Share the post "The Story of Spicecravings.com: An Interview with Aneesha"
Aneesha has a natural passion for food, and she is a recipe developer, photographer, writer, and blogger behind Spice Cravings.
Aneesha began cooking when she was in her early teens by assisting her mother in the kitchen. She learned her family’s recipes for traditional north Indian Punjabi cuisine, which incorporate seasonal produce and fresh farm ingredients. The recipes offer a wide range of options for both vegetarians and meat lovers, from Chicken Tikka Masala to stuffed Parathas (flatbreads) to Saag (seasoned mustard greens).
Aneesha’s mother taught her that preparing these delicious and nutritious meals doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. This knowledge has proven to be very useful for Aneesha.
Read our exclusive interview with Aneesha now!
What follows is an interesting interview with the Cooking influencer.
1. Please tell us a little about yourself and how you got into cooking.
Hi, I’m Aneesha, a foodie by birth, and recipe developer, photographer, writer, and blogger behind Spice Cravings. I also authorize Amazon’s hot favorite cookbook- “Electric Pressure Cooker Curry Cookbook“.
Cooking has been my passion for as long as I can remember. It helps me relax and unwind at the end of a long working day. I started cooking as a teen by helping my mother, and quickly developed a passion for food and cooking.
In 2017, I started Spice Cravings as an online recipe book for my kids, to empower them with one of the essential life skills- Cooking. There, I share fast and healthy recipes that are low in effort and big on taste. These weeknight recipes deliver authentic flavors using time-saving cooking techniques and are perfect for busy families.
All my recipes are inspired by my north-Indian Punjabi roots, world travels, and life as a working mother. My recipes have been featured on NBC News, Yahoo, MSN, Instant Pot, Delish, and more.
2. What are your favorite types of recipes to create and share, and why?
I like to create quick, easy and healthy recipes that are low in effort and big on taste. Most of my recipes are prepared in 30 minutes, and even the ones that take a little bit longer involve hands-off cooking time. And that’s because, like many people, my average weekday is packed with work commitments and kids’s activities which leaves me with very little time to make a healthy meal for the family. These recipes come together quickly, with very little prep and provide a complete and balanced meal.
3. What is your favorite ingredient to work with and why?
Spices! I love to try out new spices and explore their flavors in combination with different ingredients. Spices have the power to elevate an everyday ingredient into a delicious, satisfying and memorable dish. You can find a spice combination for every mood and occasion in your life.
4. What is your favorite kitchen tool or gadget and why?
My Instant Pot. I love pressure cooking. It’s a great way to cook the traditionally slow-cook ingredients like lentils, legumes, and meats, in under an hour, providing the same melt-in-the-mouth texture.
5. What equipment do you use for your food photography, and do you have any tips for taking great food photos?
Canon Mark IV and my iPhone. My tip for taking great photos is to practice, experiment and learn about light, angles and composition. It’s a skill that gets better with time.
6. Can you share any of your favorite cookbooks or online resources for recipe inspiration?
Believe it or not, I refer to my own cookbook, Curry Cookbook, many times for recipe inspiration, in addition to hand-written recipes by my mom and mom-in-law, both phenomenal cooks. Other inspiration sources include cooking channels by Chef Kunal kapoor, Recipes by Nisha Madhulika, Bobby Flay, and some more.
7. Can you walk us through your cooking process, from selecting ingredients to plating the finished dish?
I like working with seasonal ingredients when they taste and look the best in their most natural form. Then I pick the spices to pair with them. I brainstorm and make a short list of possible recipes with that combination, then choose additional ingredients, and choice of cooking method (Instant Pot/ air fryer/oven or stove). My plating choices are always keeping in ming the prominent colors of the dish, based on that I pick a composition that will complement the dish.
8. In your opinion as a food blogger expert, what hosting provider and theme would you suggest for a food or recipe site that needs to be visually appealing, user-friendly, and optimized for search engines?
I like working with Cloudflare. As for themes, Feast is my top choice, nothing comes close to their work.
9. Please share any cooking tips or techniques you think are important for beginners.
Prepare and gather your ingredients before starting to cook.
10. What do you hope people take away from your blog, and how do you want to inspire them in the kitchen?
I want to make cooking accessible to everyone. I want to show people that one doesn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen to make tasty and healthy meals. With a little bit of planning ahead and the right kind of recipes, most meals can come together in 30 minutes.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. It was a pleasure to learn about your experience with cooking and your family’s traditional recipes. Your insights into the importance of using seasonal produce and fresh farm ingredients were particularly interesting.
I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and expertise with us. Thank you again for your time, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
If you enjoyed this interview and want to explore more of Aneesha‘s delicious recipes and culinary expertise, be sure to visit her website and follow her on social media using the links below.
Website: https://spicecravings.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spicecravings/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spicecravings/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/spicecravings/
