Over a meal of daal and roti

Gurnaaz Kaur

Actor Harish Verma has been exposed to different cuisines since his childhood, courtesy relatives living abroad. But nothing tops his love for Punjabi food. Even now, during his travels related to work, he prefers Indian food over other regional tastes and believes there is nothing like Indian food and its popularity worldwide is a testimony to this statement.

All-time favourite

A simple man, as he calls himself, and his choice in food reflects just that. “If given a chance, I can have yellow daal everyday. I like it from the time when my mother used to serve us hot lunch after school. I also love curry chicken. People would think such contrast of a choice. Ek gariba da khana hai te ek ameera da,” he quips.

Food and fond memories

Some flavours are inscribed in our memories and for Harish it is that one time 14 years back when he went to a village near Amritsar. “Oh bebe di banayi makki di methi wali roti makhan naal. Oh roti hi makhan wangu ghul rahi si muh ch.” He says he hasn’t found that taste again, but even today, the minute he thinks of it, the flavours come fresh and alive in his mouth.

Travel diaries

“I’ve been to many countries but I have my fixed spots for dining everywhere. I don’t go on trying everything and anything. From all the countries I’ve visited so far, I like US and Australia’s food the most.”

Closer home

My favourite in Chandigarh, where I can go again and again and even take my family for a meal would be Backpackers, Garam Dharam and TGIF.

Healthy choices

Harish says he rarely binges. It’s just in-built now to eat healthy and nutritious food. And whether he enjoys street food, “That was as a kid. Now, I don’t have street food at all. Call it the need for my work or a habit I’ve formed over the recent years, but I rarely consider street food as an option.”

From the menu

Whether he is eating at Mumbai’s Oshiwara dhaba or in Chandigarh or any other place for that matter, his order will be something between ‘yellow daal or tari wala chicken’.

Mommy’s kitchen

“My mother used to make bhindi and yellow daal together for lunch, that’s from where I started loving this combination. If it’s my mom cooking, I can eat any vegetable or maybe demand for rajma from her.”

Food and a faux pas

Harish also has a rather unsavoury memory from the same kitchen. “Once my mom had made black daal and rice; from somewhere an insect came in my bowl of daal, that day and today, I kind of hate black daal and have never been able to change this.”

To live on

If Harish was to live on just one thing, it would be, “Peanut butter on brown bread and tea; I can carry on this for long.” His love for peanut butter is such that he makes sure to buy 7-10 packs of it whenever he goes to the US.

Chef’s kitchen

This actor has a knack for cooking. Bring anything in his kitchen and he will rustle up something delicious for you. “My friends love the various kinds of chicken I make. I can also make an omelette and yellow daal. I understand cooking and keep trying my hand at it every once in a while.”

Sweet calling

Say sizzling brownie with ice cream and you’ll see a spark in Harish’s eyes that is because, “that’s my favourite dessert. I also love ras malayi, rasgula- actually anything sweet is a yummy deal.” He admits he has a sweet tooth but tells us that he keeps an eye on how much he is eating.

Especially Indian

“The spices usually used in Indian foods are what make Indian food different and delicious from the rest of the world. It makes one addicted to the cuisine. I can’t live on non-Indian food for long.”

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