Rendez Vous With A Foodie - Vijayalakshmi of Virunthu Unna Vanga

When its 7th and 20th of every month, i'll be introducing new budding food bloggers in my space.And i named this event as Rendez vous with a foodie, obviously this event is open to new bloggers who started food blogging before a year. Today am introducing my 6th guest aka newbie blogger who cooks at Virunthu Unna Vanga yep its none other than Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj,a young chef and a creative blogger. Ask her to make sweets with anything, she can come up definitely with some innovative and unique sweets, we named her seriously as scientist as she never stop experimenting in her kitchen with different ingredients.

I can talk for hours and hours about Viji, she is such a sweet heart you will definitely miss her everyday if you dont chitchat with her.Eventhough i know her virtually, she is really a wonderful,very humble,modest and honest human who makes you laugh with her naughtiness and instant jokes. Thank god, i got to know her through this virtual world, else i would have missed a down to earth and super jovial sister. Even am planning to meet her during my next trip to India, especially at her hometown as she lives not far from Kodaikanal.Do visit her space and seriously you can learn many different,unique and creative dishes as she shares stepwise pictures for every dishes she blogs at her space.

Now its over to Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj..

Hi dear friends, Yeah! I am flying at the same time am happy to present my guest post for one of my sweetest blogger friend  aka akka Priya Suresh. When she has announced about the Rendez Vous event, am voluntarily reserved my slot in her fantastic space. I am so energized and very blissfully am writing this post for her.

She is such a lovely, humble, humorous, down to earth sister, and I am so happy to get know her through this virtual world. I always admired her delectable, versatile recipes and her energy. When I first stepped into blogging I found very few regular bloggers who blogs frequently with zeal. She is the one passionate blogger who stood with her steady everyday blogging. I am great fan for her baking goodies, even I used to tell her if you have idea to open bakery then I will sponsor you so that I earn bigggg popularity and money.

Before I met her through group chat, I never thought that I will become a close friend of this great blogger but now I am. I got an opportunity to chat with her through some of our dearest friends in our group chat. Thanks to them for making possible to meet the pretty lady Child. We chat a lot and I got to know more about her and our bonding is growing healthy, wish to grow forever… If you give me a chance to about her, I can’t keep full stop to the speech about her. Am I Right?

Though the event ‘Rendez Vous with A Foodie’ itself evidence of her helping nature, the main motto of this event is to showcase the new food bloggers, their passion and their individual blogs.

I was thinking for some special recipes until i send my guest post for her.  And finally I have chosen a delicious and chocolate pancake. Other reason to choose the recipe is Priya akka is greatest chocoholic person and I hope its a best virtual treat for her from me… N hope u all loves this delicious chocolatey pan cake.

Tell us about you and your blog?

Hi am Vijayalakshmi as Viji, I write at VIRUNTHU UNNA VAANGA with Indian and Innovative recipes.  I have completed my studies and at present am being in home.

Before and after blogging,tell us wat blogging changed your life?

Before Blogging
I used to cook very simple and repeated recipes,sometimes i may forget the measurements and ingredients too. No idea about baking and new cuisines and feel quite alone in home with my lappy. And you know my lovely dad was telling to my relatives “she doesn’t even know to boil hot water”  see how nicely he was pulling my legs….;)

After Blogging
 Now I can do most of the recipes without knowing the measurements even  I forget, no problem that I have stored them in my space or else I can refer at friend’s blog.

 Now baking is  my favourite passion. Obviously my dad will ask me to bake cake for him and he shares with others to taste my cake, needless to say he is super happy about her daughter’s cooking and baking skills.

 I started capturing my foods  to learn food photography,which is my another new passion.

 My writing skills have improved very much and i love to write more.

 I can make different cuisines from different region to know about their taste too ,moreover I got so many true lovable friends and sisters through the blogosphere so am thoroughly enjoying and learning more n more from them.

When and what motivated you to blog about food?

