Hello and Welcome to Sinfully Spicy. I am happy that you stopped by!
I am Tanvi, the spice lover behind this food blog.
I am a Mechanical engineer educated at one of India's top 10 engineering colleges. Before moving to United States from Delhi,India over a decade ago, I worked as power piping engineer.
After coming here, suddenly found myself with plenty of time on my hands, and before long, I began missing the familiar flavors of home. Within a few months, I started recreating my family's recipes in my new kitchen. The shift from mechanical tools to kitchen tools turned out to be surprisingly smooth! By the summer of 2010, I decided it was time to start documenting my recipes. And that's how Sinfully Spicy was born.
At the heart of my cooking are spices. Most of the recipes on this blog are inspired by cherished memories from my childhood, the years that were spent in my grandma's and mom's kitchens. Cooking brings me immense joy, and through Sinfully Spicy, I hope to inspire you to bring the warmth and richness of Indian food into your own kitchen.
To learn more about me and my work, you can read a feature from a few years back on Saveur Magazine.
What You Will Find on Sinfully Spicy
- Vegetarian & Meat Dishes - You will find vegetarian and meat dishes from all over India with a deep focus on North Indian Cuisine.
- Indian Street Food - You will learn how to make street style indian chaat and tikka and kebabs.
- Indian Cooking Techniques- Making Indian food at home can feel a bit intimidating, but I share plenty of indian basics to help you gradually build your skills-like mastering dum cooking or perfecting the art of bhunai-and deepen your understanding of spices.
- Traditional & Authentic Indian Food Recipes - Despite a hectic schedule, I carve out some leisurely moments to delve into time consuming recipes such as dum biryani or shami kebab and document my recipe development experiences here.
- Semi Homemade Recipes - At the same time, you will also find semi homemade recipes like schezwan paneer tart and instant rabdi to save time in the kitchen on busy days.
- Indian Fusion Recipes - I love playing with flavors and creating indian fusion recipes like shishito pepper pakoras or masala chai cake and tiramisu etc inspired by global cuisine and seasonal ingredients around me.
What You Will Not Find
- I have a deep appreciation for traditional Indian cuisine, which reflects in my cooking style. It is a blend of how I watched the women in my family cook, combined with modern-day conveniences. While I do embrace tools like a pressure cooker for lentils and certain meat dishes, just as my mom did, one of my goals with this blog is to preserve time-honored Indian cooking methods. For instance, you won't see me making biryani or kheer in an Instant Pot here for I believe some dishes deserve the patience and authenticity of traditional techniques.
- Though I enjoy watching food trends on social media, they're not my style, so I don't focus on creating trendy recipes.
- In our home, we do not cook or eat beef and pork. Hence, I do not share exclusive beef and pork recipes. However, if there is a possibility that any of my recipes can be easily made with beef, I certainly make it a point to mention it in the post.
About My Recipes
When writing my recipe posts, I strive to share everything I know about the topic. You'll find a detailed tips and tricks section, along with step-by-step photos for nearly all the recent recipes I've published.
I test each recipe at least 3 times. At this point, I am the only tester. And my family is the taste tester. Sometimes, recipes don't work and I leave them for a while (I have recipe drafts over 2 years old at any given time. Go figure!)
Though I encourage you to follow them as written, they are not set in stone. We all have unique taste preferences, so I encourage you to adjust the spice levels in my recipes to suit your palate. Some of us enjoy a fiery kick that brings tears to our eyes, while few others prefer a milder, more balanced heat.
My recipes reflect how I and my family enjoys these dishes, but they are meant to be flexible. Don't hesitate to add more chili if you crave that extra punch or tone it down for a gentler flavor profile. After all, cooking is a personal journey, and I want you to enjoy these dishes just the way you like them!
Stay Connected & Let's Chat
If you try a recipe, please consider giving it a star rating and sharing your feedback. I love reading your reviews-they not only help me improve but also motivate me!
For any recipe-related questions, feel free to reach out through the comments section. While I may take some time, I make sure to reply to every food-related question.
I send out newsletters from time to time, so be sure to subscribe! I also regularly share short videos & posts on social media. You can follow me on Instagram and TikTok for more updates and behind-the-scenes content.
Intellectual Property
All pictures, written content and vidoes you see on this website are mine unless stated otherwise. It may not be republished in part or whole on your website or in any other form.
Thank you for supporting me in this journey. Stay Spicy!
-Tanvi