Green with... health

Paying Guests star Celina Jaitley reveals what exactly is bhu jholakia

Paying Guests star Celina Jaitley reveals what exactly is bhu jholakia

Celina's Thought For Food
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The first thing I have: Is a glass of hot water with a dash of lime. After some time I do yoga and Pranayam. Later, I have a fruit smoothie made with half an apple, couple of grapes, cantaloupe and a quarter of a banana in yogurt.u00a0
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At 11 I like to eat: My mid-morning snack which is a cup of green tea with maybe an idli. Sometimes I like to have whole wheat cornflakes with milk or a handful of badam or unsalted nuts.
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My lunch: Is cooked by a family khansama who has been with us for the past 25 years. It consists of two whole wheat rotis, a normal dal I love channe ki dal with lauki in it u2014 maybe sometimes fish. I fast on Fridays and Mondays so I don't eat non-vegetarian on those day; I may eat potato bhaji or something. I love green vegetables like palak or methi.
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A must have for lunch is: Green chillies and homemade aam ka achaar. My nani makes the achaar in Lucknow and I steal one jar and keep it in my van.
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I love: All yellow dals. I like to indulge in rice once a week. I love brown rice so I have dal chawal with achaar. That's mostly on a Monday when I end up breaking my fast.

I am a tea addict: So I have every possible sort of tea in my make up van. I have a tea bar. I love Earl Gray, Orange Pekoe. I love a mixture of jasmine and green tea. I have 10-15 cups of tulsi tea in a day. It's very healthy; it's a natural anti viral.u00a0

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My favourite vegetable: I love lauki, palak, any sort of spinach. I like anything which is leafy; I must have been a rabbit in my past life.
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I would attribute my beauty to: The good genes from my parents and grandparents. Beauty is something that is transient.
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I have to eat at 4: I have mixed sprout chaat, pani puri but instead of potato I add mixed sprouts. I make sure the pani is good and the puris are also made from whole wheat atta, it is homemade but you get it in various health shops all over. I share my pani puri with my co-stars only if they catch me eating it; no one is specifically invited for pani puri.
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After 8 I don't eat: Unless I am going out for dinner. Otherwise 8:30 is the deadline for my dinner except milk, because I am a milk addict. Dinner is any lean meat, either chicken or fish. I love tuna.
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Like I said I am a rabbit: So I love rocket salad. My cook makes that very well, I taught my cook to make it; I had learnt the recipe when I was travelling as the Egyptian ambassador to Switzerland. And the Swiss tuna salad is my specialty and everybody loves it.
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I am not particularly fond of desserts unless there is: Shahi toast made at home and mishti doi. Also if somebody else is eating tiramisu at my table, I take a couple of bites.
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My fitness regime consists of: A mixture of Pranayams and power yoga. I am an Ashtang Yogi; it is a powerful advanced form of yoga where you use your own body weight to train your exteriors to develop your body.
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I am not very fussy but I cannot stand: Red meat.
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My childhood memory: Comprises of Campa Cola. My brother and I were allowed one bottle a day only. We would share one bottle between us and save the other for later when our favourite TV show was on. My mother was strict about aerated drinks and Campa Cola was my favourite.
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I always carry: Dry fruits. Almonds, walnuts and dry roasted pumpkin seeds are a must. They are very healthy for skin and hair.
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In my fridge you will always find: Loads of different flavours of Gatorade.u00a0u00a0
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My favourite fruit: Cantaloupe.
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My favourite cook in the family: Is my nani, she lives in Lucknow . She is a director on the Education Board of Lucknow; she also works with the UN but still finds time to make me my favourite chicken biryani when I visit her.
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One dish I'm good at: Making Achari Chicken.
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My first cooking attempt: In the 10th standard was a disaster. I attempted rasmalai. I am still the butt of all family jokes because of that. After that, I never tried again till I went to college and was living on my own.
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My comfort food: Eggs. I like egg white omelettes with lots of green chillies.
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I am addicted to: Mumbai's vada pav. When I am late on my way back home, I usually get my bodyguard to buy at least one vada pav with loads of mirchi, from any decent looking stall on the road.
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I feel guilty about: Eating too much vada pav.
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My favourite dish from my hometown, Lucknow is: Gilauti kebab.

My favourite cuisines: South Indian and Chinese.
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My favourite spice: Is bhu jholakia which you get only in Assam. It is just a centimetre long but it is the world's hottest chilly. I specially have it flown down from Assam.
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My favourite kitchen appliance: My set of knives.
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My favourite poison: A good glass of any Napa Valley wine.

The food on the sets of Paying Guests: My co-star was Shreyas Talpade. His wife, a good friend, makes the most divine chicken on this planet.

Mukta Arts has its own kitchen at Whistling Woods and the head of Whistling spot boys is called Ram Dada. He is very fond of me so the moment I enter, they make a three egg white omelette and chutney brown bread sandwich specially for me.

Celina's favourite recipe
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Achari Chickenu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Ingredients
1/2 kg boneless chicken
1/2 kg dahiu00a0
2 tbsp ginger pasteu00a0
1 tbsp garlic
1/2 cup tamarind juice
1 tbsp red chilly powder
6 red dried Kashmiri chilliesu00a0
3 small tsp aamchur
1/2 tsp haldiu00a0
1/2 tsp raiu00a0
1 tsp zeerau00a0
3 tbsp sarson ka telu00a0
3 onions (finely chopped)
3 tomatoes (juliened)

Method
Put the ginger paste, garlic paste, tamarind juice and chilly powder in the dahi. Blend it all with a hand blender and let the chicken marinate in it for 24 hours.
You can keep it in the fridge for up to one week and cook it at your own convenience. The longer you keep it, the juicier the chicken will be.
Heat the oil and put the rai and zeera in it then add the chilly and finely chopped onions. Add more oil. After the onions have become golden add the julienne tomatoes and then some tamarind juice. Now add the chicken and keep stirring till its dry. Add some aamchur on top and it's ready.
Serve with rotis.