Chinmayie
Hi,
I am Chinmayie a graphic designer and a food lover. This is my food blog.
I live in south Bangalore with my graphic designer husband and my 2 year old daughter. I have loved cooking and eating all my life! I was born and raised in Puttur a small town near Mangalore. I moved to Bangalore to study and have lived here ever since. I discovered my true love for cooking when I started living on my own and had to cook by myself for the first time. Starting from bread and egg to Maggi noodles I moved on to try all recipes I could lay my hands on.
I grew up eating hearty vegetarian Havyaka food. After more than 10 years of cooking and eating food from all over the world, I remain a vegetarian and a south Indian comfort food lover at heart even till this date. I enjoy cooking simple, fast and easy recipes which are healthy and tasty. Though cooking alone in my kitchen is one of my favorite ‘unwinding’ activities I don’t have the luxury of time with a hungry husband and super active 2 year old. So my recipes are for all of you who don’t really have the time to slave over the stove for hours. I like food which is super easy and I don’t settle for anything less than super tasty 
I am starting this blog to share some of my recipes with you all. Most recipes will be vegetarian as that’s what we eat at home. Most ingredients are grown and available locally. I hate following recipes and mostly believe in rustling up something good with what is available in my kitchen so most recipes will be my own. It will be a mix of all cuisines as I am just sharing the recipes that we as a family love to cook and eat without any set rules.
About photography – All photos in Love Food Eat are taken by me unless stated otherwise. I am not a professional photographer! I picked my first DSLR just a couple of months before I started the blog to basically take photos of my gorgeous little daughter. I started photographing food only after I started this blog. I really didn’t expect all these compliments from my readers! But yes, it feels great! To be featured in websites like TasteSpotting and FoodGawker is a great honor for me!
I am enjoying photographing food as much as I enjoy cooking it. I think I am also getting better at it with each post! I spend hours reading about food photography, colours, composition etc these days and it’s so much fun! I think it’s an art which is very different from cooking yet so related!
I have a Canon 550D with a 50mm 1.8 lens. I take all my photos with just natural light. I have no other gadget or equipments and no formal training. I have a long way to go and I am sure this blog will help me a lot
{Updated} October 2011
After blogging for 5 months I am excited and honored by all the compliments I have received for my writing, photography and recipes! I have had a lot of people enquire if I am available for freelance work so I thought it’s time I updated this section 
Though my family, kitchen and blog are my priority at this point, I am definitely open for work!
With each day of blogging I am realizing how much I love what I do. If you follow my blog you will know that I am passionate about experimenting in my kitchen. I enjoy creating new things out of seasonal/local ingredients. My food can be called simple home cooked Indian food to global palette. I am particularly interested in recipe creation and food writing.
I could also take up food photography, food styling assignments. My blog is my portfolio! If you like what you see and what you read here, hire me!
My blog is open for advertising and product promotion. Of course food products/companies will be the main focus.
Get in touch with me for more info!
{Updated} February 2013
I am humbled by all the emails/messages/comments I receive from all you readers! At any given time, I have a dozen of them in my inbox waiting to be answered. With my latest decision to spend less time on the computer, it’s getting very difficult to write back to all of you.
So if you have written to me and wondered why I never wrote back, all I want to say is “I am sorry!” I want each one of you to know that I am trying hard to get back to as many people as possible every day but a few emails go unanswered once in a while.
Please remember that hearing from you all means a lot to me. Even when I don’t write back I ALWAYS read all the emails/messages.
Keep them coming to keep me going…
Hope you all enjoy to cooking and eating these foods as much as I do!
Cheers!
Chinmayie
34 comments :
Paru Mahtani May 11, 2013 6:42AM
Hi Chinmayie
I found your blog through Kankana’s blog. Your photos are amazing and I’m sure your food is too! I will be following you for sure.
I am a card maker and craft teacher and started with photography to photograh my cards, but it has become a passion/obsession!!
See you around!Good luck!
ambica May 6, 2013 7:12AM
Hi Chinmayie,
Have loved your blog since a long time but i dont know if i ever told you. In fact, i posted on my blog about you sometime in 2011 and even made the salad later and posted that too.
