Each one has a journey and it is their
own:-
Well hello
folks, I am sweta, people have so many spelling for this name that even I had
to heed to it and add a ‘h’ to it(shwetha). So my food journey or so to say
cooking journey started young. Not very may be post 10 years of age.Most skills
are acquired after watching my mom cook ,who is a great cook and I look for her
recipes for most dishes that are close to heart.
I would
find all the cookery shows very engaging
and would watch it with my mom, and had a book where I would note down recipes.
looking back now I feel did have a gut feeling with some dishes, that
it would taste just so right and I would
try those recipes and as I had a bent of
mind towards arranging etc would do some bits of it too and was restricted to
just trying new recipes and tasting some occasionally as those days restaurants
and even our idea of food was limited, so that was just the case most of the
times.As I was in teenage and in degree I had a strong career ambition and was
always hoping to be a professional working in a good company with handful
salary and that was the whole idea.
But soon
after degree, my area of interest was in management and then I pursued that
with a PGDM and worked in a few companies and by the time all this was
happening , I got married thinking that I would still be able to make my mark
as I was headstrong about a career even then, although no job was giving me
major happiness, I was still in a state of figuring out what kind of job/ the transition would make or give me a career break.
But the challenges
were different as my presence in house was more important and I had to time and
again look for part time or half day jobs etc, and the settling time into new
home,environment and people was also
happening.There were times when I would deeply feel miserable not being able to
live my dreams, there were times I felt the endless dark tunnels I was passing
through not seeing any daylight. I mean this was my mental talks and my
feelings when I was not doing anything as per my plan. So many times I would
converse to myself as to what are my strengths(more confusing as I liked doing
a lot of things- dressing,cooking,decorating,diy,paint,host/anchor) and always
the answer was vague and would make me feel even more vulnerable and worthless.
Listen to my podcast here on the topic - My journey into youtube
https://anchor.fm/foodandliving-shwetha/episodes/My-journey-to-youtuber-and-Tawa-fried-vegetables-Recipe-emo7vj
Meanwhile I
even delivered a son and a year or 2 passed in his caretaking but my constant
botheration and questioning never stopped. I used to watch youtube then and
after a lot of it I would feel if I also could do something like that , but
limited my thoughts to what if’s and buts but later realizing all that was
in my head only. I was cooking and
posting it on fb then and would get lot of likes- hubby and me both being
foodie would try a lot of recipes. So soon I realized this is it this is the
skill which I always had and felt happy doing but somehow in these years I
never tried working on it and started my youtube channel as Shwetafood&living , which could
show recipes, fashion, motivations,skills,how to, kids activities etc which
were all the interests I have and love doing . And then exploring and shooting
, editing and social media and instagram etc all of it started and it has been
over a year and I have began to enjoy it now and feel empowered that I am
finally doing something as a true calling..!! may be in the journey of self
exploration I might even stumble upon new avenues too but all I am saying is
until we can identify us with something very personal and identity of our own
we always feel like a fish out of water. Once we get used to we can learn to
swim and soon that becomes a habit we would begin to enjoy. Also I would like to say that growing
up it is important to have a hobby that one should per sue, which can help in
times like these and continuous learning and up gradation should happen.
This is a
journey or path most of them travel and hence I think sharing it will help
people realize that it is just a passing phase and things will eventually be
better and we can do what is our true calling.
Just be
patient and do the job and live in the moment enjoying and taking in all that
comes along the way and do not be shy to make mistake, learning and emerging
out of it will just be the beginning of a great journey ahead.
Although I
wish to reach more milestones and do more and better job for
channel,feed,blog,brand etc I am truly happy that at least I did what I once
had set as a limitation myself.
So on that
note sharing a recipe I recently made-
Tawa fried vegetables :-
Ingredients:-
Assorted vegetables- chopped thin/
sliced:
Ladies finger- 5-6
Brinjal- 1 big
Bitter guard- 1 big slit into 4
equal pieces
Carrot- 1
Beetroot- 1/2
Cauliflower florets- 10-15
Potato- boiled- 2
Tomato- 1
Capsicum- 2
For marination:-
Chilli powder- 3 tbsp
Garam Masala- 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Coriander and cumin powder- 2 tbsp
Salt- to taste
Chaat masala- 2 tbsp
Black salt- 1 tsp
Mango powder- 2 tsp
Lemon juice- 1tsp
Curd- 2 tbsp
Tomato ketchup- 2 tbsp.
Ginger garlic paste – freshly
made-(Optional)
Oil- 2 tbsp.
Oil for frying
Tawa
Method:-
·
Chop
vegetables length wise, in the size which can cook fast enough on Tawa.
·
Mix
all the ingredients for marination in a deep mixing bowl. Add in chopped
vegetables. And allow marinating for 30 min atleast.
·
Once
done place a iron tawa on the flame and heat it.
Sprinkle some oil on it. Spread marinated vegetables on it. Drizzle oil
over it and allow to cook with a lid on.
·
Check
and turn over vegetables occasionally to check if it is done.
·
Once
cooked a bit charred/ smoked – Plate it
and serve it hot.
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