u00a0kg Bhavnagari green chilliesu00a0u00a0u00a0
1 small bowl of gram flour
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (or as per taste)
11/2 tsp dhania-jeera powderu00a0
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Pinch of asafoetida powder
1 small tsp sugar
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
3 to 4 tbsp oil
Salt to tasteu00a0

Method
Wash and slit open the chillies.
Roast the flour in a pan on a low flame, stirring continuously till aromatic. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, dhania-jeera powder, garam masala powder, asafoetida powder and sugar. Add lemon juice, coriander leaves and a little oil to the roasted gram flour. Mix well.
Stuff the chillies with the mixture. Heat oil in au00a0 kadai. When the oil is slightly hot, arrange the mirchis in it andu00a0 cover with a lid. Add little water. Cook on a low flame. After a few minutes change the side.
When you feel it is done, increase the heat and sautu00e9 for few seconds. Serveu00a0 as an accompaniment.

Favourite Restaurant

Little Italyu00a0
Juhu, Ghatkopar, Malad
Tel: 26608885, 25260124, 66716205
Apara says, "Little Italy, Woodland, Urban Tadka and Papa Pancho. I like Mirch Masala in Ahmedabad, it has Punjabi-dhaba kind of food. The revolving restaurant, Patang, has delicious food too.
When I was in USA for my shows, all the Gujaratis would overwhelm us with the Gujarati food they had brought along. When you go abroad and eat pizzas and burgers, you tend to put on weight. So our contract states that we must be provided Gujarati food."

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