Super blogger Sunday: Lata Raja of Flavours and Tastes

This week's featured Super blogger is Lata of Flavours and Tastes blog. In almost one and half years of blogging, she managed to post recipes steadily without any break and has more than 200 of them on her blog. She couldnt post anything since the past two months as she has been waiting for her things to be shifted to her new place. She is very active on facebook as well..Hats off to her enthusiasm..

EC: Tell us something about yourself

Lata: I can happily call myself a foodie…so long as it is vegetarian, I do not fuss about food. I used to be ‘a just cook and eat’ person for many years. Later when friends found my recipes interesting and appreciated, my cooking took a different dimension. My blog is just about two years old. It started from the point where I was sent the link to Laavanya’s Cookery Corner.

Around the same time, my daughter and her friends were planning to cook for themselves in University. Thus, as a means of giving them recipes, I started blogging. Then for a few days it was an addiction. Currently, I have enough free time, that I can dedicate to cook and write what I cook.

Initially, I posted almost every day, then slowed down. Currently it is on hold and have not posted anything in the past two months. The recipes are usually regular ones, but I do cook sometimes with a post in mind.

EC: Who and what inspired you to start food blogging

Lata: My husband was and is, the one who inspires me to do this. It was him who went about shaping the blog. Then, my daughter, who is game to try any recipe. I must acknowledge other food enthusiasts who cook and share their recipes. They are the best source of inspiration. Due credit is to Laavanya, who introduced this activity through her blog.

EC: Do you think blogging has widened your perspective and exposure

Lata: Most certainly, it has. Cooking was just about a regular day-to-day activity until I started writing and sharing recipes. Now I take due care about measurements and procedures. I try to concentrate on small details lest I misguide someone who is hoping to try my recipe. And even my everyday cooking has evolved inspired by many other bloggers. Even small changes to certain recipes bring about variety.

EC: How much technical knowledge does one need for successful blogging

Lata: I think if you have basic knowledge, it is fine. All these sites are mostly user -friendly. The best thing is you can ask a fellow blogger to help out and get things in place. Yet, if you possess additional skills, it is so much more fun.

EC: You have baked a variety of bread and cookies ...Any tips on blogging and the recipe you will suggest to a first timer….

Lata: I try to follow the given recipe and go about it when it comes to baking. I hardly try making changes on my own. Once, you are confident, you may try to make slight changes .

EC: Your views on plagiarism and how can we fight it

Lata: It is seriously an offense to simply copy and take credit for what is not your work. If someone can go to lengths of copying posts and pictures, it takes just about an extra minute to credit the source.

As far as food is concerned, many recipes are handed down or tried from other sources. So there may be similarities. But copying right off someone’s pages and taking all credit is quite unpleasant.

EC: Your favourite vegetarian recipe

Lata: Thanks EC for giving me this opportunity.

I would like to share Aval Laddoo with readers of this post.

Ingredients:

1 cup thick beaten rice/aval/poha

2/3rds of a cup powdered sugar

¼ cup ghee

3 pinches of powdered cardamom

Method:

Toss the beaten rice in a large flat plate and remove scum and dust.

Place a heavy rounded pan on the stove. Add few drops of the ghee and a hand ful of the beaten rice.

On a low to moderate heat toss it around until they puff slightly.

Do this in small batches to evenly puff the entire quantity.

Once all of the beaten rice has been puffed, allow to cool. Then pulse it to a coarse powder as in semolina consistency.

In a bowl mix the sugar, cardamom powder and the pulsed poha. Mix well to blend evenly.

Heat the ghee until warm and mix it to the powdered ingredients. Quickly shape balls.

It would be easy to shape while the ghee is warm. So if making larger quantities, it is advisable to do in batches.

I have used the red poha for more fibre content.

You may make the same using part beaten rice and part ground almond powder.