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.