Foodie Talk with Aditi Prabhu

#FoodBuzzz

Name –Nutritionist Aditi Prabhu 
Instagram handle - @nutritionistaditiprabhu

What is your favourite food memory from childhood?

Visiting my grandparents just because my grandmother would cook me my favourite food. 

I loved Dal rice and potato bhaji. The potato bhaji part would rarely happen at home so my grandmother would prepare Dal rice and potato bhaji in their own classic styles. Mind you, grandmothers are super smart they would also make me eat other healthy foods   ( mainly veggies/ingredients new to me) too.

What’s your favourite comfort food?

Even today, the classic varan-Bhaat (Dal rice) with potato bhaji and some green leafy veggies with a dash of lemon and salt at the side is my soul food.

3 reasons why you consider yourself a Foodie?

Honestly it's hard to point out 3 reason but to put it simply-

•I love food right from growing, to cooking, to teaching, researching and consulting people about food.

•My world practically revolves around food like I said I am always doing one of the above things passionately and professionally.

•I travel for food, explore local ingredients and don't refrain from trying out anything new.

Which are your three favourite cuisine? Why?

• Saraswat cuisine: Being a Saraswat myself, the Saraswat cuisine is super close to my heart. I love the fact that it utilizes all the local ingredients that we cultivate and have grown up on. It's not overly spicy or too sweet. It incorporates ingredients from almost all food groups.

•Bengali cuisine: Currently I am totally fascinated with it. What I love the most is the fact that their dishes mainly highlight the taste, texture flavour of the ingredients rather than just the spices.

•Mediterranean Cuisine: The way they prepare their food. The simple beauty of it makes me fall in love with it. 

Do you have a favourite food ingredient?

Chillies and salt since both add flavour to food without which any dish would be bland and lack taste.

Which food ingredient do you loathe/think is overrated?

There are no foods that I loathe. As for being overrated, there are quite a few in terms of taste, pricing, quality, quantity, etc.

What’s the strangest dish you’ve ever tried?

Wild rabbit meat cooked on open flame

What is your favourite fruit and vegetable? And your favourite herb/spice?

Fruit-Oranges

Vegetable-pumpkin

Herbs-oregano and rosemary

Spices-cumin and cinnamon 

If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

As a meal it would be-Fish curry, unpolished rice , sabji or varan bhaat bhaji. For one dish-vegetable khichdi

Have you ever travelled anywhere just/mainly for the food?

I always travel and have travelled for food. One of the most memorable travel is going to Kolhapur. I had done my research for over two months, but I had just one day to try it all. So I got my family on board and meticulously covered up all the places and dishes in that one day and even explored the local markets and a food business. We started our day at 4am and winded up by 11 mid night. Currently, I am heading out to Goa just for the food.

What’s been your biggest kitchen splurge so far?

I think I only splurge when it comes to buying kitchen stuff or ingredients. Every time I come back from the market my mother always mentions "Did you buy the whole market again ?

Do you indulge in food porn? Actively or passively? What impresses you with food porn?

Sometimes I do indulge in it passively. I haven't had an active involvement as yet but I am open to new experiences before I decide my views about it. 

I think the whole creative process of conceptualization to visuals thrills me. Though I would definitely prefer a realistic touch to it.

What kind of oil do you use most of all?

I keep rotating the oils I used depending on seasons , health and taking into consideration the requirement. I use unrefined to ghani to wood press and cold press oil like coconut, rice bran, sesame, sunflower ,. Groundnut, occasionally mustard etc.

Which is the most over-rated food cuisine?

Haven't come across one as yet

Any quirky food dishes combinations you have invented or love feasting on?

My current favourites are the breakfast bowls and the Buddha bowls.

Your take on:

Keto diets –It’s a specialised diet. Best done under supervision and taking into consideration medical condition/individual health conditions and not just for quick results.

Intermittent fasting –It’s nothing new to us Indians. We've been doing it for ages. Over time we've lost touch with our roots and forgotten the importance of fasting. We are slowly getting back there even if it's using terminologies like intermittent fasting. 

Again, it has its own benefits but its best done under supervision for it may not suit everyone.

Fusion food cuisine –I occasionally indulge in it but I must say I am not a big fan of fusion foods. 

Which superfoods have impressed you the most? 

I know I would sound like a typical nutritionist but for me, almost all foods are superfoods. Each is unique and has its own benefits. The crux here is what foods suits you best and then they become your superfoods.

What have been your favourites?

Indian street food - It's quirky, interesting, there is always something new happening. Though food safety and hygiene is always the issue. I enjoy exploring it.

Indian dessert - They are made with a beautiful balance of sweetness, flavour and taste.

Hidden gem restaurant of your city (and why)–  Haven’t found one as yet.

Over-rated Indian restaurant in your city (and why) –Fine dine restaurants. They are great as an experience but the real amazing food is always in smaller joints, home chefs and often street food.

The restaurant you keep going back to - None, I am a fan of home-made food.

How do you detox your body after an overdose of eating out?

I don't remember when I last did a overdose. So there hasn't been a need for a detox per se.

  

Any health foods you swear by?

Fresh, local and seasonal fruits and vegetables

Who’s your favourite celebrity chef?

Rakesh Talwar, Michael Swamy, Ranveer Brar, Saby Gorai.

What’s your favourite food-related TV programme?

None

What’s your favourite food magazine?

Living foodz

What’s your favourite food destination?

Anywhere in India, you are bound to get good food. All times favourites are Rajasthan, Malwan, Goa and Kolhapur.

  

What’s your favourite kitchen gadget?

Oven. I've conducted tons of experiments using it.