Mahesh Shakya's scrumptious experiments

“I’m thankful to my dad for I got my cooking skills from him. He is fond of food and I love experimenting when I cook.” So said Mahesh Shakya, popularly known as Karma who made his debut in Alok Nembang’s “Sano Sansar”. He is not just fond of eating but also loves cooking. “The best part is dressing the dishes. I’m particular at it,” said Shakya.[break]

He was in class six when he first tried his hands in the kitchen. An actor to look up to from the new generation, he still remembers when he first dropped the egg yolk on the floor instead of the frying pan.

He recalled, “Mom kept on telling me that I couldn’t make the omelet. It was a challenge for me. I insisted on her to allow me to try, but as I did so, I failed.”

He didn’t give up, however. Fond of Alu Dum, he quietly made it one day and took it to his mom to surprise her. Indeed, she was surprised but for obvious reason: she didn’t like the taste. However, all such incidents neither disappointed him nor did it take away his interest from cooking. Each time he came for a vacation from his school in Kuresong, he rushed to the kitchen, watched carefully how his father prepared the delicacies and started practicing on his own. Soon he became a promising chef.

In fact, he was surprised when his mother once asked him to prepare the family dinner.

“That was the best day, man! My mom, who often complained about my cooking, suddenly appreciated my experiments. During holidays, I often made varieties for mom and dad and they loved it a lot,” Shrestha elaborated, with hands often fixing up his dreadlock.

As is often said, men who cook are very sensitive and emotional. Shakya agrees that he’s one, and he’s pretty sure that girls appreciate and fall for those men who are good in the kitchen.

“In fact, I guess men are better chefs than women. We love experimenting while women are static and often happy with what they have,” he laughed and directed us to his kitchen. Immediately, the actor onscreen turned to a hospitable chef. With a butcher’s knife in his hand, he started making two popular Newar items – “Mana Chyoela” (Marinated Meat) and “Aluko Achar” (Potato Pickle).

I. ALUKO ACHAR

Ingredients:

Potato: 3 big pieces. It may increase depending on the consumers

Sesame powder: 3 big tbsp (tablespoon)

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 ½ big tbsp

Cumin powder: 1 ½ tbsp

Salt: 1 ½ tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp

Dry chili paste: 1 ½ tbsp

Sesame oil: 3 big tbsp

Fenugreek seeds (methi): ½ tbsp

Coriander leaves: ½ bunch

Lemon: 1

Method:

Boil the potatoes till its peels come off.

Remove the peels and chop them into pieces.

Add sesame powder and mix it properly.

Add salt, cumin and chili paste and mix it once again.

Put in ginger-garlic paste and blend it well.

Squeeze lemon into it.

In a frying pan heat sesame oil and add fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder into it.

Pour the oil into the potato mixture.

Serve it a hot plate and dress it with coriander leaves.

II. MANA CHOYELA (BOILED & MARINATED SPICED BUFF)

Ingredients:

Fresh buff meat: ½ kg

Green onion stem: some

Salt: 1 ½ tbsp

Cumin powder: 1 tbsp

Sesame powder: 3 big tbsp

Dry chili paste: 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds: ½ tbsp

Sesame oil: 4 tbsp

Coriander leaves: a bunch

Method:

Boil the buff meat in a pressure cooker.

Cook it to four whistles at the max and remember not to overcook it; otherwise, it’ll spoil the taste of the meat.

Cut the meat into thin slices.

Add ginger-garlic paste and sesame powder into it.

Blend it properly before you add dry chili paste.

After mixing it again, add salt and cumin.

In a frying pan, heat sesame oil and put fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder in it. Remember not to overheat the turmeric powder or else the food will go colorless.

Now add it to the marinated mixture and serve with the dressing of coriander leaves and green onion stem.