The 26 year old bubbly actress is slowly but surely making her presence felt in the Nepali film industry. She began her acting journey in the capital back in 2011 via various theatre productions. Then we caught a sneak peak of her acting skills for the very first time on silver screen in Visa Girl.
Now five films-old, she has quite a few projects to look forward to. One of those is actually the highly anticipated Baishak release, Resham Filili.
Clutter free cooking
The emerging actress Menuka Pradhan confesses that she is not the world's best cook. And definitely not even the best in her family. However, she has immense passion for everything that is gourmet and that often gets her experimenting in the kitchen.
"I'm almost always on the go. Since my schedule tends to be tight, not so long ago I devised my own little dish," says Menuka gleefully.
To avoid the trouble of making curry and daal separately, she came up with a dish that incorporated both. It was a mixture of cauliflower, capsicum and yellow lentils, cooked together in a pressure cooker.
"It might sound revolting but honestly it tastes good. Once when I was having it for lunch, Diya Maskey (theater actress) had stopped by and so she can vouch for it," she says.
Menuka claims that the very first time she attempted to cook was when she was in the fifth grade. While her parents were away, she decided to cook some curry for her brother and herself. Needless to say it was a complete disaster. Her stints in the kitchen since then have been a lot more successful.
The actress doesn't get to spend as much time as she would like to hone her culinary skills but she does take the chance whenever an opportunity presents itself.
"I love cooking for company. I find a lot of pleasure in that. I remember my mom's alu gravy recipe and salivate every single time I think about it. One day I'd like to serve a dish like that," says Menuka.
As it turns out, she picks up a lot of tips from cookery shows, her favorite shows on TV, and she confesses it has been very educational. Menuka apparently has a keen eye when it comes to food presentation and really enjoys using the tips when she is playing host to her friends and family.
Being a big fan of Nigella Lawson as well, she shares that she is determined to learn to bake in the future. The likes of Flaming Brownies top her list of the most delectable sweet treats in the world and she can't wait to learn to actually make some.
Despite what people may assume, she apparently has a big appetite. Though her profession demands careful eating and definitely no binging, there are times every now and then when she likes to treat herself. As she put it, "Sometimes it's not just about filling the tummy but it's about filling your heart. And at those times, you shouldn't keep yourself away from good food."
As told to Priyanka Gurung
