“I had a systematic diet and exercise plan when I acted for “Hamro Team” but I gained a lot of weight for my character in ‘Loot,’” says the actor who played the funny and heavy character of Gople in the said film. [break]
He has acted in more than half a dozen films by now. But his work as Madan Bhandari’s driver (Ashok Lama) in “Dasdhunga” brought him to limelight.
He, however, has always been a foodie. His wife Benuka claims that his eating habits have been transferred to her, too.
“Since we got married, I’ve gained a lot of weight,” says she as they look at each other and smile.
Surviving and necessity have had been Rai’s cooking techniques, rather than luxury.
“I have a sister who’s ten years younger than me. So I had to learn the know-how of cooking the normal Nepali khana from a young age,” he says.
Caught up with work between theater and films, he never fancied cooking different cuisines. But sometimes he shuts himself in his kitchen and experiments different foods in his own styles.
“I usually have to be alone in the kitchen. I don’t even let her (Benuka) around when I cook,” he says, pointing to his wife as he prepares Egg Pickle and Sausage Chili for The Week.
He remembers that his uncle used to love egg pickle and it used to be a regular with the meals. “Soon, I started loving its taste and learnt to cook the dish from my aunt.”
A complete contrast to his flamboyant and raucous character in “Loot,” Rai seems self-conscious and reticent while he starts cooking. As he starts chopping tomatoes and slitting green chilies into halves, he says his experiments in cooking have never turned disastrous.
“But I’m never confident with salt,” he says with a big smile, “and getting meals overcooked is a ritual.”
A bottle of Akbare (Jyanmara, killer) chilies standing on his kitchen table clearly defines his love for hot chilies. His wife nods and explains, “He’s a lover of hot chilies and adds a lot of them to the food. Those Akbare chilies, he got them from Dharan.”
Rai says that eggs are his favorites. “It can be made in so many different ways and can be eaten at any time of the day. And most importantly, it doesn’t take much time for preparation,” he says. Since both of them are artists, they have less time to spare for cooking. “And sausages are her favorite,” he adds.
He cleverly adds chiura (flat beaten rice) to a plate and presents a good lunch for a busy day with both the dishes.
Egg Pickle
Ingredients
Eggs : 3
Green chilies : 3 pieces
Chopped tomatoes : 5 pieces
Sunflower oil : 2 tablespoons
Salt : 1½ tablespoons
Turmeric powder : ½ tablespoon
Cumin powder : ½ tablespoon
Chili powder : ½ tablespoon
Water : ½ cup
Coriander leaves : Some
Method
Mix eggs and chopped tomatoes in a bowl
Add salt, cumin powder and chili powder to the mixture
Heat the oil in a pan
Add turmeric powder to it
After the oil is hot, pour the mixture from the bowl to the pan
Stir the mixture till a thick paste is formed
Add green chilies to the paste
Add water to the pan and stir again
Leave the mixture for a while to let the water soak
When the water thickens, turn the gas off
Garnish the egg pickle with coriander leaves, and serve.
Sausage Chili
Ingredients
Sausage : 5 pieces
Green chilies : 3 pieces
Chopped tomatoes : 5 pieces
Sunflower oil : 2 tablespoons
Salt : 1½ tablespoons
Coriander leaves : Some
Method
Chop the sausages into even pieces
Heat oil in a pan and fry the sausages
Heat some oil in a different pan
Add green chilies to the hot oil
Add chopped tomatoes to the pan
Stir the mixture till a thick tomato paste is formed
Add salt to taste
Pour the fried sausages to the mixture and stir well
Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve with chiura.
Related story
Fast food at home
