Cooking Up A Storm With Mika Singh: Read on to find out the singer's idea for a romantic meal

Indian rapper and performer Mika Singh is a pakka desi boy – he relishes parathas (pronounced by him as paranthas), white makhan, curds, and rajma rice. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive interview, and it is peppered with references to North Indian food. Excerpts:

My dietary preference: Non-vegetarian. My favourite non-veg dishes are chicken curry and butter chicken. In vegetarian fare, my favourite dishes are sarson ka saag, kadhi and rajma rice.

First thing in the morning: I have a glass of lukewarm water followed by my morning tea.

For breakfast: I have fruits along with dry fruits and watermelon or mixed fruit juice. Sometimes I have poha, omelette or bread toast.

My lunch: Every day is different, but I mostly have one non-veg dish along with yellow dal, rice, salad and curd. I don’t eat non-veg on Tuesdays and Sundays.

A must with my meals: I love salad. Especially green chilli with lemon.

My evening snack is: Tea with rusk.

For dinner: I prefer to have a light dinner. So sometimes I have chicken soup. Along with it, I have some boiled eggs and lots of salad. Sometimes I have a proper dinner, including one non-veg dish and one veg dish with one chapati.

My favourite desserts: I am not a big fan of sweets, but I like gulab jamun, jalebi and rasgulla once in a while.

To keep fit: Being an artist, I have an immensely busy schedule with shows and shooting every other day. Each month I have around 15-20 live shows. So it is very tough to take out time for the gym in between travelling and performing. But I ensure that my fitness is on top of my priority list. Every morning I do yoga and breathing exercises which help me start my day feeling fresh. At times, I do weight training and cardio in my in-house gym. In the evening I like to play badminton. After my dinner, I walk. Post-workout, I make sure to get some protein through boiled eggs, sometimes paneer.

For health reasons, foods that I consciously avoid: Being a singer, I avoid cold water or anything which contains ice.

I can cook: A delicious chicken curry and chokha (mashed potatoes).

My favourite cook in my family: My bhabhiji. She makes very tasty veg and non-veg dishes.

For a romantic meal: A place with a sea-facing view and good music.

My favourite restaurant in Mumbai is: Eat Like Punjabi.

My favourite cuisines: Indian.

My comfort food: Aloo puri or aloo paratha.

I feel guilty after eating: Anything oily or too sweet.

My favourite drinks and beverages are: Watermelon juice, coconut water, lassi and tea.

During the winters: I love sarson da saag and makki di roti with white makhan.

During summers: Aloo ka paratha with dahi is a delight.

During the monsoons: I enjoy a steaming cup of chai and pakode.

One tip on food you like to give your readers: One should always try to eat healthy food and always include a salad in your diet. Have a rich and nutritious breakfast, and try to keep dinner as light as possible. Also, try to stretch your body each day with an exercise of your choice like yoga, running, gym or dance.

My most favourite food: Aloo chokha.

Mika’s Recipe of Aloo Chokha

Ingredients:
5 medium-sized potatoes
2 teaspoons mustard oil
8 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 big onion (chopped)
1-2 green chillies (chopped)
Salt as per taste
Pepper powder as per taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Finely chopped coriander leaves (for garnish)

Method: Boil the potatoes. Cool and mash well. In a bowl, add the mashed potatoes, mustard oil, chopped onion, green chillies, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well. Serve garnished with coriander leaves.