Gowri Nataraj has a unique IG profile and YouTube channel focusing on South Indian food. It is a different take on food. I talk to her about her thought process behind her creative ideas.

Gowri, welcome to my blog, and I want to know something unique about you.

Though an engineer by profession, I’m an artist by passion. I’m a good painter and photographer. I try to achieve what I set my mind on.

I love your IG handle as a food blogger. Every picture of South Indian food is unique, playful, and different. Gowri, talk to me about how your YouTube channel and IG got started? 

Thank you, Jerry, for the kind words. Adding a little creativity to food is fun.

Sornam Kitchen is a mom-daughter team. We focus on healthy dishes for the whole family. The YouTube channel was started by my mother in 2017. She was visiting us (her children) in the USA and was inspired by other cooking channels. She started her own almost immediately. We (daughters & daughter-in-law) helped her set up the channel and taught her to use video editing tools. My mom does not have much knowledge about technology considering her generation, so we were all amazed by how she picked up and was able to work on the channel. All her recipes are traditional South Indian dishes that are famous for their flavors. Most recipes are curated by her. She is such an inspiration for us all.

I started to get involved at the beginning of this year. I contribute some baking recipes and fusion recipes. The Instagram channel was started by me this year in early 2020. I started it to make a statement for our YT channel and for the traditional dishes we make.

Are your meals, vegetarian, or also vegan?

It is vegetarian and we do non-veg dishes also but they are not that many.

My knowledge of South Indian food is Dosa, Idli, Vada Sambhar, and eating on a plantain leaf. Educate me on the intricacies of South Indian food?

You are right! South Indian food is Idli, Dosa, Sambar along with rice, Rasam, Poriyal, and curd. No South Indian meal is complete without these dishes.  Though Dosa and Idli are our staple dishes, we make them using different types of grains/lentils packed with nutrients. So many of our dishes are simple and easy to make. All the ingredients are preservative-free and no artificial flavors.

I want to know about the unique spices and masalas of South Indian food?

Ah! Spices. As far as I know, each household will have their unique homemade spice. We have never brought spices from stores. My Mom grinds all the spices by getting the raw ingredients to name a few spices we use would be turmeric powder, chili powder, and coriander powder. A unique spice we use for gravy is “Kulambu Millagai Podi”. My mom makes this and we now use it literally for all the gravies we make.

What is women’s empowerment to you?

It starts early from our childhood. Being accepted, respected, and valued right from the start. Being taught and allowed to explore their own ideas.

How has the modern Indian woman evolved from your mother’s and grandmother’s generation?

We have come a long way. My grandmother didn’t go to school at all. My mother studied only till 10th grade. She was married at 17.  However, we [her daughters] have finished our undergrad and my sister is working as an engineer. Looking back and seeing how much we have moved forward is pure bliss.

Are Indian men cooking and helping around the home?

Yes, in nuclear families for sure.

Name me your favorite ingredients and least favorite ingredients?

Turmeric and cumin are my favorite ones. Nothing specific as least favorite but I tend to use less of garam masala and poppy seeds.

You are chosen to go to MARS. You can only take 5 ingredients. What are those ingredients?

Turmeric powder, Mustard, Chili Powder, Salt, and Coriander Powder.  With these five I can make about any dish.

Give me your favorite dishes for breakfast, lunch, teatime, and dinner?

Breakfast – Dosa and Cilantro Chutney

Lunch – Rice, Dhal, Rasam, and Potato Fry

Tea Time – Egg Puffs, Bajji

Dinner – Chapathi and Paneer Gravy

The post Gowri Nataraj: South Indian Food Through the eyes of an Artist appeared first on Four Columns of a Balanced Life.

I have traveled to more than 30 countries. Indian food in England is the Balti dishes from Bangladesh. In Lisbon, it is Goan food. In Paris, it is food from South India and mainly from Pondicherry. I live in Toronto, and Indian restaurants are mostly buffet style from Punjab. As a result, I want to talk to Divyanshi to get a better understanding of Indian food.

Divyanshi is a Delhi-based food blogger who has an amazing Instagram profile. She believes that good food brings people together at My Delicious Plate.  She loves exploring homemade food and different food recipes from all parts of India rather than Indian restaurants. Her mantra is ‘Eat, Drink and Live Free because you get this life once and there is no telling what might happen tomorrow’.

Divyanshi welcome to my blog. Please tell me a little about you? What does your name mean?

Hello Jerry, first of all, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I have completed my graduation. I love to write. As a result, I decided to blog and have been doing it for a year.

My name ‘Divyanshi’ is made of two Hindi words. ‘Divy’ which means divine or spiritual and ‘Ansh’ means a part of. However, when combined, Divyanshi means ‘Part of a Divine thing’.

