Cooking Up A Storm With Arif Zakaria: 'I Feel Human Beings Overburden Our System With Food Since It's So Easily Available'

Arif Zakaria loves experimenting with roles from the onset. He played a hermaphrodite in Darmiyaan and characters as diverse as Jawaharlal Nehru in the Marathi web series Hutatma and Jinnah in Freedom at Midnight. But when it comes to food, he doesn’t like to experiment much.

My dietary preference: I am a non-fussy, spartan farmer’s diet person who enjoys both vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare.

My favourite dishes: Paneer, cauliflower, and different types of chicken recipes.

First thing I have when I wake up: I drink water followed by an espresso shot. I think coffee is a blessing as it invigorates and energizes. Sometimes, I may have another shot of espresso as the morning opens up.

My breakfast is: Anything prepared by my cook. He’s got a carte blanche to rustle up anything he desires. It could be oats, poha, idli, or upma.

Around 11 (between breakfast and lunch) I have: Nothing. I feel human beings overburden our system with food since it's so easily available.

My lunch is: Vegetables, salads, pulses, paneer and chicken.

My evening snack is: I munch on some dry fruits if hungry—walnuts, raisins, and pistachios.

My dinner is: It has the same personality as lunch, but in smaller portions.

My favourite desserts are: Dark chocolate, sometimes.

My fitness regime: I’ve been into sports. I could play tennis, do some yoga, and work out in the gym.

Before and post-workout I have: Water and lemon water.

My favourite restaurants are: Kitchen Garden, Bandra, which is near my house, and Sequel, Bandra.

My favourite cuisines are: Indian, Mediterranean, and Arabic (Middle Eastern).

My childhood memories of food are: Assorted cuisines and dishes coming from Konkan—Bombils, meat dishes, and Parsi dhansak. Our parents were open and experimental with food; sadly, I’m not.

I can cook: I learned a few simple dishes during the lockdown—egg bhurji, chicken tikka, and paneer bhurji. I don’t have the patience to cook.

My favourite cook in my family:

Currently, my cook Sanjay from Jharkhand is the best.

My idea of a romantic meal is: A rainy evening on a beach with anything available. I think the notion of romance with food is highly exaggerated. Also, most human beings don’t look good eating. I, too, look ungainly while eating. So, food may not be on my list. Perhaps a beverage.

The weirdest food or combination of food I have ever had:

If my memory serves me right, it has to be in a dhaba in Jodhpur. The meat had pieces of fruit in it. I found it weird, but the chef explained it was a special preparation.

The most exotic food I have had: None. I don’t associate exoticism with food. I eat to live.

Favourite beverage and drink: Espresso, non-mocktails, and a unique concoction of barley with lemon, which they serve at the Willingdon Club, Mahalaxmi.

Paneer Bhurji

Recipe of Paneer Bhurji

Ingredients:

250 gms fresh paneer

2 medium-sized onions (finely chopped)

2 to 3 tablespoons ghee (or as required)

2 medium-sized tomatoes (finely chopped)

1 small piece cinnamon

2 green cardamoms

2 to 3 slit green chilies (as per your taste)

A dash of lime juice (optional)

Salt to taste

Method: In a non-stick pan, lightly heat ghee. Add the onions and sauté on a low to medium flame until golden brown. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, cardamoms, and green chilies. Add pieces of paneer after the mix is ready. With a spatula, mix it slowly until the paneer turns a shade of brown and red. Add salt and maybe a dash of lime. It’s done in fifteen minutes. Serve hot with roti.