A Meal Is Not Good Enough If It Fails To Appease Our Tummy - Maya Mohan



Maya Mohan


I always associate myself with Biriyani. Cooking the aromatic rice, chicken masala, the  frying of onions, cashews and raisins, the chopped herbs, and then the layering - such an intricate blend of ingredients and technique resulting in this fragrant, mouth-watering dish! Oh, the ecstasy I felt knew no bounds! 


1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I am from Kerala, India and currently settled in Seattle for the last 11 years. I have always loved food from a very young age. I belong to a family of foodies who believe in the art of preparing great food. 

For us, meal times were serious affairs, and a meal was not good enough if it fails to appease our tummy. We simply did not believe in eating just anything to fill our stomach. We needed good delicious food. And we loved variety. 

As a child, I used to linger around the kitchen whenever my mom made special dishes. The fragrance from the kitchen always managed to push my happy buttons.

I started my food blog YummyOYummy a year after I got married. Mainly, my idea was to document my family recipes and to save the recipes I enjoyed cooking. I have learnt a lot over the years and am continuing to learn. 

I have authored two cookbooks with DC Books, a leading publisher in Kerala. For me, there's nothing more satisfying than experimenting with a dish and getting successful. My blog has given me a lot of love from people all over the world.


2. Which is your favourite cuisine and dish?

My favourite dish is Mutton Biriyani and my favourite cuisine is Indian. All parts of India -  be it South, North, West, North East has a lot to offer in terms of food. 

That said, I love exploring different cuisines and cooking styles be it Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern to name a few. It is exciting to learn new recipes and I love the whole process of preparing food for my family. 


3. Should food blogging be just a passion or can it become a regular career?

If an individual is very passionate about food blogging and has time, he/she can definitely pursue it as a career. 

You can collaborate and do promotions for food-related brands and restaurants, earn from ads featured on the food blog, write cookbooks, contribute to magazines, start a youTube channel, become an Instagram influencer etc. 

  • Food blogging and food photography go hand in hand. Food photography and styling involves a lot of patience and creativity. If you love doing that, you can make a career in food styling.


4. Which restaurants/food joints would you recommend to food lovers?

I am from Kerala so I am listing down the restaurants that we enjoyed during our vacation in February, 2020. 

If anyone would love to visit Cochin-Kerala, do visit the following restaurants and try Malabar biriyani, Fish fry, Fish Pollichathu, Appam and Chicken / Mutton Stew, Puttu, Ghee Rice and Chicken/Mutton Roast etc.
  • Paragon Restaurant, Lulu Mall
  • Salkara Restaurant, Nedumbasseri
  • Cheenavala Seafood Restaurant


5. What makes you appreciate a particular dish or a restaurant and talk about it on your blog?

Any dish that has the capacity to engage all my senses makes me appreciate it! I believe that presentation, taste, aroma - everything matters. And, if I talk about a particular restaurant on my blog it definitely would be due to the above reasons and ambience. 


6. Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?

I always associate myself with Biriyani. My most favorite childhood memory is my mom making her signature Chicken Biriyani for us. I was simply hooked to the whole process of making biriyani. 

Cooking the aromatic rice, chicken masala, the  frying of onions, cashews and raisins, the chopped herbs, and then the layering - such an intricate blend of ingredients and technique resulting in this fragrant, mouth-watering dish! Oh, the ecstasy I felt knew no bounds! 


7. Which is your favourite book and why? 

I am not an avid reader but I do enjoy reading books. The books that I thoroughly enjoyed reading are The  Magic Faraway Tree Series by Enid Blyton. 

Yes, it was my childhood favorite book series, and it still remains so! This timeless classic is now one of my son's favorites. I find it really opens up one's imagination while inspiring the sense of adventure in a child. 

 - Maya Mohan (Food Blogger) 


Maya Mohan


Interviewed By Tuhina Rana