Foodie Chat - Hot and Spicy Redchillies!

It is year end and this is the final foodie chat for this year 2008. The last one is always special. This time we have Supriya of Redchillies. From the name, you might guess that her recipes are going to be spicy. Hmm..is it so?, let us ask her.

Why and when did you start blogging?

I started blogging in June of 2007. I was very impressed with the concept of blogging; it’s ease of use, readily available free software and simple technology that could be used by any non-technical person. I planned on giving this a try and so I started blogging. I decided to use it as a way of sharing my recipes, recording my thoughts and penning my ideas.

Why did you choose Food as a topic to blog?

Food is a part and parcel of our everyday lives. I grew up being exposed to good food and great cooks. I also had/have a penchant for learning recipes. After I took up the mantle of cooking I discovered that I enjoy cooking, experimenting and also trying out new dishes. So I used this platform of blogging to share the recipes and culinary ideas with people across the world.


I believe you have a full time job. How do you manage both? Can you give some tips on time management?

True, I work full time and also I have a 3 year old boy. My family and work takes priority and blogging takes a back seat. I use blogging as my hobby and a good way of using my free time. I plan my day and activities in advance; I try not to overwhelm myself with too much work on a weekday. I do all important and time consuming work during the weekends. Finally, the best part that works for me is multi-tasking. While one food is cooking, I chop vegetables for the other dishes, or setting up the table, cleaning while heating a food and so on.

In a day, how many hours you spend blogging?

There is no set amount of time I spend on blogging in a day. I do blogging related activities whenever I find free time. However I do spend about 7-8 hours of blogging a week.

Do you have any other hobbies other than blogging?

Currently, blogging is taking up much of my free time. However I read books, listen to music and also collect books.

Do you see any change in your blogging habits?

I am trying to keep my blogging time as minimal as possible. It is very addictive and it is easy to get lost in the plethora of beautiful blogs out there.

There are many food blogs now, what do you think is the major difference between a food blog and a website that shares recipes?

The distinct part of blogging is the direct user interaction with the author. A reader can ask for question or clarification regarding a recipe/content and can expect clarification from the blogger. A reader can also request for a specific recipe which is not possible through books or websites. Similarly valuable comments from other readers make this medium efficient and highly inter active. Fresh content updates, beautiful photography also makes this quite popular.

What advice do you give to the new comers?

Food Blogging is an easy and great medium of sharing recipes. In my opinion, the three criteria to keep in mind while starting a blog is to have a good recipe ideas, good photography, and effective style of writing

Which is your favorite cuisine and why?

My favorite cuisine is Indian.

What do you feel about recent copyright issues?

I feel that stealing content from other sources without permission is just outrageous. It is just day light robbery and cannot be tolerated. It annoys me no end when people steal our content and publish it as their own.

Do you have any experience like this before? Any advice? (reg copyright issues)

Thankfully I have not personally experienced these issues.

You are a regular reader of ....Reader’s Digest, Cooking Light, Time and Business Week.

Do you cook frozen food? What’s your perception of frozen food?

I am not a huge fan of frozen food. Even though my perception about its nutrients has changed, I still prefer to use fresh food. However I use frozen peas, frozen vegetables and use it when I am in a hurry and need to get something fast.

When did you first start cooking?

I first started out by watching my mother cook in the kitchen. But then I started doing full fledged cooking after I got married.

Your favorite cooking show, cookbook, cuisine, restaurant, food

Rachael Ray’s 30 minute Meals, Dakshin byChandra Padmanabhan, Indian. There are many restaurants and food choices to narrow them down.

Who/what is your inspiration?

As far as cooking is concerned I have been inspired by many people including my mother, MIL, grandmother etc. They are all great cooks and they inspire me to try out something new every time. I have also been inspired by Rachael Ray and her 30 minute meal ideas. Last but not least other fellow bloggers who do such outstanding job with their blogs.

Among the different Indian cuisine, which is your fav? (like north indian,south indian etc) and why?

My favorite Indian cuisine is South Indian. I was brought up in Bangalore and so exposed to plenty of South Indian Cuisine. I enjoy other cuisines as well but feel warm and comforting when I eat Rice, Idlis, Dosas, Upma etc. Even today I love ending my meal with sambhar and yogurt rice.

Is your cooking always healthy? If so any tips for Healthy cooking?

I try to cook as healthy as possible. I incorporate vegetables, salads, yogurt and lentils in our everyday food. I totally avoid sugar and use oil to a minimal extent. Other things I do are add little oat /barley flour to chapathi dough, add soybeans, barley to dosa and idli batter. Add some flax seeds, almond powder, sesame seeds to finished subzis, add ginger, garlic to almost subzis etc. These small things do not change the flavor but enhance the nutrition of the food.

Your achievements as far as blogging is concerned so far.

I feel happy that I am able to share my recipes and ideas with so many people around the world. Also when people say that they have enjoyed the recipe, then that is what makes blogging worthwhile.

I love your pictures. Your Photography secrets?

Thank You. I believe that photography skill comes through experience and also experimenting. It is very important to look at the cameras manual and try out the different modes. Just by changing the mode from “auto” to “Portrait” makes so much of difference. Some other handy tips are taking pictures in good light, taking lots of pictures at different angles, covering the background etc.

If given a chance, about which cuisine would, you like to learn more? Why?

There is no specific cuisine as such. But I enjoy learning any cuisine as long as the recipe is vegetarian.

If asked to share one recipe from your blog, which would you choose and why?

A very tough choice indeed! But I would settle for “Poori and Vegetable Saagu”. This has been a childhood favorite of mine and brings back sweet and nostalgic memories.

What inspired you to start Foodworld aggregator?

The idea of creating an aggregator came to me after FDB (another Blog Aggregator) closed down. The creators of FDB had done great service to fellow bloggers by creating a platform so that the bloggers could show case their work not only to like minded bloggers but also to a wide range of interested audiences. So I wanted to create my own Aggregator and that is how FoodWorld was started.

Okies, now for a very important question. Why did you name your blog redchillies?

In our family we love spicy food and chillies is a quintessential part of our cooking. Being a Konkani we use plenty of dried red chillies along with coconut and tamarind in our everyday cooking. So I thought it was apt to name my food blog as RedChillies.

Have you been to my site before? Do you have any comments for me?

Absolutely I visit your blog often. I like the fact that you provide information not just about recipes, but also about blogging ideas, healthy cooking, photography tips etc. I also like the way you conduct events that promotes healthy eating ideas.

I would like to Thank Supriya for this lovely interview.

If you know anyone whom I can interview for this series, please let me know.

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Checkout the previous foodie chats.