Vir Das, stand-up comedian and Bollywood actor speaks to Shelly Walia
Which is your favourite restaurant in India, and abroad?
In India, it’s Nizam’s Kathi Rolls in Connaught Place, New Delhi. They have a double mutton single egg roll that will stop your heart both with emotion and cholesterol. Abroad, this restaurant called the Grand Lux Café in Chicago. I was a doorman at the restaurant when I was a broke actor. It took me six years to actually afford a meal there.
Tell us one of your childhood memories that is related to food.
I grew up in Africa so Indian food was not all that great. My fondest memories are of stopping by in Delhi on my way to boarding school. My grandparents would take me to Bengali Market and Nathu’s Sweets. They would buy me a lemon tart and kaju ki barfi. It made going off to boarding school a little easier.
Which is your favourite cuisine?
Sushi. I love Japanese food. It’s my comfort food.
What do you usually eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner? What are your regular eating habits?
Breakfast is oats, eggs, sausages, tea and juice while lunch is simple Indian food with dal and sabzi. For dinner I try and have meals rich in protein. Instead of just three meals, I prefer to have small meals in between.
I have a rather strange habit of eating my food from a thali which has compartments. It’s like an Indian Railways thali and my mother does get upset when I refuse to eat food in fancy plates.
Tell us about your sinful indulgences in food.
I have to eat some biscuits after very meal. I have about four Bourbon biscuits every day. Other than that, I like a good Irish Guinness on Sundays.
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What is your favourite recipe
Not many people get spaghetti bolognese right. However, I like what Don Giovanni creates in Mumbai. Carbs and meat, you can’t go wrong with that combo in spaghetti bolognese.
FAVOURITE RECIPE
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
250 gm chicken keema (mince)
250 gm spaghetti
10-15 garlic pods
2 large onions; finely chopped
2-3 red and yellow bell peppers, diced
3 tbsp tomato puree
3 tsp dried oregano and basil
1 tsp corn flour
100 gm grated cheese
Salt to taste
Olive oil, for frying
Pressure cook the keema with a little salt and water.
In a pan heat olive oil and add to or three garlic pods with some onions. Add keema and cook till it is completely dry.
Cook the spaghetti in boiling water as per instructions on the packet. Toss under cold water so that the spaghetti don’t stick to each other.
For the sauce
In a pan add olive oil, the remaining garlic and onions. Fry till onions are soft and add tomato puree. Let the sauce thicken and add salt, sugar, oregano, basil, cream, corn flour and bell peppers.
Before serving, add keema to sauce. Pour over spaghetti. Vegetarians can replace chicken keema with red kidney beans.