COVID-19: Deepika, Alia turn chefs during India lockdown

Celebrities are only human – and even if they don’t often look like they do, they do need to eat. During the coronavirus lockdown in India, when domestic help is scarce, fortunately our stars are not getting into complaining mode – they are getting into their kitchens and getting busy. Here’s a look at what some of them have been cooking while in quarantine.

Alia Bhatt bakes banana bread. The 27-year-old actress who comes from a film family; she counts filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and actor-moviemaker Pooja Bhatt among relatives; is well known – for her own acting prowess. She proved herself in harrowing roles such as the kidnapped drug addict in ‘Udta Punjab’ and as a feisty middle class girl in ‘Gully Boy’. But during the lockdown, she’s taken to expanding her skill set. Voila – first up there’s some scrumptious looking banana bread.

Katrina Kaif has being going all-out to keep herself from getting cabin fever. There are videos of her doing home workouts, cleaning dishes, and now cooking. She and her sister decided to video themselves in the kitchen making something that looks like a pancake-omelet hybrid. She captioned the image: “We’re not sure what it is either .... we’ll let u know when we do 🤔🍴🥣”

She has tried her hand at modeling and acting. Her credits include Heropanti, alongside Tiger Shroff, and Dilwale, opposite Shah Rukh Khan. She’s got tonnes of plaudits and here’s another one she can add to her list of accomplishments – master baker. “When you wanna bake Banana Bread 🍞 but you don’t have the correct vessel..and you end up calling it “cake”! Well.. Here’s some Quinoa Oats Banana Cake instead! 💁🏻♀️ Know that’s some serious stuff.

Deepika Padokone does a mean Thai salad and green curry – if her just-as-famous-as-her husband Ranveer Singh is to be believed. Let’s be honest, those photos look amazing too. So the star of 2007’s ‘Om Shanti Om’, beauty pagent winner, outspoken activist of mental health and well-being can also get her hands dirty in the kitchen.

For ‘'Govindudu Andarivadele' actor Kajal Aggarwal, the quarantine has proved to be the perfect time to hone a delicious skill – making a samosa. While under lockdown, the Tamil and Telugu movie star is spending some quality time with her mum and learning a trick or two. Kajal captioned this image, "My first attempt ever at making this (if I may say so myself!) decadent, very punjabi Khasta Samosa. Such fun learning the art of manoeuvring the dough into the perfect cones under the fine tutelage (and very strict quality control) of my master chef mommy, learning new skills, samosa lover forever. (sic)."

There’s something absolutely mouth-watering about the freshly made masala dosa with all the accompaniments – so try not to drool when you see this photo actress Preity Zinta put up on social media. The 45-year-old Bollywood actress, last seen in 2018 comedy ‘Bhaiaji Superhit’, captioned this picture, posted on day 16 of the lockdown: “Yesss ! Finally learnt how to make Masala Dosa 😋 It’s incredible how we have not gone out for 16 days nor met anyone. Feels strange, but I’d rather be home safe than sorry. Its really nice to hang with mom & learn recipes of some of my fav. Dishes. Trying to stay positive & productive while we stay in. (sic)”

Shruti Hassan, who has starred in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi movies, started her career as a playback singer at the age of six in the 1992 Tamil film Thevar Magan. She has gone on to not only become an established playback singer but also a music director. But what we’re green about is her cooking skills. She used quick two-minute noodles – and some extras – to make ramen. She called the soupy goodness ‘midnight ramen’.

Thirty-year-old ‘Baahubali’ actress Tamannaah Bhatia, who predominantly appears in Tamil and Telugu films, is keeping it healthy with a breakfast rich in honey and eggs.

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, a National Film Award winner, is apparently very handy in the kitchen, too. She whipped up a chocolate walnut cake, which if the comments are to be believed was superb. One wonders how to stays so slim.

Now time for some fancy baking. Indian actress Yami Gautam, who is known for her work in Indian TV serials such as Chand Ke Paar Chalo (2008-2009) and Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam (2009-2010), baked some gluten-free bread, which she posted on her social media timeline.

Huma Qureshi, whose movie credits include ‘Badlapur’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, decided to make her sibling cheesecake for his birthday. However, even she had to admit the cake looked a bit worse for wear. She dubbed it “the ugliest looking cheesecake”. Still it is the thought that counts. And the taste.

Shilpa Shetty. Actor, reality TV star and avid healthy practitioner of yoga she may be, but she’s also the chef behind The Art of Loving Food YouTube channel. In a social media post Shetty allows us into her vegetable garden to see how she’s keeping her choices organic.

Model-turned-actor Sidharth Malhotra is not about to let anyone say he’s just about his looks. During the lockdown in India he’s been flexing his muscles alright –in the kitchen. Here he is mid-cooking session; he is making Butter Garlic Prawns, which, he says, turned out quite well.

Diljit Dosanjh, actor, singer and funnyman extraordinaire, has been in the headlines for a number of reasons including THAT photoshopped picture with Ivanka Trump. But this time he’s made the list thanks to his tutorial on how to make Punjabi-style beans and potato.

So Bollywood actress Richa Chadha can cook, she just doesn’t like doing it, she reveals, in a social media post. But check out this pretty pink mix. It’s captioned: “Steel cut oats, strawberries, banana, green grapes in almond milk.”