Aasif Mandvi, Madhur Jaffrey hit PDX with "Today's Special"

(Today's Special producer Nimitt Mankad, Madhur Jaffray and Aasif Mandvi)

Actor and The Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi's comedy credentials are impeccable, but it turns out that when you put him next to legendary cookbook author/actress Madhur Jaffrey, she's the funny one. They both star in the film Today's Special, which Mandvi also co-wrote: an Indian food comedy that screens in Portland at 10pm tonight as part of the IACP "Foodista" festival.

Jaffrey acts in the movie, but says she didn't vet the cooking scenes for authenticity. "I wish I had! I would have had a few things to say I think! There are some green spices in there that I don't know."

"We have some colors in there that are more cinematic than probably legitimate," Mandvi concedes.

"Than real," Jaffrey says. The woman who helped teach Americans to toast cardamom and coriander also says of Mandvi, "he doesn't do any toasting, I'll tell you that!"

"My culinary challenge was to look like I know what I'm doing," says Mandvi. "You may not recognize all the spices, but you'll definitely want to go have Indian food after you see this movie."