About the Author

Hello friends,

Welcome to The Annapurna in You.
You have been following my page and reading as well as trying out my recipes over the past 11 odd months; but, not many of you know the face behind this page. So I thought I should introduce myself to all of you.

About me...
Hi, I am Sonal and I am the face behind The Annapurna in You. Born and brought up in Mumbai, I have grown up eating a wonderful mix of authentic Maharashtrian cuisine (me being a Maharashtrian) as well the rich multi-cuisine that this city of dreams, fun and food is exposed to, including Gujarati, South Indian, Punjabi, Sindhi and Parsi and ofcourse a steady diet of street food [something that a true Mumbaikar will never miss… :)]

I will not make any claims that I started cooking only after I got married. No, I was always fond of cooking. I was always in and out of the kitchen, not just looking for a bite to eat, but also to help out or peep into a saucepan or wok. My mother was a working woman who would wake up early morning, get us ready and drop us to school, cook lunch in the mornings ( my Father would eat lunch and go to work), pack our lunch boxes and trot off to catch her local train to churchgate station, work tirelessly throughout the day and return back with lots of ‘Khau’ (eatables) for us as well as the daily supplies of fruits, vegetables and other groceries for the house, then again cook dinner for us… and all this with an undying smile on her face. At a very early age, I had this feeling of responsibility that I should do something, no matter howsoever small, to relieve my mom of atleast some of the household work. That’s what led me to try a hand at cooking at the age of 12. However, as I started to cook, at some unconscious level, a deep seated love for food and cooking was created watching my mother make lot of yummy things and serve them to us with so much of love.
But yes, till I got married, my mom was always around when I was cooking and I had all her help and support at my disposal. It was only after marriage that I started cooking all by myself and learnt a lot of things on trial and error basis.

In all these years of cooking and experimenting I realized that I should have followed my heart and gotten some formal training in this area… may be a degree in Hotel management and Catering or something like that. However, at that time I thought I was more passionate about law and hence, instead, pursued my education and initial career in that area. I have no regrets though… I am happy with what I have and I am celebrating it! Today, I feel a sense of pride (not boasting at all) as well as satisfaction in being a working woman managing my job, home and this page all at the same time.

Most of all, being able to pursue my passion (cooking, ofcourse) makes me float on cloud 9.

Why this Page?
I made attempts to cook, when I was a teenager. The results were never very disastrous, because even if I made a mess, my mom would always be there to get me out of it. I did make mistakes and slowly started learning from them. I would always observe my mother’s fingers adding spices; her judgement about the salt “to taste” or her hands rolling out a chapati with such ease and finery.
My Father always said, "you cook well, the food is tasty". That used to be my biggest prize… my gold medal. I really treasured his words and I still do. I am lucky to have an extremely supporting spouse as well as in-laws and a lot of friends and well-wishers who have always encouraged me in all my enthusiastic (or should I say overly enthusiastic?) culinary enterprises. I put my heart into cooking, even if it is a simple dish and I enjoy the whole process, every bit of it, including chopping, sauteing , adding spices… all of it. This page is my journal. My space to pen down not just recipes but also all my food related memories. It is a means for me to express myself and more importantly, to learn and grow. And with all your love and support, I am sure I will grow!

Thank you for taking time to read about me. I truly appreciate the time you spend to read and try the recipes and leave your valuable comments.

With lots of love and care,
Sonal.