Naga Chaitanya, Ram Charan, Junior NTR, Rana: T'wood stars reveal love for cooking

What do actors like Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Rana Daggubati and Naga Chaitanya all have in common? Well, apart from romancing heroines and bashing goons on screen, they are all proficient chefs off screen, who love to flaunt their culinary skills and leave a lasting impression on friends and family.

It’s said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but in a reversal of roles, Naga Chaitanya confesses that he is fond of cooking and often rustles up a meal for his fiancé Samantha and his close aides.

“I love food a lot and adore the art of cooking. I have always observed the preparation of food keenly. I also follow MasterChef and enjoy baking too, but I’m still taking baby steps in my culinary journey,” says the actor, adding, “I love Chinese recipes. In fact, we have a couple of restaurants too, and I am pretty familiar with how they operate.”

For Jr NTR, cooking is a way to relax. The actor admits that it gives him great pleasure to take part in the culinary process, and that he can cook a wide variety of recipes. Sources close to him attest that he has enviable cooking skills. “Cooking is a stress buster; it helps me get relief from all sorts of pressures. In fact, whenever I am stressed, I like to cook for my wife. I also cook whenever my close friends drop in at my house. During childhood, I observed my mom cook and picked up many skills from her. My favourite dishes are prawns pulav and chicken burgers. I love to barbecue and once prepared a sumptuous pizza when Prakash Raj visited me. We had a great time binging on some delicious food that night,” recalls NTR.

Ram Charan has a different story to tell. “I see cooking as a great opportunity to avoid pre-release jitters of my films. I love to cook during my free time too, and like to prepare Hyderabadi and Malabar biryani. I especially like Turkish recipes and have tried out some of those dishes. Upasana and I love to spend time cooking. While she loves continental food, I relish Japanese and Peruvian food, both of which are full of salads,” explains the actor.

Meanwhile, self-confessed foodie Rana Daggubati says he never had a sweet tooth, but always had a “meat tooth”! “I find cooking a fun activity, especially when I have to cook for someone,” says Rana. The Baahubali star relishes Hyderabadi haleem and biryani, and always looks forward to Ramzan as it gives him a chance to savour the dishes in the Old City.

“Cooking for others gives me pleasure and I find it relaxing. I learnt how to prepare biryani from chefs in the Old City, as I would directly go into the restaurants’ kitchens and try the recipes later at home,” reveals the strapping actor.

Apart from savouring grilled chicken and baked fish on the sets of his films, Rana loves to cook for his friends. The actor says that there are no rules for cooking, and that he just follows his imagination and passion. “Whenever my friends visit, I try to cook recipes that I tasted recently. Biryani is almost always on the cards. I love to experiment with new recipes,” he shares.

Jr NTR
A hearty chef
Cooking is a stress buster; it helps me get relief from all sorts of pressures. In fact, whenever I am stressed, I like to cook for my wife. I also cook whenever my close friends drop in. I observed my mom cook and picked up many skills from her.

Ram Charan Tej

Ram Charan
Cooking to cool down
I see cooking as a great opportunity to avoid pre-release jitters of my films. I like to prepare Hyderabadi and Malabar Biryani. I especially like Turkish recipes and have tried out some of the dishes. Upasana and I love to spend time cooking.

Jr NTR and Ram Charan Tej revel in cooking up delicious meals.

Naga Chaitanya
Gastronomic passion
I love food a lot and adore the art of cooking. I have always observed the preparation of food keenly. I also follow MasterChef and enjoy baking too, but I’m still taking baby steps in my culinary journey.

Rana Daggubati
A hands-on learner
I learnt how to prepare biryani from chefs in the Old City, as I would directly go into the restaurants’ kitchens and try the recipes later at home.