There is a reason why all the posts on the blog this week have been food-related – it’s all to introduce a very special Blogterview with Aarti Sequeira, winner of Next Food Network Star and her new show Aarti Party. Aarti was just as warm and lovely over the phone as she appears every Sunday (at noon Eastern, 11:00 am Central) on her show.  I whipped up and am obsessed with her Sloppy Bombay Joes, and encourage all Food Network-philes to tune into her addictive new show.  Aarti still updates her blog aartipaarti on top of filming her show, so definitely check it out.
1. Â When did you first start cooking?
I started cooking when I was little, helping out my mum in the kitchen. My mom would be chopping raw red onion on the counter and eat the pieces when she wasn’t looking. I would help out with small things – sauté onions, etc, but would then get bored. I baked a lot when I was younger. I started cooking seriously about 7 years ago, when I wasn’t working and couldn’t drive. I would walk to the supermarket and design meals and cook, and discovered how much I loved creating meals. For Christmas that year, my husband got me a gift certificate for a cooking school and I got to learn the science behind cooking and discovered I could have a career in the food industry.
2. Â What drove you to start your blog, Aarti Paarti?
When I first came to the States, I wanted to be a journalist (i.e. the next Christiane Amanpour). I got my dream job at CNN and learned so much, but after a few years I realized I didn’t have the drive my colleagues have, getting a charge in hustling for stories. I realized that this wasn’t the right place for me and I just felt lost. Many of my friends were at the point in their careers where they were starting to take off, and I fell into blogging. I primarily started the blog to stay in touch with my family and friends abroad, and then later updated it with recipes. A couple of years later my friend suggested I have a cooking show, and my husband shot the videos while I cooked. I did the videos for less than a year before starting Next Food Network Star.
3.  What was your favorite post from your blog? Your favorite challenge from NFNS?
Favorite challenge was the Food Truck challenge – food trucks are so underground and fun, I just loved it. I also loved working with Tom. We shot the episode on Venice Beach, and we were able to feed a lot of the homeless familes on Venice Beach, which was so rewarding.
A moving post was the one I wrote about not having a lot money and we were unsure if we could pay the rent. I got such a flood of positive responses that was amazing.
4. Â What can you always find in your kitchen?
Garlic, ginger (fridge or freezer). All my spices – my husband and uncle teamed up and made a magnetic spice rack for the wall in our apartment with 30 jars for spices ready to be filled!
5.  I like to share quick and easy recipes on my blog. Can you share your go-to quick recipe with Hitha On The Go?
I always have eggs in the fridge, so I will sauté some garlic and ginger and a tomato and add some beaten eggs in the pan for a savory scramble. Herb (from NFNS) suggested to break the eggs directly in the pan for the most tender eggs. (Hitha’s note: I tried this and it produced the most lovely, fluffy scramble. Definitely try it out!
6.  What are 3 things people don’t know about you?
- I’m a big fan of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). I don’t know all the holds and the fighters, but my husband is a huge fan and I became a fan by watching.
- I hoard food. My husband set a rule that he would not go to a grocery store once during NFNS taping (he went once for kale and almond milk), but he ate everything left in the kitchen.
- I don’t cook Indian food everyday. Since it’s summer, I’ve taken advantage of the fresh produce with some salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar.
7. Â What is your food guilty pleasure?
Ice-cream. All day. I had a friend stay with me, and when he brought his ice-cream maker over I said “you can stay as long as you like!â€
8. Â What is one food you despise?
Okra. People have violent reactions about okra – for and against. My mom has tried to get me to like it, but the only way it’s palatable is if it’s fried. Which says something about the vegetable, don’t you think?
9. Â If you competed on Iron Chef, who would you challenge?
Cat Cora. Woman-against-woman battle. I really love her and she has a very cool demeanor. She has a ton of energy, but there’s something cool and calm about her, and her food is amazing. But Mike Symon…hmmm. It’s a toss up between Symon and Cora.
10. What would you love to do next – a cookbook, spice blends, etc.?
I would love to do a cookbook – still . I would love to do an Indian starter kit, where it’s a masala dhaba (spice box) with four-five containers of the basic spices and you’d have everything you need to start cooking Indian food. I would love to take the cooking variety show to the next level and partner with up-and-coming bands and actors. I also produced a documentary about the struggle in Sudan, and would love to do something to bring attention to that region.
11.  Other than Indian, what is your favorite cuisines?
I love all foods, but now that we’re able to indulge a bit, I’m really into sushi.
