Manish Paul: That's A Cakewalk

From the exotic to the rustic, Manish Paul has enjoyed the flavours of world cuisine. Suman Sharma notes down his food adventures

- Suman Sharma

Just like his zest for life and laughter, actor and host Manish Paul has a huge appetite for all things food. Naturally, he rues the fact that his big screen plans have put a spanner in the works as far as his food mania is concerned. Gone are the all night binges and midnight raids to the fridge. He now only slurps protein shakes if the urge takes him. He confides the six-packs didn’t come easy and that he’d like to hang onto them as long as he can.

FROM MOM’S KITCHEN

Manish Paul is game to talk about food. A certain gleam appears in his eyes as he remembers his mother’s ghee dripping parathas, a staple in Punjabi households. Manish says the dining table would groan under the weight of thick parathas stuffed with potatoes, paneer or radish fillings. The accompaniments of course were mango pickle, curd and lassi and his mother’s awesome carrot halwa generously sprinkled with dry fruits if it was winter. “She still makes her gajar halwa and sends it across. I look forward to it every December.”

Manish proudly asserts that his was the best tiffin in school. His mother knew his friends clamoured for his food so she used to make enough to satiate them all. “She used to send it piping hot during recess as my house was close by. The shahi paneer that my mother made is the best in the world. I loved her makhana vegetable, paneer with kaju gravy, malai sabji, daal makhni and baingan bharta too.”

WIFE’S PLATTER