Love your recipes and pictures and the colors and textures. And that all the food is vegan or eggless – saves me the trouble of having to experiment.
Gorgeous work… you are very inspiring.
Karen Fletcher April 28, 2013 3:02PM
Stunning blog. So glad I found you.
I am trying to go vegan and you banana oatcakes are busy baking in the oven right now.
Chandra Prakash April 10, 2013 3:47PM
Visited today…. blog is simple but “impressive”…keep posting..
Michele March 21, 2013 10:44PM
What the calorie fat and fiber for your banana bread. Looks yummy
Nandita Pai Shirali February 26, 2013 7:39AM
Hello Chinmayie,
Love the variety of breads here and would definitely be trying some of them soon soon! 
And your About Me section… could relate to most points completely… Vegetarian food at home, quick fix recipes, hate following recipe… etc! Am living in Blore too! 
Glad to find u! 
My first time here, found your space from HBG.Loved your posts on breads and I am addiccted to bread baking too
Archana Shetty February 23, 2013 11:50AM
Hello Chinmayie,
I learnt about the blog through Anja, she visited us at the rainforest retreat. I love your blog, the photographs are great! Thank you for sharing the good work. this is the best food blog I have come across for Indian food.
Warm Regards
Archana shetty
Nazam February 19, 2013 2:32PM
Hey ..u r simply amazing…keep it up!
Shri February 16, 2013 12:19AM
Chinmayie found your blog while searching for Aloor dum recipe. Loved the post, and the blog!
Sorry am unable to post in Capitals here…
Ana February 10, 2013 9:39PM
hEY Chinmayie, i’M SO HAPPY THAT i FOUND YOUR BLOG. i AM A VEGETARIAN FROM rOMANIA, I STARTED A VEGGIE BLOG LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, STARTED USING A DSLR AT THE SAME TIME, AND I’M CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR INPIRATION. YOUR FOOD STYLING is so beautiful and natural, AND i’M SURE GOING TO TRY SOON AT YOUR RECEIPES! Love, ana
Chinmayie February 11, 2013 6:01AM
Thank you so much Ana. Al the best with your new food blog
chaitra sathyashankar January 24, 2013 5:54AM
i love ur blog. keep experimenting new dishes. so tht i too can try at home. i like north indian, chinese and south indian dishes. try to put some of these dishes in ur blog.
Maria January 12, 2013 11:05PM
Hello Chinmayie. Just found your blog and must say I am happy I ran across it. I am quite interested in the Indian gooseberry. is it possible to find the gooseberries here in Atlanta georgia. I’ve been researching and visiting different indian stores but can’t find them anywhere. I’ve gone to a couple of markets to no avail. Please help! if you know of somewhere here or where I could possibly purchase them online, i would greatly appreciate it. i would like to have the actual fruit, if possible, but will be pleased with any edible form i can get. i love the benefits of this fruit and mentioned it to everyone i can think would benefit from it as well. many Thanks for any help you can give.
Vava February 8, 2013 10:38PM
Dried and frozen Amla is available in almost any indian store in America, so strange you didn’t find it…
ಶಿವಕುಮಾರ December 19, 2012 6:09PM
ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿದೆ!
nadia December 15, 2012 4:05PM
It’s really interesting how most of us start from bread and egg to Maggi noodles
You’ve got a great blog, Chinmayie. Keep it up!
Sudha MALIK December 12, 2012 10:20AM
Hi,Chinmayie,
Chanced upon your blog while looking for an answer to whether navane is same as quinoa.
Your site ia amazing! I am a pure vegetarian by birth kannadiga married to a punjabi.
I really liked your blog as Its after my philosophy of eating fresh and local and seasonal.
Also the fact that your recipes are simple,quick.
I live in Delhi but in Bangalore every second month as my mother lives alone in JP nagar.
Look fwd to reading more of your recipes.
Neilly Rosenblum November 27, 2012 1:37AM
Lovely blog!! Thank you so much for taking the time to post your approachable recipes and beautiful photography!!
