Don't disturb David

David Dhawan
While eating, at least. he enjoys nothing more than a hearty laugh and a big meal

I am
Non-vegetarian. I eat chicken and fish.
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I begin my day with
A warm glass of water. While reading the newspaper, I drink two cups of tea. I like masala tea; I like to experiment with my tea.

My breakfast is
An egg white omelette. I like idlis and dosas too if they are made at home. I also eat papaya for breakfast.
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Lunch at home is
Freshly made sabzis, dal, rotis, pickle, salad, curds.

In the evenings
If I feel hungry, I order a tuna or chicken brown bread sandwich from the BBC at the Marriott. It's filling and tasty.

My dinner
I try to eat an early dinner but I never manage before 9 pm. I prefer to eat a light dinner, dal and sabzis. I avoid rotis. At times, I eat only grilled chicken. Salads are a must for me.

I'm fond of sweets but
I am not allowed to eat. Phir bhi thoda bahut kha leta hoon. I love barfi and chikki. I love dark chocolates too as they are not too sweet.

My Sunday lunch
Breakfast on a Sunday is puri aloo because my sons love it. I'm not allowed it because it's fried. We cook an elaborate meal on Sundays if we are eating at home.

My favourite cook
My wife is an extraordinary cook. Laliji can invent a dish, she is that talented and the food is extremely tasty. I love her chicken stew.

When I am shooting
I get my lunch from home, lekin phir bhi main idhar udhar haath mar leta
hoon. At times, I order Chinese food. A soup, noodles and a spicy gravy chicken dish.
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I can cook
An omelette, a fried egg, any type of egg. I can make breakfast.

My childhood memory of food
If I went off to sleep without eating, my mother would feed me while I was lying down in bed. I would eat with my eyes closed. My favourite food as a child was dal chawal and I still love it. You give me dal chawal and onions and my life is sorted out.

My idea of a romantic meal
At times when we are out, we go to the BBC at the Marriott. I love the place; it's great to have coffee and sandwiches.
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My best dining friends are
Writer-director Rumi Jaffrey. He is like a younger brother. I enjoy a meal with Govinda too. Salman loves food, we have gone out a lot together. He loves Indian food typical home food. The biryani from his house is lovely. Itna khaana banta hain, an additional ten people can eat from it it's like a buffet.

My fitness regime
Mat poocho (laughs)! I am a member of the health club at the Marriott. I have a personal trainer she comes thrice a week. She makes me do some strenuous exercises. I work out for an hour it comprises cardio, weight training and stretches.

My fridge always has
Cheeses, bread, butter, fruits, sausages, salami and noodles. Anything you can cook fast is all readily available in my fridge. I have two grown up sons their friends keep dropping by so there is always enough food in the house. My deep freezer is well stocked.

My favourite vegetarian foodu00a0
Rajma, since I am Punjabi. I like gobi sabzi, bhindi ki sabzi, baigan bhartha. I like arhar dal with a little khatta in it, sambhar style.

My favourite poison
Vodka, but I take only one drink.

Favourite Restaurant

Royal China
Turner Road,
Bandra (West), Mumbai
67049553, 67049555

"My favourite is Royal China. We order Chinese takeaway from there often."

Royal China restaurant at Bandra is famous for its authentic Cantonese cuisine. You may have heard though of their specialities in dim sums, Peking Duck and Crispy Aromatic Duck.

If you settle in for a meal, be sure to try out their steamed prawn dumpling and Singapore Chili Crab.

Vegetarians can pick from the steamed mini glutinuous rice dumplings, the Chinese Greens sauteed with Black Shiitake Mushrooms or the Royal China Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice. Signature desserts include Apple or Banana in Toffee Syrup and Chocolate Mud Cake.

Look around and you're likely to spot Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Gauri Khan and Imran Khan.

Favourite recipe: Chilli chicken (dry)

Ingredients
500 gms boneless chicken (washed well and pat dried)
2-3 tbsp flour
4 to 5 tbsp cornflour
2 eggs
Pinch of ajinomoto/monosodium glutamate (MSG, optional)
Salt and pepper as per taste
Few drops of red colour
Oil for deep frying
(For the sauce)
2 tbsp oil
3 to 4 slit green chillies (or as per taste)
2 tsp ginger-garlic (crushed)
1 bunch of spring onions (finely chopped)
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp red chilli sauce (or as per taste)
Salt to taste

Method
In a bowl, mix together flour, corn flour, salt, pepper and ajinomoto. Beat the eggs and add it to the flour mixture. Mix well. Add a few drops of red colour. Marinate the chicken pieces in the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. Deep fry the chicken pieces on a low flame till done. Keep aside.
For the sauce: Heat oil in a pan. Add ginger-garlic, green chillies and sautu00e9 for few seconds. Add the spring onions and sautu00e9 for 2 to 3 minutes. Add soya sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce, little salt and few drops of red colour.u00a0 Mix well. Saute on a low flame for a minute. Add the kept aside chicken pieces and mix well. Saute on a low flame till the sauce coats the chicken pieces and dries completely. Garnish with finely chopped greens and serve hot.