Aasif Mandvi, actor and comedian, is known for his charming chef role in a film he co-wrote and his breakthrough in an off-Broadway play about a restaurant. Yet, his culinary knowledge is limited; he can hardly distinguish dosas from Devil Dogs.
Though Mandvi enjoys Indian cuisine, he doesn’t consider himself an expert. Best known as the Senior Correspondent for South Asia on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he admits to cooking only when it strategically benefits him.
“I usually cook when I’m in a relationship,” he says. While he can make a basic curry, he often seeks his mother’s advice, saying, “This is what I did. It doesn’t taste right. What did I do wrong?”
Despite his limited cooking skills, Mandvi has no qualms about exploring food topics.
Until mid-June, Mandvi, 46, will be touring South Asian restaurants in New York with Madhur Jaffrey, a culinary icon, sampling dishes like tandoori chicken and jalebis for a Cooking Channel special.
“He’s not a foodie, doesn’t cook, and knows little about Indian food,” Jaffrey noted in an interview. “That’s why he’s perfect for the show. He asks the questions everyone wants to know, and I provide the answers.”
Mandvi’s ease with takeout menus doesn’t mean he lacks appreciation for fine dining.
For him, food, especially South Asian cuisine, symbolizes personal growth. His 2009 film Today’s Special portrays an Indian-American chef who reconnects with his roots by running his family’s restaurant.
“Food represents family, love, and in some films, desire, passion, sexuality,” Mandvi explains.
The film was inspired by his award-winning 1999 one-man show, Sakina’s Restaurant, which he wrote and starred in, choosing a restaurant as a universal setting.
“The film is as much about a restaurant as It’s a Wonderful Life is about a savings and loan,” says Mandvi, also known for roles in The Last Airbender and The Dictator.
Mandvi jokes that Today’s Special inspired the Cooking Channel show and might spark a Broadway musical, leading to another film.
As for his own cooking show? He laughs, “Let’s see, I don’t know.” If it happens, he’d name it Friends to attract viewers.
