Her catchline, ‘Arararara,’ is ready to ring in our ears all over again. Ketki Dave is a veteran of several Hindi and Gujarati films and TV shows, but is best known for playing Daksha Virani on the landmark TV serial Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. She is reprising her role in the currently-on-air sequel.
The health-conscious actress reveals that she practises restraint when it comes to her favourite food – desserts. While Ketki prefers her staple Gujarati dishes in everyday life, she does enjoy eating at the Marriott or getting wet in the rains and having batatawada and bhutta.
My dietary preference: I am a vegetarian; my favourite is Gujarati cuisine, but I also like Chinese and Mexican.
The first thing I have when I wake up: Two glasses of warm water.
My breakfast: Poha or upma or porridge.
My lunch: Dal, rice and sabzi with kachumber. I have rotis at dinnertime.
In the evenings, I snack on: Kurmura or makhanas and a fruit.
My favourite food: I love desserts, so I can eat anything sweet.
To keep fit: I walk daily for 45 minutes and exercise for 15 minutes.
My favourite restaurants: I don't go out to eat a lot, but my favourite place for dinner is JW Marriott.
My culinary abilities: I cook good Gujarati food and also the Parsi dish, dhanshak.
My favourite cook in my family: My mother-in-law makes fantastic food.
My favourite food as a child: Bread and butter with milk.
Foods I consciously eat and avoid: I have lots of fruits and veggies, and I stay away from fried food. I love chocolates, gulab jamun and cakes, but I eat them sparingly.
My idea of a happy meal: When I am enjoying chatting with my family and friends, whether at a hotel or a beach. And, yeah, I like to have a Thums Up with my food if there's a party.
The weirdest food I have eaten was in: Bangkok… it was a little weird. It was difficult to get normal vegetarian food.
My beverage of choice: Only tea. I can't have it without sugar and milk. I have the perfect Gujarati tea with lemongrass, mint, ginger.
My favourite food during monsoons: We go to Lonavala, get wet in the waterfall, and then have hot bhajiyas or batatawadas. Makai ka bhutta tastes very nice in the rains.
While shooting for Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi earlier: All of us would get food from home, sit together in one room, and share our dabbas. We had a lovely time. We didn't have our own make-up rooms… this was 25 years back, but of course, that's not the case now.
My tip on food for my readers would be: Eat more that is healthy for the body and less of food that is tasty but not good for you. If you don't want to put on weight and want to live a healthy life, it's very necessary. And remember, while eating, just enjoy the food. Don't feel guilty afterwards. I don't think of anything else at meal times.
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Recipe of Puran Poli
Ingredients for the dough:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tablespoons ghee
Water as needed
Ingredients for the puran (filling):
1 cup tur dal
2 cups water
1 cup grated jaggery (or as per taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom powder
Pinch of nutmeg powder (jaiphal)
Other ingredients:
Sufficient ghee to roast the polis
Method to make the dough:
Mix wheat flour and salt. Add ghee, rub into the flour. Add water little by little and knead into a smooth, soft dough. Cover and let it rest for at least 30–40 minutes.
Method to make the puran:
Wash and soak the tur dal for about 30 minutes. Pressure cook the dal on a medium flame with 2 cups water for 2–3 whistles until soft but dry. Add jaggery as required and keep mixing it with the boiled dal on a low flame, stirring continuously until it becomes thick and leaves the sides. Lastly, add cardamom and nutmeg powder and mix well. Cool completely.
Method to make the polis:
Divide the dough and puran into equal portions.Roll a small roti, place the puran in the center, and fold edges to seal. Gently roll into a semi-thick disc.Cook the poli on a preheated tawa on a low flame, applying ghee while flipping sides until golden brown spots appear. Repeat with the leftover dough and puran. Serve hot.