Before started to blogging, I wanted to learn many varieties of cuisine and sometimes interested to do innovative dishes with my hands. I really wanted to make notes of the recipes in one place, first I have stored everything in my laptop as word document then only BLOGGING strikes=d my mind and immediately i creates one and started to share my cooking and baking goodies. Other reason was my friends asking me to write some recipes for them so I utilize the opportunity to create the blog. Sangee akka-Spicy Treats is the first person who indirectly motivated me to start the blog. Thank u Sangee akka.

There are tons of blogs/pages on food these days, what according to you is the speciality of your blog and the food that you cook?

My blog contains full of simple and easy Indian vegetarian recipes and egg-less baking with step-wise pictures which is very useful to novice bakers and beginners.  You can see recipes using leftovers and quick desserts or rice varieties which gets ready in a jiffy. Moreover I like to present my innovative dishes.

When its comes to cooking, who is your inspiration?

Of course my mom is my first inspiration. Wherever I learn recipes, all of them are my inspirations so i have a  quite long list of persons who inspired me.

Every newbie blogger faces tons of challenges when its comes to blogging, tell me about one of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome it?please specify with facts and details..

Mmm… no big challenges but it will be here n there. But can manage everything with the help of our blogger friends and internet. But yet I need to learn some techniques to improve my blog…

What is your best recipe and your favourite recipes you have blogged till now?

I love most of my recipes, but I think my best recipes are Ras Malai, Molten Lava Cake, Whole Wheat Halwa, Gobi Fried Rice, Thinai/Foxtail Millet Payasam, Milk Powder Peda, Kaju Flower, Rose Flavoured Kaju Milk Roll and many more…

Few tips about food photography?

I am still a novice photographer, yet to learn many more things and learning every day. I followed these tips,
Day light is more important to the food photographs; nowadays I don’t prefer to take pictures during evening time.
Use simple props and good backgrounds for the pictures.
Simple food styling makes your pictures even better.
Click more n more in different angles to get good pictures.

What is your budget for the props, do you have any or else do you manage with your household stuffs.

Actually I don’t have any budgets for my props. I generally use what I have in home. But nowadays, while going to departmental stores i started hunting some props for me but at the same time my mom will stare at me. Still I spent  INR 100-200 thrice month or more for my props.

How do you plan your blog posts, do you post rarely,regularly or once a week?

Mostly I will post 3-4 recipes per week, but sometimes it may change.

Do you have any other passions apart from food blogging or blogs you own?

Yes, I have. I am very much interested to do glass painting, Jardosis work and crochet.  I love to do crochet works like purses, cell pouch, kid’s towel, scarf, shocks for my sister’s daughter as I learnt the crochet work for her. I love reading books but nowadays I  glued on lappy for my food blog, but sometimes I’ll read my subject book to gain good knowledge in my field.

Chocolate Pancakes - Eggless
Preparation Time – 2 Minutes
Cooking Time – 5 Minutes

INGREDIENTS:
All Purpose Flour – ½ Cup
Baking Powder – ½ Tsp
Baking Soda – ¼ Tsp
Sugar – 2 Tbsp
Coco powder – 1 ½ Tbsp
Salt – A pinch
Milk – ¾ Cup or more
Choco chips – 1 Tbsp (Optional)

METHOD:
Take wide mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, coco powder and salt and mix it well.
Pour milk to the dry ingredients and stir it well till you get the semi liquid consistency.
Spread choco chips to it and stir it once.
Heat dosa pan, add one ladle of choco batter on medium flame but don’t spread it.
Flip it to cook other side and switch off the flame.
Serve it hot with honey or melted choco chips with fruits as breakfast.

NOTE
You can adjust sugar level according to your taste.
Batter should be semi liquid not too runny or watery.

Hope you all enjoyed this fantastic eggless pancakes, seriously i would like to start my day with this delicious pancakes drizzled with some honey..

Will be back with an another guest post on 7th July until then stay tuned friends.