How do our food experts cook and eat? This week, food blogger @foodieby_v, takes our Q&A.

What made you fall in love with cooking? 
Well, my mom is a great cook as well as my aunts. When I first moved to Dubai in 2007 I desperately started missing my mom’s food. That’s where I started my cooking journey slowly with very limited ingredients. Later I fell in love with cooking & started inventing different cuisines on my own. 
       
How did Foodie by V come about? 
I never had a thought of commencing an Instagram page, but with time I came across loads of beautiful food pages that’s where I decided to begin my own food page to share my day to day cooking pictures. As a hobby, I had a habit of clicking photos after any food I make. This way I had plenty of food pictures in my phone gallery and started sharing on my Instagram page. Slowly my page started growing with followers. Ones became tens, Tens became hundreds. Hundreds became thousands. The more followers you get the more you motivate yourself to cook and invent recipes. 

What’s a little habit you have when you are cooking? 
I just focus on cooking. I don’t like anyone disturbing or interrupting my cooking. But there are some days I listen to music while cooking. There is nothing that can make you happy than your favourite music tracks. 

While Foodie by V is an ode to mostly savoury goodness, you also do cakes and desserts for events – which one is your favourite?
Savoury food of course. I also make cakes & different variety of desserts occasionally to treat my family members & friends but my personal favourite is savoury food.

What was your favourite childhood meal? 
Rice pittu from my grandmother. I love eating them with coconut milk and sugar. She makes the best rice pittu in the universe. She use leftover rice to make this yummiest thing. 

What’s a dish you’ve tried and tested but failed in making? 
Macaroons! I would like to give it a go one more last time. If I fail again no more tries. (Sigh) 

Dead or alive, who would be your dream dinner-party guests to cook for?
My late grandparents. I would love to cook a Malay version grand dinner for them. And I’m sure they would be so happy and proud to see my growth in cooking.   On the menu - Ghee infused yellow rice, Fried chicken curry, potato creamy curry, kaliya curry, Malay pickle, Daaging Goreng (Fried beef), cashew fried mixture and cutlets. Watalappan for desert. 

It’s your last day on earth, where are you?
I would be in my motherland Sri Lanka with my loving family enjoying a yellow rice combo(Yellow rice, Beef steak, Dhal tempered, Coconut sambol, cutlets.) for dessert I would love to have a bowl of watalappan from my mama. 

What’s your comfort Sri Lankan meal?                                                
White rice, Dried fish tempered, Jack fruit curry, Coconut sambol & papadam.

What’s the trick to getting Sri Lankan food right?
I always make sure to find the best Sri Lankan products to get the best Sri Lankan taste and aroma. I never fail to bring my mom’s home-ground spices when I come back from my leave. I would say the trick is all about the secret ingredients that make your dish heavenly and delicious!

What’s your favourite food in Dubai at the moment?                   

Shawarma! Shawarma is something you shouldn’t miss out to eat in Dubai.

From your food page – what recipe would you recommend for a first-time watcher?
My Gnanakatha recipe. The method is very easy to follow and it’s yummy. 

Your proudest food recipe you’ve made your own?                                                    
One pot biriyani. I have tried different types of biriyani recipes from different people. Once I made using my own spices and ingredients it turned out to be one of the best biryani I have ever made and everyone enjoyed them to the max.   
                      
What’s a dish you’d love to relive for the first time again?           
Dumplings, dumplings are something I love to eat over again & again. I'm obsessed with them. 

Do the cooking or have someone cook for you?                                            
Of course, I would love to do the cooking so that I can cook and eat anything whenever I want.

Your favourite recipe that has been passed down to you from family?
Watalappan. Watalappan is a heavenly dessert that my mom can make perfectly. Now it’s my turn to take over. 

When I’m back in Sri Lanka, the first thing I want to eat is ______ from ______ 
My mama’s beef bistek with dhal curry, kankun tempered and coconut sambol.