Debinna Bonnerjee has been in the spotlight ever since she shot to fame for playing Goddess Sita in the 2008 show *Ramayan*. She currently stars in the reality show *Pati Patni Aur Panga* alongside her actor husband Gurmeet Chaudhary.
The actress is very particular about her diet and has shared the reasons why she turned vegan. When she finds the time to cook, her husband Gurmeet loves the stew and the jhol she makes. He is especially fond of **Bhaate Bhat**, which Debinna describes as mashed potatoes and veggies mixed with rice, salt, and sarson ka tel (mustard oil). She raves, “It tastes divine.”
### My Dietary Preference
“I was a vegetarian for a long time, and recently I have also turned vegan. I had heard that the gut is our second brain, so I took a gut test. I found out that because of the presence or absence of some bacteria, you can develop depression and anxiety. So, I started a gut-healing diet.
I turned vegan because milk and milk products are very harmful for the gut. I also eliminated wheat and any kind of gluten from my diet.”
### My Favourite Food
“Broccoli soup. I have it for breakfast with a mix of chia seeds, flax seeds, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds. It has coconut milk and coconut chunks, and I really love it… you guys must try it.”
### The First Thing I Have After Waking Up
“Warm water with turmeric, lemon juice, ginger, black pepper, and a little salt.”
### My Breakfast
“A chia seed ball with lots of nuts and seeds.”
### For Lunch I Have
“Roti made of almond flour with a vegetable that always varies. These days I have zucchini, sweet potato, or tofu—things that are very good for your gut.”
### My Evening Snack
“I don’t snack in the evening; instead, I have an early dinner. If you have your dinner by 6:30–7 pm, that’s the best thing you can do for your health.”
### My Dinner
“Almond flour roti and baingan ka bharta or sometimes soup and a vegetable.”
### My Favourite Desserts
“When I am not on a strict diet, it would be jalebi. Another favourite is keto cheesecake from Farmers Cafe in Bandra – most celebrities go there and it has become very famous. When we really feel like having outside food, we eat from there because you don’t break your diet and the food is delicious.”
### One Thing I Cook Very Well
“Stew. Put everything in the pressure cooker and give it a whistle (laughs). It’s healthy. Before pressure cooking, sauté some garlic which gives a good aroma and adds flavor.”
### Foods I Consciously Avoid
“Fried food. I just get repulsed by the aroma. When people say that they love bhajiyas in the rains, I just can’t relate. I don’t even like the smell of bhajiyas being fried.”
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## Recipe: Shukto
**Ingredients:**
– 1/2 cup chana dal (washed and soaked for 30 minutes)
– 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)
– Sufficient mustard oil
– 1 drumstick (cut into 2-inch pieces)
– 1 medium-sized sweet potato (cut into medium-sized wedges)
– 1 medium-sized bitter gourd (karela, cut into thin strips)
– 1 raw banana (cut into medium-sized cubes)
– 1 medium-sized brinjal (cut into 4 to 6 strips or cubes)
– 1 medium-sized jhinge (ridge gourd, cut into cubes)
– 1 medium-sized radish (cut into cubes)
– 100 grams pumpkin (cut)
– A pinch of Radhuni spice and 1 tsp ginger paste (mix well in 2 tablespoons of water)
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 teaspoon panch foran
– 1/2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
– 1 cup water
– 1 cup milk
– Pink salt to taste
– 1 tablespoon ghee
**Method:**
1. Grind the chana dal along with salt and 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder to a thick paste. Add a little water while grinding.
2. Heat sufficient mustard oil to a smoking point. Make medium-sized flat wadas (fritters) with the chana dal paste and fry them on medium flame until golden. Keep aside.
3. In the same oil, fry the karela and brinjal on medium flame till crisp. Remove and keep aside.
4. In the remaining oil, add the bay leaf and panch foran. Once it crackles, add all the veggies and sauté for a few minutes on medium flame.
5. Add salt, ginger-garlic paste, hot water, milk, strained Radhuni-ginger water, and the fried wadas. Mix gently and cook on low flame until the vegetables are done.
6. Add ghee on top and serve hot with steamed rice.
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Enjoy this wholesome and traditional recipe shared by Debinna Bonnerjee that’s both healthy and flavorful!
https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/cooking-up-a-storm-with-debina-bonnerjee-when-i-cook-gurmeet-wants-nothing-else