Surbhi December 22, 2011 11:16PM
Hi, I’m glad I came across your blog .You have done a great job and yes I must say beautiful pictures
too
Hannah December 2, 2011 7:23PM
Hi Chinmayie,
What a lovely blog you have! Your photos are beautiful, too.
I’ve visited Bangalore and Mangalore before and I just love South Indian food.
I look forward to checking out more of your recipes.
Have a great weekend!
Hannah
Chinmayie December 3, 2011 2:46AM
Hey Hannah! Glad you found my blog. Thank you so much! See you around here
Scarlett O'hara November 25, 2011 9:25AM
Hopped over here after finding you on Twitter. Very delighted to see the blog, the recipes, and your food pics. (this pic of yours is dazzling, btw)
Am a Mangalorean too, a Shivalli brahmin, so I cook vegetarian food only. Am going to come here very often to pick up recipes , and yes I’ll give credit in my posts
Revati November 24, 2011 1:55PM
Great blog Chinmayie! very inspiring for someone like me who has only just started cooking when I moved out of home, and suddenly discovered how much I actually love it..
Sharanya November 21, 2011 7:01AM
hey
lovely blog. I am a manglorean..feels like home to see some authentic recipes
arundati October 11, 2011 3:54AM
stumbled here through material girl’s blog! my god! i was missing some serious action. this blog is fantastic! easy to make recipes and fantastic pictures! keep up the fabulous work chinmayie… you will see me a lot more here!
Chinmayie October 14, 2011 10:10AM
Thank you so much Arundati! Where exactly did you find my blog?
Vera October 7, 2011 7:33AM
Dear Chinmayie,
Your blog was a wonderful discovery the other day as I was looking for a cake with beetroot… I really enjoy your explorations and am delighted with your not following recipes to the letter. I cook in a similar way, except for sweets, where I tend to respect the measurements.
Thank you for the freshness, originality, wonderful photos, warmth, and, most of all, your love of life!
Wishing you and your family lots of joy!
The Backyard Baker September 29, 2011 9:29AM
Hi Chinmayie,
Lovely blog. It is a treat to one’s eyes….
Your photographs speak that you a graphic designer. A designer who is a foodie and a good cook is such a deadly combination
Nice to know you.
I lie in Delhi and am an advertising professional myself. Besides food blogging i run an ad agency.
- Gauri Jayaram
Cara September 13, 2011 11:37PM
What a beautiful blog! I just love your pictures and recipes–they look so good! I cannot wait to try some of them
Chandana August 8, 2011 10:42AM
Hi!
Ashwini sent me the link of this website and I love what you’ve created! Will try some of your recipes for sure.
Regards,
Chandana
smitha August 3, 2011 5:17PM
hi chimayie,
we are so happy to see your blog!!it has got wonderful recipes with fantastic photography!!
My kids and me really enjoyed today looking at it..They say its really mouthwatering and said “Mom,you have to do these recipes..and its really a nice name for Saatu!!
Actually I am your relative, though we haven’t met.My grandmother is your grandmothers elder sister.I am from Badanaje,(shankar bhats daughter)now settled at bcroad near mangalore.
My two gorgeous kids are in 8th and 3rd std.
All the best chinmayie..
love,
smitha.
Chinmayie August 7, 2011 4:56AM
Thank you SO much for visiting my blog Smitha! SO happy to ‘meet’ you like this
Glad you all like my blog and photos so much. All my recipes are really simple and easy to make. Please try them out and let me know how you like them!
Nash at Plateful July 24, 2011 8:41AM
Hey, nice to meet you Chinmaye. Albeit virtually! I’m living in Qatar and my best friends are from Manglore, so it’s a real delight to come across your blog
Before I babble too much, lemme tell you this – love your pics! You’ve inspired me to buy that DSLR SOON! I’ve just completed 6 months of blogging and I’m still using my p&s. Boring eh? Hmm, had a quick look at your recipes and everything looks tempting. Of course due credit to your gorgeous pics.. 
Chinmayie July 24, 2011 5:10PM
Hey Nishira! Thank you for stopping by and happy to connect