About me and my cooking

For me, cooking is a creative expression with emotion of taste & sense.

As a visual art educator, I can visualize taste and texture of food. I love cooking fusion food; it’s like a blending of two cultures and twist of taste.

Being a vegetarian, my recipes are healthy and full of nutritional value. I personally believe in simple & slow cooking, before cooking I used to plan about the seasoning, because seasoning gives the twist in the taste of the dish.

Food gives us pleasure of taste,and satisfaction; it acts as a messenger or comforter. So before serving the food, attention must be given to its appearance, flavor, texture and temperature. The temperature plays important role to bring the taste of the dish.

I find solace in cooking and being a vegetarian, I find it equally rewarding when I create dishes that are not only healthy but add meaning to one’s daily humdrum diet. More than two decades ago when I moved to the UAE, I was a young woman ready to imbibe a host of cultural trends offered by this multi-faceted and fast paced city called Dubai. That is when I decided it was time to bolster my artistic expression by investing my time in teaching children the nuances of creating something beautiful from the simplest of materials…and in its essence that is how I define cooking!! Taking the smallest and simplest ingredients and creating delicacies that leave beautiful smiles on the faces of the people you enjoy serving the most. I was the member of Indian Ladies Association of Dubai and usually there they organised cooking competitions trice year, as an enthusiast chef I always too the part in all that competitions, and there I got my real exposure of Cooking Skills.

I have started taking a keen interest in cooking and participating in competitions that not only empower the cook within you, but act as a source of development, as I watch my fellow competitors create wonderful dishes. I have an affinity towards creating delicious fusion vegetarian dishes, which also include sweets and savouries. In the past 15 years or so I have taken part in numerous competitions,

In my spare time I love sharing recipes and important pieces of information on my blog ‘Fuss Free Cooking’,

 

“Keep it simple. Keep it fuss free.”

List of competitions I have participated in:

1.      2002- Won the third prize for, ‘Gold Seal Indus Valley Rice Competition’, Dubai in the Dessert Category

2.     2003- Won the second prize for ‘Halwai Contest’ held at Four Point Sheraton, Dubai

3.     2003- Finalist of ‘Kebab Chi Contest’ held at Four Point Sheraton, Dubai

4.     2004- Participated in ‘Nestle Cooking Challenge’ in Cake and Cookies Competition

5.     2005- Participated in ‘Braun Cooking Cup’

6.     2007- Won second Prize at the ‘Wonder Cook Competition’ held by ‘Telelife’ magazine, Dubai

7.     2008- Participated and received the award for ‘New Recipe Competition’ held at The Bombay, Marco Polo

8.     2009- Participated in ‘Biryani Mukabla Live Cooking’ at Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa,

9.     2011- Won first prize in ‘Organic Cooking Competition’ held at Down to Earth, Jumeirah, and Dubai

10.    2012- Participated in the ‘Super Chef Recipe Competition’ at Marco Polo

11.    2012- Entered the third round for the TV show ‘Safia Ramadan Cooking Challenge’

12.    2012- Won prize for ‘Nestle Dessert Challenge’

13- 2012- Won second prize at ‘LG Digital Cooking School Competition’

14.    2012- Won second prize at ‘Sheer Khurma Muqabla’ at Mumtaz Mahal Hotel in Arabian Courtyard

15.    2012- Won first Prize in ‘Grandma’s Recipe Muqabla’ at Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa

16.    2012- Won First prize at ‘Pink Recipe Contest’ at Breast Cancer Arabia Society, Dubai

17.    2012- Participated and selected for the reality showcasing culinary talent, ‘The Foodshala’ for my vegetarian version of Chinese Cuisine. To be broadcasted on Colors Channel.

18. 2013- Participated and awarded the Winner of Supah Chef Competition at Marco Polo , Dubai

Participated in various cookery competitions/ contests held in Dubai such as Marco Polo and Dubai Shopping Festival, Lulu Food fiesta , Samsung BBQ, Safi-KTSF, Polson –KTSF, VLCC, Nestlé, Al Rawabi,  Wonder cook of 2007 by Tele Life, made for each other by Tele Life, Tele-Life cookout- DSF Food Fiesta, Kebab-Chi by Four Point Sheraton etc.