Director’s cut

Mumbai ki pao bhaji and hot ‘n’ crispy snacks do the trick for Firaaq director Nandita Das. Read on.

Mumbai

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ki

pao bhaji and hot ‘n’ crispy snacks do the trick for

Firaaq

director Nandita Das. Read on.

The first thing I have in the morning:

Two glasses of water — no beverages, no stimulants.

My lunch:

I like eating dal, subji, roti and curd.

My lunch when I am shooting:

I eat unit food but I request them to make it in less oil.

My diet:

I am a non-vegetarian who would like to be a vegetarian.

My favourite vegetarian dish:

I love crackling spinach.

My favourite fruits:

I am crazy about mangoes, strawberries, any seasonal fruit. I also have fond memories of childhood when we would suck paayri, a mango in which you make a hole to draw out the juice.

My favourite beverages:

I prefer chhaas and nimbu paani to aerated drinks. I also like the mocktail pina colada.

My favourite desserts:

I enjoy gulab jamun and caramel custard. I ate a lot of caramel custard in childhood, I guess that explains the continuing association. And I like chocolates, irrespective of the brand name.

A childhood memory associated with food:

As a child, when I came down to Mumbai from Delhi to spend my holidays with my maternal uncles and grandparents, I would love eating from the stalls lining the beaches of Chowpatty — bhel, pani puri and malai kulfi.

I relish:

Mumbai ka pao bhaaji. Also, on rainy days, I like to sit on the terrace of my house and watch the rains over a plate of hot and crispy snacks.

I am not very fond of:

Butter, but I do like a dab of it on my dosa.

Eating out:

I visit restaurants very often. Besides Indian, my favourite cuisines are Chinese, Thai... any cuisine with a lot of coconut in it. I enjoy travelling because, amongst other things, I get to enjoy varied edible fare.

My culinary abilities:

I learnt to cook without realising it at a very early age from my dad. He can whip up a good meal. He works from home and cooks when he is in the mood. He begins by cooking for a couple of his friends but ends up making a big meal and then makes last minute calls to invite some more friends over. I would help with the chopping of vegetables. He can make lovely salads, dips and bhagarela baingan.

My idea of a romantic meal:

Thai food, good music and a walk by the beach. With or without a man.