I love your IG profile. You showcase a variety of foods. Is it from all over India or only from the North?

Thank you! The variety of Indian food is a result of our diverse Indian culture. Because of this cultural mix, we have been lucky to enjoy the cuisines of the South in North India and vice versa. The food from all regions is popular all over India!  I have been eating many of this regional food since childhood and now I try to cook them too.

My IG profile displays food from all parts of India. It is easily available everywhere especially in New Delhi, which is the capital of India. New Delhi is a cultural mosaic of people from all over India who also bring their food with them.

Roti means bread. Please talk to me a little bit about the different kinds of Chapati, Poori, Naan, and Rumali roti?

In India, typically in northern parts, there are two segments of a meal. One curry and one bread and then accompaniments to this can be added. Roti, Poori, Naan, Fulka are all types of bread that we enjoy with a great variety of curries. They differ in their style of preparation and grain of which it is made.

For example, Roti is made by simply making a dough of wheat flour, flattening it, and baking it on a Tawa (a large flat pan). Poori on the other hand is a fried version of roti which is smaller in size. Naan is made from Maida (Refined flour) and is leavened with yeast. We also stuff roti and call it parantha. There is literally a huge variety of bread in India that one can enjoy and it all comes from our varied culture!

Talk to me about your favorite snacks?

I love having snacks. I think snacks are my favorite part of the day. Being an Indian foodie, I would say ‘Samosa’ which has become popular all around the globe now.  Initially, there was only potato stuffing in samosa but now we can get noodle samosa, cheese samosa, pasta samosa, and many more like these.

One more favorite snack of people living in Delhi is ‘Momos’. That is not Indian but we love it like it is ours. We make Indian versions of every snack around the world and that is something I love about India.

You have a decent following on IG. Does that put pressure on you?

No. I never felt the pressure. This is something I really enjoy doing. I feel grateful that people are liking my content on ‘My Delicious Plate’ and it motivates me to work harder. Also, I have my best friend, Vivek who helps me with the content and suggestions. I wish the number keeps growing so that I can share my love for food with more people.

What does women empowerment mean to you?

Women empowerment for me is about letting females choose what they want to do without any restriction. For years women around the world have been restricted to numerous things. Women have struggled and made their way to the top. However,  the situation has improved to only some extent, mostly in developed countries.

We need to create more opportunities for women and more space for them to choose their own path. Discrimination between genders should be eliminated and only we can do it by spreading awareness and telling women their worth and telling men to treat women equally.

I want to know your favorite dishes and why do you like them?

I have a long list of favorite dishes. I will choose three of my favorites. The first one is Rajma Chawal. Rajma is red kidney bean curry and chawal is rice. The kind of spices used in it makes it so tasty and special. Indian food is all about different spices and their style of blending.

Another dish is Paneer Butter Masala which is a cottage cheese served in a spicy gravy having lots of butter. The third one is Masala Dosa. I can really have it anytime with a good Sambar and Coconut Chutney. For a foodie like me, it was difficult choosing just three!

Is there a huge difference between vegan and vegetarian food in India? I mean if you cook with ghee it is vegetarian, if sunflower oil it becomes vegan?

The concept of veganism in India is not as popular as it is coming up in some parts of the world. There are very few people talking about it. The same reflects in our food habits. For example, cooking in ghee is still considered better and healthier than in oil. We have a huge population of vegetarians but being vegan is something we haven’t acknowledged yet.

What are your future goals? Where does Divyanshi want to be 5 years from now?

I started ‘My Delicious Plate’ as a page to show people my love for food, what I eat, and my kind of food. One thing I was sure of since the beginning, I didn’t want to restrict it to the Indian audience. I wanted to show people from all around the world the richness of food we enjoy in India, hence the English name.

I feel extremely happy when people from other continents message me saying they love Indian food and would like to try the recipes I share. In the future also I would be working on the same. Even in India, many people are unaware of foods from other regions, my intention is to take out food from all over India, especially the traditional food and display the diversity of Indian food and culture to the people of our country as well as globally.

You are chosen to represent Indian food on a trip to Mars and can take only 5 food items. What would they be?

If I have to represent India with five dishes then I will choose my favorites from all parts of the country. From the North, I will choose Paneer Tikka which is cheese marinated in lots of spices. Masala Dosa will be chosen from South India. From the west, I will take Dhokla which is a Gujrati Cuisine.

North-East India enjoys more Non-vegetarian cuisines which I don’t have but I will choose Fish curry of Bengal for those who eat fish. Fifth and the last one will be from Central India. and that is Khasta Kachori which is made with wheat dough stuffed with a spicy lentil mixture and then fried till it becomes crispy.

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