She recently made news when she spoke up against Sajid Khan for sexual misconduct and narrated her horrific experience when she visited his office to discuss a role in his 2014 film Humshakals. She also accused her Kyaa Kool Hain Hum director Umesh Ghadge of harassing her after she refused to go on a date with him. For someone who does not belong to India, comes from Iran and has made India her home. Mandana Karimi is not only brave enough to stand up against such creeps but she has worked hard, appeared as a lead actress in the film, Bhaag Johnny, was a part of Big Boss and is now on her way to giving Indians a taste of Iran.
Mandana is bringing Iranian food to Indian tables via her new venture called Mandana’s Kitchen, Flavour of Iran. In a special interview with HotFridayTalks, Mandana discusses her passion for food and also her plans for her kitchen and she makes me feel very very hungry just by describing all the delicacies of Iran.
How and why did you think of starting your own kitchen?
I love to cook and love to feed everybody else. I’ve also been in Mumbai for eight years now and whenever I wanted to have Iranian food I had to cook it because it is not easily available here and no place to order from too. Whenever my mother came to visit me I didn’t have the ingredients to make Iranian food. I also always wanted to own my own business. I always had in my mind that one day I want to own my own cafe so a very dear friend of mine and her husband encouraged me and kept telling me I should start doing something with food like maybe open a cafe or something since they loved what I cook. That’s why I have taken action and started this takeaway.
What’s the specialty you would like to tell everyone to try?
Iranian food is very similar to Indian food, the only difference is that it’s just less spicy and more of flavour. Britannia in town used to have this very good Berry Pulao but the owner of the place passed away some years back. I loved going there for the Berry Pulao and chatting with him. He talked to me about the food and we used to talk in Farsi etc. After he passed away, the quality of the food has gone really down, which is sad. Being an Iranian I want Indian people to know about the flavour of the country that I am coming from. Coming back, I would definitely want people to try my Berry Pulao and my kebabs. I have brought a special machine from Iran, in which we make kebabs without touching the meat or any of the mixture, the machine makes the kebab and it is ready to be barbecued.
Do you cook everything yourself or do you have a chef to do it?
I wish I could do all the cooking myself but because of my other commitments, it’s not possible. I have two chefs and I have a couple of other people who I am training so the next two-three months I am going to be mostly in the kitchen training them and making sure they cook exactly the way it should be. For the next six months, I will be keeping a check on the quality and training personally.
What are some of the dishes that you cook that are a favorite with your celebrity friends?
They like the Berry Pulao I make and also there is this dish that is very similar to daal gosht and the Baghali Pulao that they love. Baghali Pulao is basically rice, some greens and mutton with a delicious gravy on the side. (Laughs and says I am hungry now!)
Do you carry your own food while shooting on the set?
Yes, I do. I like to carry my salads, rice, yogurt, chicken etc.
What about the Big Boss house? Did you cook your specialties?
Yes inside the Big Boss house I used to be in the kitchen mostly. I used to cook to keep myself sane. I used to make food with whatever limited ingredients that were available there. For example, apple was one of the only fruits we got inside the house so I used to make all sorts of stuff with apple, from jam to apple pie and apple rolls with roti. Once Sonam Kapoor came into the house and I had cooked rajma without tomatoes and certain masalas and she tried it and she liked it.
What more are you planning for Mandana’s Kitchen Flavour of Iran and how do you plan to expand?
Since there are many vegetarians in India I am planning to keep some vegetarian menu too and I am also trying to keep my menu small but focus on quality. After a year or two once the kitchen starts running well I want to open my own cafe.
What is the feedback you have been getting from your family and friends?
I have posted pictures on my social media and my friends have been very encouraging. One of the sweetest messages I got was from Priya Malik, she said; “I remember the food you cooked inside the Big Boss house and now I can’t wait to try your food.”
What would Mandana’s idea of a romantic dinner be?
Great food and great conversation to begin with. I think it would be some beautiful colours on the table, flowers and yummy food made by me.
Is there any celebrity crush you would love to cook for?
I think it would be for anyone who is single. I also believe that the key to someone’s heart is through the stomach!
Hope the eligible singles out there are listening! We wish Mandana all the best.
