“I tried several times to fire the stove, but all I did was make thick smoke that engulfed the room. At last, I pissed on the stove and left the kitchen. I was really pissed off, you know,” he smiled as he remembered.
Who else could you imagine to be capable of such mischief than the super comic actor, Hari Bansha Acharya? This household name in Nepali entertainment needs no introduction. And you can still see his mischief in the characters he plays in Nepali television.
A charismatic personality with many unforgettable acting guises, Hari Bansha has made people cry and laugh with him at the same time. Very few can pull that kind of acting through. His distinctive acting style has no match, except probably his other partner in the laughter business, Madan Krishna Shrestha. The duo is popularly known as MaHa Jodi.
Acharya has contributed immensely as a philanthropist helping people come above social injustices and problems. His vocal contribution as an activist in the 2006 April Movement was able to raise awareness and bring a lot of cine celebrities and musicians to the battleground.
This multi-talented actor, like all of us, loves Nepali food. Not only is he fond of eating traditional homemade dishes, the versatile actor is “equally good at kitchen works”, according to his beloved wife.
And for this week’s Celebrity Kitchen, we meet him at his residence in Budhanilkantha where he was all excited to prepare “Makaiko Dhido”, “Khasiko Masu” and “Gundrukko Achaar”.
Acharya realized the importance of cooking after his sister was married off, and he had no option but to visit restaurants daily for his meals. With Rara Instant Noodles as dinner, he missed homemade delicacies terribly. He always waited for Saturday nights, the only weekday, when he got to eat dal, bhat and tarkari at his best friend’s (Madan Krishna Shrestha) home.
He is still thankful to his wife Meera who taught him to cook food at home. “Today, she’s the biggest fan of my cooking,” he said, smiling at her. Then he took out the chopping board, knife, and spices and showcased his art of cooking.
Hari Bansha (right) with his wife Meera (left) and son Mohit.
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I. KHASIKO MASU
Ingredients
Khasiko Masu (mutton): 1 ½ Kgs
Chopped ginger: 100 grams
Chopped garlic: 100 grams
Dry onion: 100 grams
Mustard oil: 10 tbsp
Chili powder: 1 tbsp (tablespoon)
Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp
Salt: 2½ tbsp
Cumin powder: ½ tbsp
Tomato: 150 grams
Meat masala: ½ tbsp
Water: 3 cups
Method
1. In a clean dish, keep mutton slices.
2. Add chopped ginger and garlic to it.
3. Add oil to the ingredients in the dish and mix all the spices together.
4. Heat the pressure cooker and put the mixture into it.
5. Cover the cooker tightly and let it on until its cap whistles five times.
6. To make it thick with gravy, heat five table spoons of mustard oil for two minutes in a non-sticking wok (karahi).
7. Add ½ tbsp turmeric powder and put onion slices and tomato into it and add ½ tbsp salt, cumin and chili powder each.
8. As it turns golden brown, add desired amount of the mutton you cooked earlier.
9. Add some water and leave it to cook properly for next 10 minutes.
10. Serve it with dry coriander leaves, and your Khasiko Masu is ready to eat.
(If you want to store this food for the next few days, subtract ginger and garlic from the recipe.)
II. MAKAIKO DHINDO
Ingredients
Corn flour: ½ kg
Water: ½ liter
Butter: 1 tbsp
Method
1. In a round bowl, mix corn flour with water and butter and make a thick paste of it.
2. Cook it for some 10 minutes.
3. “Makaiko Dhindo” is ready to be served.
III. GUNDRUKKO ACHAAR
Ingredients
Gundruk: 200 grams
Chopped ginger: 1 tbsp
Chili powder: 1 tbsp
Salt: ½ tbsp
Mustard oil: 2 ½ tbsp
Fresh lemon juice: 2 ½ tbsp
Method
1. Fry 200 grams Gundruk without adding oil in a pan for a minute.
2. Grind it in a suitable food grinder. Make sure that you grind it just enough to break it into pieces and not turn it into powder.
3. In a clean bowl, mix Gundruk with fresh lemon juice and aforementioned spices.
4. Add mustard oil, and it’s ready to eat.
(All photos by Keshab Thoker.)
avash@myrepublica.com
