About

More About Me

Hello/Namaskara/Ni Hao!

As you may have discovered by now, my name is Megha and I currently reside in Bengaluru, India after spending nearly two decades in the island nation of Singapore.

A Kannadiga by origin, my roots trace back to a small suburb near the University town of Manipal but my hometown is Mysuru, a city for which my love knows no bounds. 

Born in Oldham, England, my early years unfolded in various towns and cities in the UK. A career opportunity for my father led us to the Middle East, marking a significant shift in geography and culture. That said, childhood memories in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain remain etched in joyous recollection. I was an eight year old girl with missing teeth and pigtails when my parents decided to settled down in Mysuru which marked the culmination of my formative years.

Graduating with a degree in dentistry in 2006, life took an unexpected turn, leading me to Singapore immediately after marriage. Despite the sultry weather, I fell in love with the city's vibrancy, culture, and opportunities. Navigating foreign degree challenges, I ventured into biomedical research, a decision I've never regretted (so far).

In 2014, my husband and I were graced with a surprise double blessing as we welcomed our fraternal twin girls into the world. Our precious daughters added the perfect finishing touch to our family. After taking a career break and being a stay-at-home-mom to our girls for almost two years, I got back to working full-time as a Research Associate. Juggling motherhood, a career and my (many) hobbies has been going as well as I could have ever hoped for.

Singapore welcomed me as a new bride and blessed me with so much over the years – resident status, a Master's degree, career milestones, a home of my own, travel experiences, cherished friendships, and our precious daughters. 

In March 2023, after 17 glorious years, we made the heartfelt decision to relocate to India, embracing our roots and family ties. We are ready for our next chapter in India and are sincerely hoping that the move turns out to be the best thing that could have happened for our family. 

On the subject of my blog, my fascination with food began in my teenage years, evolving into a lifelong culinary journey. Inspired by my adept mother and mother-in-law, and having a hard-core foodie husband who gradually over the years turned into my culinary co-conspirator, I'd like to believe that I've come a long way. Beyond the kitchen, I am interested in movies, music, books, shopping, outdoor pursuits, restaurant exploration, and travel.

Encouraged by my husband, I ventured into blogging, an endeavor that, despite my initial hesitations, has proven rather gratifying. 

Thank you for being part of my world. Here's to the shared joy of culinary exploration, cultural discoveries, and this crazy journey called life ✌

More about my blog

My Food

In my kitchen, vegetarian cooking takes center stage, and eggs are certainly part of the culinary canvas. The art of cooking with ingredients like cheese, eggs, potatoes, spinach, chickpeas, jalapenos, fresh herbs, tropical fruits, berries, and chocolate holds a special place in my heart, making frequent appearances in my repertoire.

One of the captivating facets of Indian cuisine, in my opinion, lies in its vast and intricate variety of vegetarian dishes. The South-Indian dishes I cook are a fusion of Udupi cuisine, steeped in traditional recipes passed down through generations, and regional specialties from Southern states that I've mastered over time. As for North-Indian fare, my culinary inspiration stems from cookbooks from renowned Indian chefs, insights from TV shows and an array of blogs and websites. My husband and I love chaat (Indian street food) so tantalizing chaats often grace our dinner table. I am yet to venture into experimenting with lesser known regional Indian specialities but I am keen to do so. Keep watching this space for more. 

Beyond the realm of Indian cuisine, which I naturally consider one of the world's greatest cuisines, my taste buds veer towards Italian, Mexican, Thai, and Middle-Eastern flavors, listed in order of preference. Our culinary escapades extend to global cuisines, becoming much anticipated additions to our weekly and weekend menus 😋

Baking is something that I gravitated towards since I was a teen and has now evolved into a therapeutic pursuit. My vision for the future includes becoming a baking aficionado, a work in progress! I harbour a love for baking bread and Western desserts, and so my baking endeavors predominantly revolve around assorted breads and sweet treats. Looking ahead, I aim to venture into savory bakes, expanding my baking repertoire and hopefully churning up some drool-worthy creations on a regular basis.

My Travels

To me, travel isn't just a luxury or a choice – it's an essential facet of life that brings me boundless joy. The fantasy of becoming a travel show host has always danced in my imagination, with a nod of admiration to the likes of Samantha Brown.

During my childhood, I was able to travel to many cities across the United Kingdom, to countries in the Middle East, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong courtesy of my wanderlust parents. 

My husband and I eagerly anticipate holiday opportunities whenever they arise. Residing in Singapore granted us easy access to the enchanting Southeast Asian tapestry. Since we became a couple, we've savored diverse travel experiences – cruises along the South China Sea, explorations in Malaysia, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan. There have also been memorable trips to Mauritius and USA. 

