Ripudaman Handa: There’s so much more to Indore than just poha-jalebi

"I have been to Indore many times, and the city never fails to surprise me in terms of food. I went to Sarafa and I truly found it to be a foodie’s paradise.”
Unlike most celebs who visit the city and are floored by the poha-jalebi combo, Ripu had a different opinion. He said, “There’s so much more to Indore than just poha-jalebi. In fact, I liked many more dishes better than poha-jalebi.” Naming few of them, the chef told us, “I liked saabudaane ki khichdi and saabudaane ki chaat, but what really amazed me was bhutte ki kees.Pehle toh jab sabne bola kees lo, toh mujhe samajh nahi aya. Maine poocha kiski kiss? Toh pata chala bhutte ki kees (laughs). If given a choice to add a Masterchef twist to Indori food, I’d pick saabudaana. It makes for superb starters, main course and dessert as well. And it’s nutritious too.”
READ: ​I have a lot of female fans: Ripudaman Handa
Ripu added, “But what I loved the most was the love of the people. Frankly, I didn’t expect such a huge crowd there.” Talking about his journey from being a gym trainer to a TV chef, Ripu said, “MasterChef se pehle meri life mein koi aim nahi tha, jaise Delhi ke ladke hote hain na. Main padhai mein bhi achha nahi tha. My mom used to say I am a bad learner. But I always had this passion for cooking. So, the show gave me a platform where I could prove myself. I showed my mom that I am not a bad learner (laughs).”
The chef took an unusual route after showing off his culinary skills, that of dancing. Telling us what made him do Nach Baliye, Ripu said, “I just love dancing. I enjoyed my stint as a dancer, although neither Shivangi nor I are professionally trained. Mujhe toh dance ke naam pe bas woh Delhi wala bhangra aata tha.” So, after MasterChef and Nach Baliye, will we see him next in a daily soap or something like Bigg Boss? “No! I don’t think I fit the bill to survive the Bigg Boss House. For TV soap, you never know, I don’t say no to any opportunity that knocks my door. But whatever I do, in the long run, I’d like to stick to cooking only.”
Ripu and his girlfriend Shivangi Verma make for an interesting couple – while Ripu’s claim to fame is winning a cooking reality show, Shivangi doesn’t even know how to cook! “She just can’t cook,” said Ripu, laughing, “But then, she doesn’t need to. Ab toh woh mere liye cooking seekh rahi hai and she prepares a lot of dishes to make me happy. But I always tell her ki kya zarurat hai? I love her for what she is. She doesn’t need to change for me.” Since the couple is so much in love, we wonder if marriage is around the corner. To this, Ripu replied, “No, not so soon. Abhi toh bas main 24 ka hi hoon. Apni life abhi se kyun barbaad karun? (laughs).” We quipped if he’s fine with going on record saying this, and he told us, “Yes, even Shivangi shares the same sentiment!”
-Shubhangi Sinha
WATCH: Know Ripudaman Handa's journey from a trainer to a chef