What celebrities pack for lunch

Akshay Kumar’s Avocado Toast

The actor gives this millennial favourite a desi twist, with chatpata chaat masala playing off the sweetness of fresh pomegranate pearls

Ingredients

• Ripe avocado 1
• Multigrain bread 2 slices
• Olive oil 1 tbsp
• Himalayan pink salt ½ tsp
• Chaat masala ½ tsp
• Pomegranate pearls

Preparation

In a bowl, mash the ripe avocado. Add olive oil, a pinch of Himalayan pink salt and a pinch of chaat masala. Mix all of these together. Slather this on pieces of toasted bread. Garnish with pomegranate pearls.

Shikhar Dhawan’s Rawa Masala Uttapam

Give your breakfast a lift, with a power-packed rawa uttapam like the one Shikhar Dhawan kickstarts his day with. Want kids to eat them? Just tell them it’s what their fav cricketers eat for breakfast.

Ingredients

• Rawa 1 cup
• Water 2 cups
• Onion 1
• Grated carrots 2
• Capsicum 1
• Green chillies 2-3
• Salt to taste
• Oil 4 tbsp

Preparation

Soak the rawa in water and keep it overnight. The next day, add the vegetables to the rawa batter and add salt to taste. Heat a pan and add 1 tbsp oil to it. Once the oil is hot, spread the batter like a pancake on it. Cook evenly on both sides from 2-3 minutes each. Serve with sambar and coconut chutney.

Sonali Bendre’s Sweet Potato Khichdi

Fuss-free and loved by all, this twist on the typical sabudana khichdi is an extension of the actress’ cheerful personality.

Ingredients

• Boiled sweet potatoes 2
• Roasted and 1 cup
• grinded peanuts
• Olive oil 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds ½ tsp
• Mustard seeds ½ tsp
• Curry leaves 5-6
• Green chillies 2
• Grated coconuts 2 tbsp
• Coriander
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Heat a pan and add olive oil to it. Once the oil is heated, add cumin and mustard to it. Once they begin to crackle, add green chillies and curry leaves. To this add roasted peanuts; followed by boiled sweet potatoes and salt to taste. Mix it well. Garnish with grated coconut and coriander and serve.

Katrina Kaif’s idli and coconut chutney

We finally have something in common with Katrina Kaif. We love soft cloudy idlis as much as she does. This rice-dal based dish, paired with coconut chutney is the original happy meal.

Ingredients

• For the idli
• Parboiled rice 4 cups
• Split urad dal 3/4 cup
• Water
• Salt to taste
• For the chutney
• Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
• Roasted chana 2 tbsp
• dal or peanuts
• Green chillies 2
• Water ½ cup
• Salt to taste

For tempering

• Oil 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds ½ tsp
• Urad dal ½ tsp
• Sprig curry leaves 1

For the idli batter

Wash the rice and soak in water (approx 6-7 glasses) for 3-4 hours. Wash the urad dal and soak in a separate vessel (approx 2 -3 glasses of water) for 2-3 hours. Drain the excess water in another bowl and grind the urad dal in a mixer-grinder until the time the batter turns white , fluffy and light. After that, drain the excess water from the soaked rice and add it to the grinder and grind the rice to a smooth consistency. Once the rice is ground, remove and add the rice batter to the urad dal batter, add salt and mix well using your hands or a spatula. Beat the batter to make it more airy and allow the batter to rest/ ferment in a warm place for at least 6-8 hours.

For the idli steamer

Grease the idli plates with some oil. Spoon the batter into the depression of the plates. Steam cook till done. Switch off the gas and remove the plates from the steamer. Wait for it to cool for at least 5-7 minutes and then using a spoon, run it on the side of the idli plate to remove them and serve.

For the coconut chutney

Add the coconut, roasted chana dal, green chillies into the small jar of the mixer. Add water and allow it to soak for around 5 minutes. Grind it coarsely. Transfer it to a serving bowl. Heat a small pan/iron ladle with oil and temper with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Pour it over the chutney. Mix well and serve with idlis.

Excerpted with permission of Juggernaut from ‘WHAT’S IN YOUR DABBA? Celebrities, Chefs and Foodies Share Their Favourite Easy Recipes’ by Tweak India