The birth of our twins prompted a hiatus in our travel escapades, navigating the additional challenges that parenthood brings. But as they have grown older, taking them on holidays within South East Asia and to countries like USA, Canada and Japan, it has become increasingly apparent that they have inherited our wanderlust. I just KNOW that there will be a lot more travel in our future 😊

My ultimate aspiration is to traverse the globe. I envision hiking through the scenic landscapes of Europe, embarking on a safari adventure in Africa, reveling in the natural wonders of New Zealand, immersing myself in the rich cultures of South America, and basking in the serene beaches of Hawaii. Closer to home, I am eager to explore the diverse landscapes of my incredible home country, India.

Stay tuned, dear readers, for the adventures that lie ahead!

My Photography

I am hugely embarrassed when people ask me about my photography. Although all the food photographs in my blog are my own handiwork, I have miles to go before I can call myself a decent photographer. Most of the food photography in my blog is taken with my Canon 40D Digital SLR camera and some using my iPhone. I use a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens which is great for close range photography. I consider myself quite technologically challenged so I don't play around much with the settings on the camera except for the white balance and shutter speed. The only skill I have perfected so far is to hold the camera very still and that is only because I'm too lazy to get out the tripod.

Since the advent of the iPhone, I will admit that I only use my phone to take my photographs and without anyone pointing the obvious, I know I can do better. 

My food pics have been getting accepted in food websites of the caliber of Foodgawker so I consider that as a step in the right direction. I do not have a knack for food styling like a lot of talented food bloggers do so I've started browsing food galleries and magazines for inspiration and ideas. I've also discovered the joy of shopping for food styling props. 

Hopefully, I can make my food appear more interesting and appetizing in the future. 

Movies & Books...

In my teenage years until my mid-twenties, I used to watch romcoms, slapstick comedies and chick-flicks (basically anything that was fun, light-hearted and largely non-intellectually stimulating 😝). My taste in movies was dismal and I only began opening my mind to other genres of cinema much later. I was not into the supernatural/horror genre of books or movies but over the years, my preferences have evolved. Now, thrillers, fantasy, science fiction, adventure, crime dramas and animated movies tend to be my favourite genres of film. 

We have a mammoth movie collection at home so we watch movies pretty regularly. I am determined to watch all the movies in the IMDb Top 250 list and I'm slowly getting there. The best part is that this list keeps changing with time so there are no dearth of good movies to watch. I enjoy watching foreign language films too (as long as they have English subtitles). I used to catch the latest Bollywood offerings at the cinema as soon as the movie is released but over the years, I have changed my stance to quality over quantity.

Some of my favorite movies include - The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, 12 Angry Men, City of God, The Godfather, The Bourne trilogy, The Usual Suspects, The Lord of the Rings, Seven, ET-Extra terrestrial, Roman Holiday, Avengers Infinity War and Endgame, The Sound Of Music, Lagaan, Swades and Dangal. 

My complete list of favourite movies is in a separate blog post which you can check out here

When it comes to books, I pretty much read anything and everything although I am quite partial to historical and spy fiction. Over the years, my reading matter and pace has fluctuated dramatically depending on how well I have been managing my studies, motherhood or my career. But I am at a stage in my life where a work-life equilibrium exists so I have been able to make reading a consistent habit. At the start of each year, I give myself a book target which I have been able to (more or less) meet. 

These are some of my favorite books:

Fiction

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
• Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Roots by Alex Haley
• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
• IT by Stephen King
• The Shining by Stephen King
• Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
• The Green Mile by Stephen King
• Pillars of the Earth by by Ken Follett
• Century trilogy by Ken Follett
• Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
• Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva
• Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Natchez Burning trilogy by Greg Iles
• The Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
• The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
• The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

Non-fiction

• Educated by Tara Westover
• Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
• The Singapore Story by Lee Kuan Yew
• Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
• Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
• The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

Please let me know if you have books that you love and recommend. I have just begun updating my goodreads online library with ratings and reviews. I'm sure it is going to take a while but I'll get there.

Copyright

While it is said that imitation is a sincere form of flattery, I hold a different view when it comes to blogging, especially if credit is intentionally not given to the original source.

A significant portion of my time is devoted to background reading, refining recipes, culinary curation, photography, and articulating my thoughts. I kindly request that you refrain from outright copying my work. If you wish to try any of my recipes, I wholeheartedly encourage it, but I ask that you provide a link back to my page. To maintain integrity, I always ensure to credit and provide a link to the website or blog that inspires or contributes to the recipes that I publish. If, in any instance, I am unaware of the source or have drawn inspiration from three or more sources, I explicitly mention so. My aim is to avoid misattribution and ensure proper credit.

All the travel and food-related content, including photos, on this blog is safeguarded by Singapore Copyright Law. Unauthorized reproduction, publication, or display of this content without my prior written consent is strictly prohibited. The information on this blog is not to be used for publishing on other websites, commercial purposes, or any other media without my explicit permission.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Singapore License.  

Copyscape is a free plagiarism checker which helps to detect duplicate content and ensure originality. This blog is protected by Copyscape.

Cheers,

Megha