HYDERABAD: We’re intrinsically a race that savours flavours, and Hyderabad is a unique melting pot that provides a myriad of cuisines craftily presented on a single platter. Which is why it’s no surprise that denizens are taking to the web world with such fervour to wax eloquent, or maybe not, on the dishes that have caught their palette’s imagination.
Siri Pulipaka, who’s been religiously devouring restaurants in the city to feed her blog ‘Cooking with Siri’, says, “I started in 2007 and since then, I have been writing recipes and giving reviews on eating joints in the city. The journey over these years has been rewarding and I have received an overwhelming response from my audience.”
Siri’s blog provides step-by-step recipes much to the delight of the followers. “Real happiness is when people from all walks of life visit my blog and drop their feedback. Initially, I started with recipes and later moved to a review section,” she adds.
With quite a few active foodie groups, suggestions and reviews are aplenty and there’s only so much to write about a place. Since food blogging isn’t just a source of spreading the word but also connects like minded people, food bloggers are not just confining themselves to the high-end restaurants but also scouring the streets for that special plate of dosa and tandoor.
Like Sabyasachi Ray Chaudhari. An employee at Inforays, he entertains his foodie pals on his blog ‘Foodaholix’. “I have been involved with food reviews since 2007, visiting most of the eating joints in the city and writing about them. But I soon realised that bandis in the city too deserved attention. So, I started writing about them about six months back.”
When he ran out of material within the city, he took to travelling across the country to gather a variety of recipes and experiences. An avid traveller, he roped in his son to co-manage the blog. Although Chaudhary posts only four-five articles a month, his passion for food has received a warm response.
And then there are a few who just blog as a full-time occupation. Sasikanth V Paturi, an MBA graduate from SP Jain Colleges, Dubai, runs ‘I’m just a...’ giving his followers the chance to fill in the blanks. After all, he says, everyone is entitled to an opinion.
“I have been writing about food for many years now. It was on a friend’s suggestion that I started the blog in August 2011. There have been times when I have received mixed reviews. However, I just put forward my opinions in the blog. Everyone has the right to express oneself,” he says. Having been featured on Zomato’s homepage in 2012, Paturi feels quite pleased when people start recognising his as food bloggers.
Prasanthi Chowdary, a senior database administrator at Whishworks, is another popular blogger known for her ‘Its Sizziling’. Featuring a collection of Indian recipes, Andhra recipes as well as global cuisines, she says she’s driven by her passion for cooking. “I started exploring different cuisines. There is something so lovely when you are able to create something that will nourish another person and make them feel special. On demand, I began sharing them online. All these reasons got me started on blogging.”
Though she finds it hard to blog regularly, she does it more as a pass time. “That moment when someone says for the first time “I read your blog”, it is the craziest thing! Honestly, even though I get comments, likes and shares, sometimes I feel that I am talking to myself! True story! But, at the end of the day it makes me keep my blog updated,” she gushes.
With food blogging capturing everybody’s attention, now would be good time for you to get started as well if you’ve always wanted to. From recipes to reviews to simple fun facts about ingredients, it’s really all about having a conversation on food.